One of the best things about Android is how much you can customize the software. Case in point, you can even change the appearance of your app icons, one of the first things you see when you unlock your phone. If you don’t know how you can spice up your app icons, we have the right guide for you! Here are some of the best ways to customize your Android icons.
As with most things in Android, there are different ways to change your icons, and most of them don’t even require root access. Some of them will depend on the Android skin you use, so there’s a chance you won’t be able to use all of them. Don’t worry, as there are some one-size-fits-all solutions.
What Are the Different Ways to Customize App Icons on Android?
| Method | Root Access Needed | Difficulty | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd-party Launchers | No | Easy | Few |
| Built-in Themes | No | Very Easy | Many |
| Downloaded Themes | No | Very Easy | Some |
| Root Methods | Yes | Difficult (and risky) | Very Few |
The best thing about Android customizations is that you can pick your poison. If you’re a novice, you have options. If you’re an avid tinkerer, guess what? There are options for you, too! The easiest way to change your icons is to use the methods built right into your software. You don’t need to download anything for the most part.
After that, there are downloaded themes from a theme store, 3rd-party Android skins, and methods through rooted devices. There’s a spectrum of difficulty and risk, but the result is a phone that really feels like YOUR phone.
Can You Change Android App Icons Without Using a Third-Party Launcher?
The easiest and most direct way of changing your icons is to download a 3rd-party launcher. However, that method comes with a couple of drawbacks. Mainly, if you already have your home screen set up to your liking, you’ll need to start from scratch with the other launcher.
So, let’s check out how to do this natively. Before getting into this, it’s important to explain some of the limitations of native methods. For starters, most of the large companies that build phones don’t offer many ways to customize their software. You won’t get the sheer amount of freedom that you’d get from the smaller brands that design 3rd-party launchers. Those smaller companies have a stronger focus on fan service.
How to Change App Icons on Pixel Phones and Stock Android
Our first stop is the fundamental Android experience. Google’s Pixel phones come with the purest and most quintessential version of Android called Stock Android. Many phone makers adopt Stock Android and add their own seasoning on top. Motorola’s My UX is a great example. As such, there’s a high chance that you can use the same customization features.
In 2021, Google introduced the world to Material Design 3, the third iteration of its Android design language. Also known as Material You, this redefined Android’s identity. One of the most interesting aspects of Material You is Dynamic Color. This feature takes colors from your phone’s wallpaper and generates a whole color scheme for your phone.
This new color scheme extends into apps, menus, and the app icons. Most of the phones using stock and near-stock Android can use this feature. Along with those phones, several other phones with their own Android skins can use Dynamic Color. This includes phones from Motorola, Vivo, OnePlus, and Samsung.
Stock Android vs OEM Skins: What’s the Difference?
While many of the phones on the market will use Google’s method, there are still phones that don’t have the same treatment. Several device makers have transformed Android into something completely different. As such, some Android skins haven’t adopted Dynamic Color. For example, phones from Transsion Holdings-owned companies Tecno and Infinix don’t use Dynamic Colors.
Some companies try to create their own Android experience distinct from the riffraff. This eliminates the most straightforward method. So, if you don’t see the option to use your wallpaper colors, that’s why.
How Dynamic Color Can Enhance Your App Icons
You can customize your app icons using just a few taps. Firstly, change your phone’s wallpaper.
- Hold your finger down on the home screen.
- Tap on the option to change your wallpaper.
When you select it, you will see most of your app icons change to a minimalist icon that matches the system’s color scheme. This highlights one of Dynamic Color’s main complaints. The icons for Google’s first-party apps will change to follow the color scheme. This also goes for several third-party apps, like WhatsApp, Shortwave Email, Bluesky, Brave Browser, Disney+, Instagram, and many more.
That said, many apps haven’t adopted it yet and updated their icons. So, you’ll see a patchwork of themed and unthemed icons. This pretty much breaks the whole effect. Unless you move all of the unthemed icons out of the home screen, things will look inconsistent.
Some Android skins and third-party launchers will actually force unthemed icons to comply with the color scheme. Some of them work pretty well, but nothing’s as effective as the company building a new icon from the ground up for Dynamic Color.
How to Change App Icons on Samsung Phones
While Samsung is slowly pushing One UI closer and closer to being an iOS ripoff, the company has introduced some great customization options into the software. In fact, Samsung was one of the earlier companies to let users change their app icons.
For starters, the company lets you change them through Dynamic Color. Just like with stock Android, you need to go to the wallpaper changer and select the option to apply the wallpaper color to the icons.
- Hold your finger down on the home screen.
- Tap on the Wallpaper and Style option at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on the Color Palette option.
- Select the Apply palette to app icons button.
The compatible app icons will change. Just like with Stock Android, you’ll see unthemed icons polka dotting your home screen.
Using the Samsung Theme Store to Customize Icons
Before Google introduced Material You, Samsung phones allowed you to change your app icons through themes. The company has sustained a theme store for years. It’s full to the brim with beautiful user-created themes, and these themes include icon packs. To change your icon pack:
- Hold your finger on the home screen.
- Tap on the Theme button.
- Tap on the Icons button.
- Look for the icon packs that you want to try.
- Press the Apply button.
How to Change App Icons Using an Android Launcher
One of the most popular ways to customize your app icons is to use a 3rd-party launcher. When you go to your home screen on your phone, do you know that you’re actually starting an app? That’s right! That app is called the launcher, and its main job is to be the main interface on your phone.
Well, you can download other launchers from the Play Store and apply them to your phone. So, when you press the home button, your phone will start up the downloaded launcher and use it as your home screen. There are a TON of 3rd-party launchers that you can get from the Play Store that you can change your phone in pretty much any way you want.
One of the best things about launchers is that some of them give you a great deal of control over the app icons.
What Is Lawnchair Launcher and How Does It Work?
The first recommended launcher is Lawnchair. This free launcher is pretty straightforward. If you want a near-stock Android experience, then you’ll love it. To change your icons:
- Hold your finger down on the home screen.
- Tap on the Home settings button.
- Tap on the General button.
- Scroll down to the Icons section.
When you select Icon style, you’ll be able to choose the icon style you want to apply to the system. There may not be any pre-installed icon packs, but you can download some from the Google Play Store. Some recommended icon packs are from the Ash Theme, Minimal Theme, and Vivo S10 Theme.
You can change the icon style of individual apps as well. Hold your finger down on the app you want to change and tap on the Customize button. Tap on the app’s icon at the top of the panel. This will let you choose the icon pack you want the app to draw from.
Is Nova Launcher Still Viable?
Next, we have Nova Launcher. While the company has had some troubling times, you can still download and use the launcher. To change the icons:
- Hold your finger on the home screen.
- Tap on the Settings button.
- Tap on the Look & feel button.
- Tap on the Icon style button.
You can change the icon shape and even adjust the roundedness of the corners to a precise degree. Those are just some of the plentiful ways that you can customize your icons using Nova. To change an individual app’s icon:
- Hold your finger down on an app icon.
- Tap on the Edit button.
- Tap on the app icon on the left side of the panel.
- Choose the icon pack you want for the icon.
Does Microsoft Offer an Android Launcher?
If you really miss the Microsoft Surface Duo phones and you want that Microsoft experience, then you can download the Microsoft Launcher. It gives you a pretty high degree of customizability.
- Hold your finger down on the home screen.
- Tap on the Launcher Settings button.
- Go to the Home Screen button.
- Choose the Icon appearance button.
This menu will let you change the icon pack. Tapping on the Icon layout and Size button will let you further refine your icons.
Changing individual icons is as easy as holding your finger down on the app icon you want to change, choosing the Edit icon button, and choosing the icon pack.
Can You Change App Icons by Rooting Your Android Device?
Rooting your phone can give you a ton of freedom. Your phone comes with a very locked-down experience out of the box. There are things that your phone doesn’t let you do, and most people are happy with that. However, some people aren’t; this is where rooting comes in.
Rooting your device means getting rid of the restrictions that are placed on your phone at the root level. You’ll be able to install a completely different operating system on your phone if you want. Thus, there are ways to change your app’s icons if you root your phone.
However, there are a ton of risks associated with rooting your phone. Firstly, you will need to be tech-savvy. It involves going to your phone’s bootloader (a part of the software so basic, it doesn’t even have an interface). It’s like digging into your car’s engine. As such, if you make one wrong move while you’re there, you could render your phone completely unusable.
Another issue is that there are phones with locked boot loaders. This means that you’re unable to root them. So, if you want to look into rooting your phone, you’ll need to do your research.
Final Thoughts: Make Your Android Phone Feel Truly Personal
Changing your app icons is a pretty easy way to personalize your phone’s software. It doesn’t have an effect on your battery or performance; however, keep in mind that some launchers might draw more power if they have a ton of animations. Keep an eye on your battery after you install a new launcher.
You should start off simple. Try a minimalist launcher that people trust. After that, experiment with other launchers on the market. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to your default launcher. Go to your settings > Apps section, find the Defaults section, and select your phone’s native launcher.
Customizability is core to the Android experience, and there’s no telling how much you can personalize your software. However, it all starts with just changing your app icons.
