How to Customize App Icons on iPhone Without the Shortcuts App

Quick answer: You can give your apps custom icons without the Shortcuts app by placing them in a widget that lets you design every tile. WidgetLoft (formerly FolderMini) has a built-in icon studio: pick a photo, an SF Symbol, an emoji or a letter, set the colors, and make separate Light and Dark versions. The tile still opens the app directly.

An aesthetic Home Screen usually starts with icons that match. Here is the method most tutorials show, what it actually gives you, and a widget-based way to get the same look.

How the Shortcuts method works

The most shared tutorial goes like this: open the Shortcuts app, create a new shortcut with the "Open App" action, choose the app, then add that shortcut to your Home Screen with a name and an image from your photos. The new icon looks like a custom app icon.

It works, and it is worth knowing what you get:

• It is a shortcut, not the app. Tapping it runs through the Shortcuts app, which then opens your app.
• You now have two icons. The original app is still installed, so its regular icon is still somewhere. Most people move it to the App Library to keep the page clean.
• One icon at a time. Every app needs its own shortcut, built and named separately, with one image for both light and dark appearance.

For one or two icons, that is fine. For a whole themed page, a widget is often easier.

Step-by-step: custom app icons with WidgetLoft

1. Add the app. Open WidgetLoft, search the App Store inside the app (or use Share → WidgetLoft on any App Store page), and add the app to a group.
2. Open Change Icon. Go to the Library tab, tap the app's tile, then tap Change Icon.
3. Pick a source. Choose Photo (drag to move, pinch to zoom while cropping), Symbol (5,700+ SF Symbols in 27 categories, searchable in English), Emoji, or Mono (the first letter, each word, or custom text up to 3 characters).
4. Set colors for Light and Dark. Choose an Icon Color and a Background, or No Background for a glyph that sits right on the widget. Design the Light and Dark versions separately so the icon fits both appearances.
5. Place the widget. Long-press an empty spot on the Home Screen, add a widget, choose WidgetLoft, and pick a size. Tap a tile and the app opens directly.

Shortcuts method vs WidgetLoft icon studio

| | Shortcuts method | WidgetLoft icon studio | | --- | --- | --- | | How the app opens | Runs through the Shortcuts app | The tile opens the app directly | | Dark variant | One image for both appearances | Separate Light and Dark designs | | Steps per icon | New shortcut, choose app, add to Home Screen, set image and name | Tap the tile, Change Icon, pick a source and colors | | Icon sources | An image from your photos | Photo, 5,700+ SF Symbols, Emoji, Mono letters | | Many apps at once | One Home Screen icon per shortcut | Many tiles in one widget |

The difference is where the work lives. With WidgetLoft, the design and the launching sit in the same tile: no extra shortcut per app, and no Shortcuts app in the way when you tap. Your apps without a custom design still show their real icons, so you can customize only the ones you want.

Common questions

Does a custom icon in WidgetLoft open the Shortcuts app? No. A WidgetLoft app tile on the Home Screen opens the app directly by its bundle ID, with or without a custom icon.

Does this change the app's real icon on my iPhone? No. The design is for the tile inside the widget. The app's own icon stays as it is, and you can keep it in the App Library so your page shows only the widget.

Can a custom icon look different in Dark Mode? Yes. The icon studio has separate Light and Dark designs. If you don't design one, popular apps already come with ready-made dark icons (see dark mode app icons on iPhone).

Ready to design your set? Download WidgetLoft on the App Store and give every app the icon you want.