The Apple iOS has a very good-looking interface and does not require any introduction. However, one area where it can improve is offering more customization features for the user. This is one of the key reasons why many users opt for Android.
However, it is entirely possible to change the appearance of the Apple icons without the requirement of any third-party software. It is also possible on the Windows system as well. This is not a widely known fact. Therefore, in this guide, we will be showing you how to change the appearance of icons in your operating system. We will be covering the different operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows, and more.
How To Change App Icons
On the iPhone and iPad
- First of all, click on the Shortcuts app on your Apple device. This is a pre-installed application and you can get it by typing the name in the search bar.
- Click on the My Shortcuts tab
- Click on the + button from the upper right corner
- Now, choose the Add Action option.
- In the search bar, type in the word Open App.
- Click on the word called “choose”. This will display the list of your applications.
- Select the application which you want to customize.
- Now, choose the 3 dots from the top right corner. This will open the details page. Enter a name for your shortcut and select the “Add to Home screen” option.
- You can find a bland look icon. From the upper right section, click Add.
- Now, you can choose the new icon you want. If you have any ideas, then you can even design your own icons.
- Go to the shortcut preview section and choose the icon under “Home Screen Name”.
- You have the option of selecting a photo or taking one by yourself.
- In the next window, you can select the portion of the photo that will appear as the icon. Now, click the choose option.
- You can find your new icon ready. Click the Add button.
- Now, you find the new icon on the home screen.
On the Android
Android offers lots of different ways by which you can change the look of the icons.
Method 1
- Identify the app icon that you want to personalize. Keep pressing the icon until a pop-up appears.
- Choose the edit option.
- In the next window, you can view the app icon as well as the application name.
- Here, you can select a different icon as well.
- Also, if you are not happy with the choices provided, then you can download an icon pack from the play store.
Method 2
We can also change the app icons via a launcher. There are a wide variety of launchers available for this purpose but we will be using the Nova Launcher.
- From the Google Play Store, download the Nova Launcher.
- Complete the setup and do as per the on-screen instructions.
- Head back to the home screen and click on the Nova settings icon.
- Choose the look & feel option and then in the next window, select the Icon style.
- Click on the icon theme option to choose a different theme. Nova launcher does not have any icons of its own and as a result, you have to download the icons pack.
On the Windows Operating System
Icons in Windows use the ICO format but you can also use the ConvertICO file to convert PNG files into ICO format. If you do not intend to create an icon, you can always visit websites like Flaticon or Graphic Burger. If you are not bothered about downloading icons, then follow the steps given below.
- Make a desktop shortcut for the file that you want to replace. You can always right-click on the icon and choose the send to desktop option.
- Click on the Change icon button.
- Choose the icon that you find interesting. If there are no icons, then tap on the browse button to view the downloaded icons.
- Now, select an icon, and click on the Open option and then head to the folder with the icon in the ICON format.
- Finally, hit OK to select the icon.
On the Mac System
- First of all, download the icon files to the pc. The format can either be PNG or JPG but we would recommend using INCS. The INCS files will automatically adjust their size to the best fit on the display screen. Sites like Flaticons or Findicons are great places to download
- Open the Finder application. You can identify it as a Blue Smiley Icon.
- Now head to the Application folder which you can find in the left section of the Window.
- Right-click the icon that you want to replace and tap on the Get Info option. This will open up a panel that displays the currently used icon.
- Hold down the command key +N button simultaneously to open another Find Window. Two finder windows are necessary for the purpose.
- Choose the icon that you like. Open the location of this icon in the Finder window.
- Drop the icon on top of the old icon in the Get info panel. Now you will be asked to confirm the administrator password. Just confirm it.
Thus you have changed the icon in your Mac System as well.
Final Words:
We hope this guide would have helped you to change the icons in different systems like Windows, Mac, Android, etc. The process is fairly easy and can be done by anyone regardless of their skill level. For any queries regarding the content, do write to us.
