The latest iOS versions have kinda made it possible to tweak app icons to match your preferred look, like applying Dark Mode, Tints, or even letting them switch automatically based on the time of day. It’s not exactly a full-blown theme switcher but enough for some visual customization without needing jailbreaking or complicated workarounds. If you’re tired of the plain vanilla icons but don’t want to mess with apps or launchers, this can be a quick fix—at least for some apps. Just note, it’s a system-wide stuff, so all icons will change together, no picking just one app — which is kind of annoying but expected. Anyway, here’s a rundown on how to get those dark-themed icons working on iPhone without much fuss.
How to Use Dark Mode App Icons on iPhone
Make sure your iPhone is running the latest iOS
- Because Apple sometimes sneaks in new features or fixes bugs in updates, if you’re on an older version, this might not work. Open Settings > General > Software Update. If there’s an update available, tap Download and Install.
Expect that updating might fix bugs or missing features that could prevent these icon tweaks from showing up later, especially if you’re on a pretty outdated iPhone. On one setup it worked pretty smoothly, on another I had to restart a few times for the options to show up—classic Apple style.
Accessing the customization menu
- Navigate to your home screen, press & hold in an empty space. Not sure why it works, but this activates the ‘jiggle’ mode. Once your apps wiggle, look at the top left corner — tap Edit if it pops up—sometimes you get it without that step, but it’s safer to tap it.
From here, you should see a Customize button or option. If it’s not there, double-check your iOS version; earlier versions don’t support this trick. Remember, this is kind of hidden and not all devices get it immediately, so don’t get frustrated if you don’t see it right away.
Choosing icon size and color modes
- You’ll get a menu from the bottom to pick Small or Large icons. Larger icons hide app names, which looks cleaner, but it’s a personal preference. Under this menu, you’ll see options for color modes: Automatic, Dark, Light, Tinted. Pick the one that fits your vibe.
On my phone, selecting Dark makes all icons switch to a dark theme, matching my dark mode setting. Sometimes, the automatic switching works great—if it switches to dark at night, but during the day, icons turn back to light. Not sure why, but it’s kinda hit-or-miss depending on the iOS version and device. The tinted mode is kinda cool if you want a monochrome style that picks up your wallpaper’s accent color, which can make your home screen pop.
Enabling Dark or automatic modes
- Just tap Dark to lock in dark icons, or choose Automatic if you want them to switch based on your system’s light setting. But beware, if you pick automatic during the daytime, the icons usually stay light during the day and turn dark at night—sometimes this setup needs a reboot or a toggle in Settings > Display & Brightness > Dark Mode.
Heads up: There’s no way to assign different color modes to individual apps. The dark or tinted options apply globally, affecting all icons. So if you’re hoping to have some icons dark and others not, that’s a no-go for now, unless you go full jailbreak territory. Because of course, Apple makes it harder than necessary to customize just parts of your home screen without workarounds.
Extra tips if it’s not working right away
- Sometimes you need to restart the iPhone after applying these settings for the icons to actually switch. Also, toggling Dark Mode on/off in Settings > Display & Brightness can help trigger the change.
- If you don’t see the customization options, check that your iOS version is up to date or try a hard reboot (Volume Up + Volume Down + Power)—it’s old school but often fixes weird glitches.
Honestly, this process feels a little flaky sometimes, especially when updates roll out. Just messing around with the options and rebooting a couple of times often becomes part of the routine.
Summary
- Make sure your iPhone is on the latest iOS.
- Access home screen edit mode by pressing & holding on empty space.
- Tap Edit and then Customize.
- Choose icon size, then pick your preferred color mode (Dark, Light, Automatic, Tinted).
- Restart if needed and toggle Dark Mode in settings for best results.
Wrap-up
This isn’t a perfect system, but it’s kinda nice to get dark icons synced up with your theme without jumping through hoops. Sure, it’s super limited—no individual app tweaks—but for now, it’s the best workaround. Just be prepared for a few hiccups along the way, especially after major iOS updates. Fingers crossed this helps someone save a bit of time fiddling around, because honestly, Apple could make this way more straightforward.