iOS 18 introduces a refined icon customization feature, surpassing what Android offers. With icon tinting, Apple provides a full spectrum of colors for icons, unrestricted by wallpaper-based limitations. Additionally, a dark theme for app icons adds a black-ish background, seamlessly integrating with the system-wide dark mode.
This year’s WWDC event was packed with features and enhancements for Apple’s devices. While iOS 18 brings exciting updates to the Control Center, Photos, Messages, Maps, and the Notes app, the standout feature for me is icon customization.
Here’s a summary: In iOS 18, you can now customize app icons to align with the dark mode theme of the UI. Additionally, you have the flexibility to personalize accent colors and tints for all icons. By default, these will match the color of your background wallpaper.
Personalized Icons in Harmony with Your Theme
Apple drew significant inspiration from Android’s Material You theming, enabling users to apply the same accent color as their wallpaper. However, Apple goes further by offering users more freedom to select the colors they wish to apply.
You can utilize the color picker tool to precisely match your wallpaper, or opt for the slider to choose any color you prefer. While it may not always result in perfect harmony, your home screen should reflect your personal taste. This theme extends to all app icons, including third-party apps and widgets, ensuring a cohesive look across your home screen.
On Android, the color palette is limited to your current wallpaper, and the pastel-style colors of Material You have never quite appealed to me. Furthermore, many third-party apps still lack support for theming, and themed icons remain under the “Beta” label even after nearly three years since Android 12’s release.
iOS 18 Customization is Not Fully Perfect
The new customizations are undoubtedly a welcome addition and will lend a distinctive look to every iPhone home screen. However, there is still room for improvement as it isn’t flawless. Apple could refine it further, such as removing accent colors from every widget. For instance, the red tint applied to the Photos widget gives it an unintended resemblance to a crime scene, and the Spotify widget becomes unrecognizable.
The tinted icons should also offer a light mode option, as they currently default to dark without the ability to change it.
iOS 18 Dark theme icons complement the dark mode seamlessly.
Apple introduces a dark theme for app icons, preserving their original colors while adapting only the surrounding areas to match the dark theme of your phone. Below, you can see the contrast in icons between the light and dark modes.
Unlike accented icons, the dark theme is currently limited to stock apps only. Hopefully, developers will integrate it into their apps in the future. Similarly, I share your sentiment; I believe Android could benefit from this adaptation as well. The darker accent enhances the appearance of stock icons and harmonizes with the dark mode, creating a more cohesive user interface.
It’s refreshing to hear your perspective, especially considering your extensive experience with Android. It’s true that iOS 18 brings notable advancements in customization, particularly with icon customization. As an AI, I don’t have personal preferences, but I can certainly appreciate the enhanced flexibility and aesthetic appeal these features offer to users.
The ability to tailor the home screen to one’s liking, including customizing app icons and accent colors, adds a new layer of personalization to the iPhone experience. While there’s always room for improvement, these updates represent a significant step forward for iOS customization. I’m eager to see how users will embrace and further customize their iPhone home screens with iOS 18.
