Dark beauty: How to turn app icons on iPhone dark

Apple first introduced dark mode with iOS 13, giving users an enhanced visual experience on iPhone models with an OLED display. While the native apps and most third-party apps adopted the new dark mode, their icons have remained the same so far. That changed with the release of iOS 18, which allows users to change the colour of app icons, including turning them dark. The new Home Screen customisation is available on all iPhone models that support iOS 18, meaning iPhone XR and higher.

iOS 18 came out last month days after the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models were launched. While the new iPhones come preloaded with iOS 18, older models require users to update from iOS 17 to iOS 18. If one has downloaded and installed iOS 18 on their eligible iPhone device, here is how they can turn app icons on the Home Screen dark.

Dark app icons on iPhone

The process to enable dark mode for app icons on the iPhone’s Home Screen is straightforward.

– Long press an empty space on the Home Screen of the iPhone till the app icons begin to jiggle.

– Tap the Edit button in the top left corner of the Home Screen.

– Choose the Customise option.

– Tap the Dark option from the widget on the bottom to immediately turn app icons dark.

The same functionality also lets users choose any colour from the palette to give a tinted look to app icons, but most users have found it ugly, especially when compared to the functionality’s counterparts on Android phones.

While most app icons now support dark mode, apps such as Telegram have yet to roll out support. Users should also keep in mind that an app icon look applies to all app icons that support the functionality, so one cannot customise individual app icons – at least not yet.