How to Get Dark Icons in iOS 18 (And More New Features)

PDF download Download Article
Customize your iPhone home screen with dark-mode app icons
PDF download Download Article

iOS 18 is loaded with new customization options, giving you more control over your Home screen than ever. One of the most talked-about features of iOS 18 is the new "Dark" mode for app icons and widgets. But how do you make your icons dark? This guide will teach you how to get dark or tinted icons in iOS 18. We'll also explain why some icons might not change color, and show you other awesome customization features available in iOS 18.

Dark Icons in iOS 18: What to Know

To get dark icons, tap and hold an empty area of the home screen, tap Edit , select Customize , and then tap Dark . While all Apple app icons can be made dark, some other developers haven't updated their apps to include dark versions of their icons.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Get Dark Icons in iOS 18

PDF download Download Article
  1. The icons will begin to jiggle, and the "Edit" option will appear.
  2. A menu will expand.
    Advertisement
  3. This brings up a new menu at the bottom with different icon preferences.
  4. Dark icons have dark gray, almost black backgrounds. The color of your icons will change instantly.
    • If you have a light-colored background image , try tapping the sun icon to tint it darker—it'll better match your dark icons.
  5. Another new iOS 18 icon color option is Tinted , which also gives you dark icons, but replaces the icons' foreground colors with a single tinted shade. You can drag the color slider to choose the tint color, and the brightness slider to make the tint brighter or darker. [1]
    • A third option is Automatic , which makes your icons dark at night, while keeping them light in the day.
  6. You can now enjoy your new dark iOS 18 icons.
    • Swipe all the way to the right to see all of your new dark icons in the App Library.
    7. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

Why are some icons not dark?

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you swipe over to the App Library, you'll probably see that some of your icons haven't changed color. While all of the preinstalled apps on your iPhone have both dark and light icons to choose from, you won't be able to change the color of other app icons if their developers haven't added dark icons in an update.
    • If an app's icon has a solid background color that's part of its logo design (such as Amazon's brown box icon and Reddit's red robot icon), the developer may be unable to create a dark icon. Instead, they'll add a darker-tinted version of the original icon to match dark icon themes better.
    • Quick fix: If you want darker icons but don't like that some icons are still brightly colored, use Tinted instead. This makes every icon on your iPhone a uniform tinted color.
Section 3 of 3:

Other New Customization Options in iOS 18

PDF download Download Article
  1. Great news: Your apps and widgets no longer have to be right next to each other—you can now drag an app or widget to any open space on the Home screen to customize your layout exactly as you wish. Here's how:
    • Tap and hold any app icon on the Home screen and select Edit Home Screen .
    • Drag an app or widget to any location—even if there are no other icons or widgets in that spot.
    • Lift your finger to place the icon or widget, then tap any open space to save your changes.
  2. Are you tired of seeing app names below your icons? You can now hide icon text by switching to Large icon mode. To hide icon text in iOS 18:
    • Tap and hold the Home screen and select Edit .
    • Tap Customize .
    • Tap Large to increase the size of the icons a bit, which instantly hides the icon text.
  3. While it was always possible to add controls to Control Center , you can now add even more controls, including from third-party apps. The Control Center now also spans multiple pages, so you can organize your controls by type. To edit the Control Center:
    • Swipe down from the top-right of the Home screen (or swipe up if you're using an iPhone or iPad with a Home button) to open Control Center.
    • Swipe up and down to see the new Control Center pages.
    • To add a new control, select a page, tap + at the top-left, then select Add a Control . You'll find all sorts of new options, including multiple clock features, a new text size slider, more accessibility settings, and even controls from third-party apps like Instagram and Phillips Hue.
  4. While you could previously launch only the camera and flashlight from the lock screen, you can now swap these app icons for other options.
    • Press the side button twice to go to the lock screen.
    • Press and hold the lock screen, then tap Customize when it appears.
      • If this doesn't work, try again, but enter your passcode to unlock your phone or tablet. [2]
    • Tap the - on either the flashlight or camera icon to remove it.
    • Tap + and select a new app for your lock screen.
    5. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      6 Ways to View Your Apple ID Password—No Resetting Required
      How to
      AirPlay to a Fire Stick from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac
      How to
      Add an App Back to Home Screen: Tips for Finding Apps
      How to
      Turn Off Screen Time: 4 Simple Methods You Can Try
      Is Your iPhone Hacked? How to Tell and What to Do
      iOS 17 Gestures: How to Trigger Reaction Effects in FaceTime
      No Location Found Error in Find My: Meaning and Solutions
      App Store Missing? 3 Easy Methods to Restore It on iPhone or iPad
      Everything You Need to Know about Game Mode in iOS 18
      How to
      Downgrade and Restore Older Versions of iOS on iPhone
      How to
      Change App Icons
      iOS 18 Guide: How to Use Genmoji + What Genmoji Is
      How to
      Delete Application Data on iOS: 3 Easy Ways
      Can You See Your AirDrop History? And How to See Files Shared with You
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-18/
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-a-custom-lock-screen-iph4d0e6c351/ios

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 17,130 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement