iOS 18 will finally let you customize your icons, unlock them from the grid

You’ll now be able to better customize your iPhone interface with several new features coming in iOS 18, Apple announced today at its Worldwide Developer Conference. The company will now support long-requested functionality, like the ability to set app icons and widgets wherever you want on the Home Screen, plus support for dark mode icons with different color schemes.

Before, iOS app icons were locked to the grid — leading to workarounds like blank and transparent iPhone widgets that would allow users to organize their screen the way they liked. Now, that will no longer be necessary as icons can be moved around the screen and placed anywhere you want. Apple notes that now, you won’t have to block your background wallpaper with icons, if you choose

In addition, when you switch to dark mode, there’s a new dark look for icons. Plus, users will be able pull a a new customization sheet where they can tint their icons with color. iOS will also automatically suggest tint colors that complement your wallpaper. Android already offers a similar feature via its design system, Material You.

iPhone users, meanwhile, have had to create complicated workarounds — like using iOS Shortcuts with custom icons to get the look they want. Apple seemed caught off guard by the level of iPhone customization that took off with iOS 14, driving millions of downloads to Home Screen customization apps and rapid adoption of iOS widgets, for example.