Gurman: iOS 18 Will Allow Users to Recolor App Icons and Place Them Anywhere

Apple's iOS 18 update will introduce new features for further customizing the iPhone's home screen, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman claimed that Apple will allow users to change the color of app icons in ‌iOS 18‌. For example, "you can make all your social icons blue or finance-related ones green." This kind of home screen customization is currently only possible by creating single-action shortcuts with a custom icon that serve to launch an app.

Gurman also corroborated previous reports that ‌iOS 18‌ will allow users to place apps anywhere on the home screen's grid. This will enable users to arrange icons more freely, similar to how widgets can currently be placed.

‌iOS 18‌ is expected to be previewed alongside Apple's other major software updates at WWDC in June, before officially releasing to the public in the fall.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

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Top Rated Comments

Dulcimer Avatar
7 months ago
Tim Cook finally pressed the emergency “let Apple users customize their iPhone” button after seeing dwindling iPhone sales.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
7 months ago

I never understood why people wanted to be able to put blank spaces on their home screens. Wouldn't you want your home screen filled with apps so you don't have to scroll home screens as much?
I prefer organizing my most-used apps into folders rather than swiping from screen-to-screen. But most of my navigation is done via Search anyway. Pull down and type, if the app is not already smartly suggested. Smart suggestions are very smart. If I've driven into my local McDonald's, it suggests the McDonald's app. ?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jb310 Avatar
7 months ago
This is awesome news; as soon as iOS 18 drops, I'm gonna put on some Eiffel 65 and get to work...

? 'Cause I'm blue, da ba dee da ba dye, da ba dee~ ?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tothemoonsands Avatar
7 months ago
Assuming this will be up to the given app developers to enable? Would be very interesting if it’s a forced global option.

More customization is awesome, but I think about other major necessities like a keychain.app to compete against dedicated password managers etc
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hovscorpion12 Avatar
7 months ago

but I think about other major necessities like a keychain.app to compete against dedicated password managers etc
iOS already has a password manager.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maxrest Avatar
7 months ago
Damn seems like some can never be satisfied in these threads.

Anyways, I’m really looking forward to this WWDC. Can’t believe it’s only 2 weeks away.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)