NEWS · Apple How-To

iOS 18: Create Dark Mode Icons for Apps That Won't Go Dark

iOS 18: Create Dark Mode Icons for Apps That Won't Go DarkThursday October 31, 2024 4:45 AM PDT by Tim HardwickHave you tried making your iPhone's Home Screen app icons dark using the new customization options in iOS 18? If so, yo

vinkoweb · Oct 28, 2026 · 0 views
iOS 18: Create Dark Mode Icons for Apps That Won't Go Dark
Table of Contents
  1. 1. Popular Stories
  2. 2. Crackgate? iPhone Duo Owners Report Screens Breaking Along the Hinge
  3. 3. Apple Music Has a Hidden iPod You Can Play With
  4. 4. iPhone Duo Fails JerryRigEverything's Dusty Durability Test
  5. 5. Next Article

iOS 18: Create Dark Mode Icons for Apps That Won't Go Dark

by Tim Hardwick

Have you tried making your iPhone's Home Screen app icons dark using the new customization options in iOS 18? If so, you may have run up against the issue that, despite all efforts, some app icons simply refuse to turn dark. Well, we may have a solution for you.

dark mode icons
It's been over two months since Apple released iOS 18, but not all app developers have updated their apps to include equivalent dark mode icons (we're looking at you, Amazon). And while iOS 18 tries to automatically generate dark icons when developers haven't provided them, it doesn't always work.

If that leaves one or two light icons spoiling your otherwise carefully crafted dark-themed Home Screen, don't despair. The following steps describe a relatively simple method you can use that will give most stubborn app icons a passable dark appearance. Big thanks to Redditor Straight_Random_2211 for sharing their custom dark icon assets and process, which we've distilled below:

  1. On your iPhone, download the "Get App Icon" shortcut: [Shortcut Link].
  2. Run the shortcut and type in the name of the app whose icon you want to make dark, then select it from the search results. The icon will be saved in your photo library.
    shortcuts
  3. Next, save the following dark-background image to your photo library (long press ➝ Save to Photos): [Image Link]
  4. Visit Remove.bg's "change background" web tool, then tap the blue Upload Image button and choose the app icon that's saved in your photos.
  5. Under "Background Image," tap Select File, then choose the dark background image that's also saved in your photos.
  6. Press and hold the resulting image on the remove.bg webpage, then tap Save to Photos in the contextual menu.
    twitch
  7. Now, open Shortcuts and tap the + button at the top to create a new Shortcut, then select the Open App action.
  8. Tap the blue "App" text in the "Open App" action, then choose the app whose icon you want to make dark.
  9. Tap the chevron at the top of the screen, select Add to Home Screen from the dropdown menu.
  10. Label the shortcut as the app's name and choose your custom dark icon for the photo, then tap Add to finish.
    custom dark icon

With a bit of luck, your custom dark mode icon will look the part on your personalized Home Screen. Note: If you have several app icons that you want to create dark mode equivalents for, make sure to create a new "Open App" shortcut for each one as you go. If you don't, you may end up accidentally creating several icon shortcuts that refer back to the same app.

Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
iphone duo screen crack in store

Crackgate? iPhone Duo Owners Report Screens Breaking Along the Hinge

Friday October 23, 2026 11:05 am PDT by Juli Clover
Some iPhone Duos are already experiencing hinge issues that cause display cracks, based on photos shared on Reddit and the MacRumors forums. Almost all of the display faults are right along the hinge, and most result in a line of bright pixels across one side of the screen. An iPhone Duo owner in Australia said his device cracked after being opened fewer than 20 times, and there was no...
Apple Music iPod Page Not Found

Apple Music Has a Hidden iPod You Can Play With

Friday October 23, 2026 7:11 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Music has a 404 page easter egg on the web: a functional iPod that appears when you load a page that does not exist, such as music.apple.com/macrumors. "Page Not Found," says Apple. "Give this a spin instead." Apple is clever with this. If you navigate to music.apple.com/ipod instead, the page says "Looking for something?" instead of "Page Not Found." The easter egg is only...
jerryrigeverything iphone duo dust

iPhone Duo Fails JerryRigEverything's Dusty Durability Test

Saturday October 24, 2026 11:27 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone Duo has failed JerryRigEverything's latest durability test. Despite its IP68 dust-resistance rating, dust entered the hinge through several ingress points, overwhelming the magnets that hold the phone shut. The bend test then left a permanent green line across the inner display, before the screen became unresponsive. The outer screen with Ceramic Shield 2 scratched at level 7...
'); }
← More tech stories