How to Change Icons on Samsung: A Complete Guide

Personalizing your Samsung device goes beyond wallpapers and ringtones — changing your app icons is one of the most visible ways to reshape how your phone looks and feels. Whether you want a cleaner aesthetic, a themed setup, or just a fresh look, Samsung's Android-based One UI gives you several legitimate paths to get there. 🎨

What "Changing Icons" Actually Means on Samsung

Before diving in, it helps to understand what you're actually changing. On Samsung devices running One UI, icons are rendered by the launcher — the system layer that manages your home screen, app drawer, and shortcuts. Because of this, changing icons usually means one of three things:

• Applying an icon pack through a third-party launcher
• Using a Good Lock module (Samsung's own customization tool)
• Manually assigning custom images to individual shortcuts

Each method has different requirements, different levels of flexibility, and different tradeoffs.

Method 1: Using a Third-Party Launcher With an Icon Pack

This is the most flexible and widely used approach. A third-party launcher replaces Samsung's default launcher entirely and typically supports icon packs — downloadable sets of custom-designed icons that apply uniformly across your apps.

Popular launchers that support icon packs include Nova Launcher, Niagara Launcher, and Lawnchair. These are available on the Google Play Store.

How it generally works:

1. Download and install a compatible launcher from the Play Store
2. Set it as your default launcher when prompted (or through Settings → Apps → Default Apps → Home app)
3. Download an icon pack from the Play Store — there are thousands, ranging from minimal to illustrated styles
4. Open the launcher's settings, navigate to its Appearance or Icon section, and select the icon pack you installed

The degree of coverage varies. Some icon packs include thousands of app icons; others are more limited. When an app isn't included in the pack, the launcher typically falls back to the original icon or a generic placeholder.

Method 2: Samsung's Good Lock App (One UI Only)

If you'd rather stay within Samsung's ecosystem, Good Lock is Samsung's official customization suite, available through the Galaxy Store. The relevant module is called Theme Park or, in some regions, accessed through the Themes section of Good Lock.

Good Lock allows you to:

• Adjust icon shapes (circle, squircle, rounded square, etc.)
• Apply icon background colors uniformly
• Modify icon sizes across the home screen

This approach works entirely within the stock One UI launcher, so you don't need to replace your launcher at all. The tradeoff is that you're working with shape and color overlays rather than fully custom-designed icon sets.

To access it:

1. Download Good Lock from the Galaxy Store
2. Install the relevant module (availability varies by region and One UI version)
3. Navigate to the icon customization section and adjust to your preference

Method 3: Changing Individual Icons Manually

For users who want to change just one or two icons — say, a shortcut to a website or a specific app — Samsung's One UI supports manual icon changes on individual home screen shortcuts.

Steps for a home screen shortcut:

1. Long-press the icon you want to change
2. Tap Edit (this option appears on shortcuts, not all app icons)
3. Tap the icon image itself — this opens an option to select a different image from your gallery or choose from a small set of built-in icons

⚠️ This method only works for shortcuts and widgets, not for the core app icons themselves. You cannot natively replace the icon for, say, the Samsung Messages app using this method alone — that requires a launcher or icon pack.

Method 4: Samsung Themes

Samsung's built-in Themes app (accessible from Settings → Wallpaper and Style → Themes, or directly from the Galaxy Store) offers bundled theme packages that include matching icon sets, wallpapers, and UI colors. This is the most turnkey option — everything applies at once.

Variables That Affect Your Options

Not every Samsung device or user will have the same experience. Several factors shape which methods are available to you:

• One UI version: Older versions of One UI may have limited Good Lock support or different Themes layouts. Good Lock features also vary by region.
• Region and carrier: Some Samsung devices sold through carriers have restricted app stores or limited Galaxy Store access.
• Technical comfort: Third-party launchers unlock the most flexibility but require you to configure a new home screen environment from scratch, which takes time.
• Icon pack compatibility: Not all icon packs work equally well with all launchers. Some packs are designed specifically for Nova Launcher; others are more universal.
• App coverage: Newer or less popular apps may not have icons in a given icon pack, leaving gaps in your theme.

What You'll Actually Experience

For users who want a cohesive, fully themed look across every app, a launcher plus icon pack combination tends to offer the most control — but requires the most setup. For users who want minor refinements without disrupting their existing layout, Good Lock or Samsung Themes keeps things contained within the ecosystem they already know.

The right path depends heavily on how much you want to change, how comfortable you are reconfiguring your home screen, and whether regional availability gives you full access to Samsung's own tools. Those variables — your device, your One UI version, your region, and your appetite for customization — are ultimately what determines which method fits best. 📱