What you can actually change about app appearance on iPhone
iPhone lets you change how apps look, but not in the way you might expect. You cannot recolor individual apps — you cannot make your Mail app purple or your Photos app orange. What you can do is set a system-wide color scheme that affects certain built-in apps, enable Dark Mode to darken all apps at once, and customize your home screen with app icons and widgets that have different colors.
The most direct way to change app colors is through Dark Mode, which inverts the color scheme of most apps from light backgrounds to dark ones. You can also use Accent Color (on iOS 15 and later) to change the blue highlight color that appears throughout the system and in some apps. For more dramatic changes, you can swap out app icons entirely using the Shortcuts app, which lets you create custom-colored icons that launch your apps.
Key Takeaways
- Dark Mode darkens the background of most apps system-wide and is the quickest way to change how apps appear.
- Accent Color (iOS 15+) changes the blue highlight color used in system apps and some third-party apps, but not the app itself.
- Custom app icons created through the Shortcuts app let you replace the standard icon with a colored image you choose, though the app itself still looks the same when you open it.
- Some third-party apps have their own color or theme settings inside the app — check the app's settings menu to see what options exist.
Enabling Dark Mode for all apps
Dark Mode is the simplest way to change how your apps look. It switches most apps from light backgrounds to dark ones, which also reduces eye strain in low light and saves battery on iPhones with OLED screens (iPhone 12 and later).
To turn on Dark Mode, open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and select Dark. You can also set it to turn on automatically at sunset by choosing Automatic instead. Once Dark Mode is on, most built-in apps and many third-party apps will immediately switch to a dark color scheme.
Not every app respects Dark Mode — some older apps or apps designed only for light backgrounds will stay the same. If an app does not change, the app developer has not built Dark Mode support into it yet.
Changing the system accent color
Starting with iOS 15, you can change the blue accent color that appears throughout your iPhone. This color shows up in buttons, toggles, links, and highlights in system apps like Mail, Calendar, and Reminders, and some third-party apps use it too.
To change the accent color, go to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, scroll down, and tap Accent Color. You will see options like Blue, Green, Pink, Red, Orange, and Yellow. Choose the one you want, and the system will update immediately. This change affects the entire phone, not individual apps.
Keep in mind that this only changes accent highlights, not the main background or text color of apps. If you want to change the overall look of an app, Dark Mode combined with a new accent color is usually the most you can do without using custom icons.
Creating custom app icons with Shortcuts
If you want to replace an app's icon with a custom colored image, you can use the Shortcuts app (built into iOS) to create a shortcut that launches the app with a custom icon. This does not change how the app looks when you open it — only the icon on your home screen changes.
To create a custom icon, open the Shortcuts app, tap the plus button to create a new shortcut, and tap Add Action. Search for "Open App" and select it. Choose the app you want to customize. Then tap the three dots at the top right, scroll down to Home Screen Details, and tap Add to Home Screen. Give it a name and tap the icon preview to choose or create a custom image. You can use a photo, a design from an app like Canva, or a solid color background.
Once you add it to your home screen, the custom icon will appear instead of the original app icon. Tapping it launches the real app. You can create multiple shortcuts for the same app with different icons if you want to organize them by color or category.
Checking app-specific color settings
Some apps have their own theme or color options built in. These are separate from system-wide settings and only affect that one app. Common places to find these settings are in the app's main menu, under a Settings or Preferences option, or sometimes under an Account or Profile section.
For example, some messaging apps let you choose a chat bubble color, some note-taking apps let you pick a background color, and some music apps let you choose an accent color for the player. Open the app you want to customize, look for a Settings or Preferences menu, and search for words like "theme," "color," "appearance," or "display."
Not every app has these options — many apps use only the colors set by the system. If you do not see a color or theme option in an app's settings, the app developer has not included one.
Using Focus modes to change app notifications by color
Focus modes (called Do Not Disturb in older iOS versions) let you silence notifications from certain apps at certain times, but they do not change app colors. However, you can use Focus modes to control which apps send you notifications, which can make your home screen feel less cluttered or chaotic during certain parts of your day.
To set up a Focus mode, go to Settings, tap Focus, and tap the plus button. Choose a name like "Work" or "Evening," then select which apps and contacts can notify you. You can also set a home screen for that Focus that only shows certain apps. When you switch to that Focus, only the apps you chose will send notifications, and your home screen can change to show only the apps you want to see.
This does not change app colors, but it can make your phone feel more organized and less visually overwhelming, which sometimes feels like a color change because you are seeing fewer apps at once.
Limitations of app color customization on iPhone
iPhone is more restrictive than Android when it comes to changing app appearance. You cannot change the internal colors of an app — only the icon on your home screen and system-wide accent colors. You also cannot install themes or skins that override how apps look when you open them.
This is by design: Apple controls the look and feel of the system to keep all iPhones consistent and to prevent apps from looking broken or confusing. If you want more control over app appearance, Android phones offer more options, including custom launchers and theme engines that can change how every app looks.
For iPhone, your best options remain Dark Mode, Accent Color, custom home screen icons, and checking individual apps for their own theme settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the color of just one app without changing the whole system?
Not the app itself — when you open it, it will still look the way the developer designed it. You can only change the icon on your home screen using Shortcuts. Some apps have their own color settings inside the app, so check the app's settings menu first.
Does Dark Mode work on all apps?
Most built-in Apple apps and many popular third-party apps support Dark Mode, but not all do. Older apps or apps designed only for light backgrounds may not change. If an app does not support Dark Mode, contact the app developer to request it.
Will changing the accent color affect all my apps?
The accent color change affects system apps and any third-party apps that use the system accent color. Some apps have their own color scheme and will not be affected. The change is system-wide, so you cannot set different accent colors for different apps.
If I create a custom icon with Shortcuts, does the app look different when I open it?
No. The custom icon only changes how it looks on your home screen. When you tap it and the app opens, it looks exactly the same as it normally would. The Shortcuts shortcut is just a launcher with a custom appearance.
Can I download themes or skins to change how apps look?
No. iPhone does not allow third-party themes or skins that change how apps appear. You are limited to Dark Mode, Accent Color, custom home screen icons, and any color options built into individual apps by their developers.