How to change the Instagram icon on an iPhone or Android and customize the app's appearance on your home screen

• If you want to change the Instagram icon on your mobile device, there's one way to do it on an iPhone or iPad, and a couple methods on Android.
• You can use the Shortcuts app for iOS or iPadOS to create a custom icon for Instagram.
• If you want a custom Instagram icon for Android, you can install an icon-changing app or a launcher.

The Instagram app icon is unmistakable - the circle, square, and dot that conveys the impression of a classic camera with elegant simplicity. But if you're tired of that aesthetic, you might be pleased to know that you can change the icon.

For a brief moment in time, Instagram included the ability to change the icon from the app's own settings, but that was only to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Here's how to do it using the tools on your iPhone or Android.

How to change the Instagram app icon on an iPhone or iPad

If you have an iOS device, you can use the Shortcuts app to give any app you like a unique icon. There are some prerequisites, though. You need to be running iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 or higher, have the Shortcuts app installed on your device, and have the image you want to use for the Instagram app icon saved to your Photos library.

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Once you have all the pieces in place, it only takes a few taps to change the any app's icon, including Instagram's icon. Using the Shortcuts app, you simply need to create a new shortcut and choose the Open App action. From there, choose Instagram, give the shortcut a name (such as "Instagram,") and select a photo to use as the new shortcut image.

When you're done, the new shortcut appears on your iOS device with the name "Instagram" and the image you selected in the icon. You can hide the original Instagram app so you don't have two icons for the same app on the home page.

How to change the Instagram app icon on an Android phone or tablet

If you have an Android device, you have a couple options for changing your Instagram icon, though you'll need to install a third-party app to do so.

Using an app

There are a number of apps in the Google Play store that let you change app icons, and many are free. Even so, some features may only be available through in-app purchases and many apps rely on in-app ads to unlock features. We'll use X Icon Changer to demonstrate how the process works, though you can use a different app if you prefer.

1. Install X Icon Changer from the Google Play store.

2. Tap and hold a blank spot on your phone's home screen and then, in the dropdown menu, choose Widgets.

3. Scroll down to find X Icon Changer. Tap and hold the icon, then when the home screen appears, select where you want the icon to go, and let go of the screen.

4. Scroll through the list of apps installed on your phone and tap Instagram.

5. Select the image you want to use. You can browse the various tabs of pre-made icons, you can take a photo, or choose an image from your photo library.

6. When you're done, tap OK.

Like most icon-changers apps, you might need to wait through the occasional ad to complete these steps.

Using a launcher

Another way to change the Instagram icon (or any other app icon, for that matter) is by installing a launcher. In addition to letting you customize the appearance of your phone, most launchers let you customize the icons. Smart Launcher, for example, is a popular launcher that makes it easy to change icons. We'll demonstrate how to do that, but you can accomplish the same thing with many other launchers.

1. Install Smart Launcher from the Google Play store.

2. Run Smart Launcher for the first time and complete the initial setup. You will be offered the opportunity to upgrade to one of the app's premium subscription tiers, but you can opt out of that and continue using it for free.

3. Find Instagram (Smart Launcher automatically sorts the app onto the Communication page). Tap and hold the icon until the pop-up menu appears, then choose the Edit icon.

4. Pick the icon you want to use. You can choose From gallery (your phone's photo gallery), Smart Launcher (an icon collection that comes with the launcher) or any other icon packs that are installed.