Yes—but only as a workaround. On iOS 14, you could put custom-looking launcher icons on the Home Screen without the Shortcuts app opening first by installing a configuration profile containing a Web Clip. That created an additional Home Screen link; it did not replace the real app icon in the App Library, Settings, Spotlight, notifications, or the app itself. The method was version-dependent, required trusting a profile, and was never a universal consumer personalization setting.
What “changing an app icon” meant in iOS 14
Apple treated an app icon as an asset supplied by the developer, not as a user-replaceable Home Screen setting. See Apple’s app-icon documentation. iOS 14 therefore offered three different things that are often confused:
- Actual app icon: remains controlled by the app and iOS.
- Shortcuts icon: a user-created launcher that opens the app.
- Web Clip icon: a profile-installed Home Screen link with its own label and artwork.
You could hide the original app from the main Home Screen by moving it to another page or the App Library, which Apple introduced with iOS 14 (Apple’s iOS 14 announcement). The original icon still existed elsewhere.
The safest option: use Shortcuts
For most personal iPhones, Shortcuts was the reliable and reversible route:
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- Open Shortcuts and create a new shortcut.
- Add Open App, then choose the app.
- Tap the shortcut’s details button and choose Add to Home Screen.
- Tap the Home Screen icon, choose a photo or file, name the shortcut, and add it.
- Move the original app to the App Library or another page without deleting it.
Early iOS 14 releases visibly routed a tap through Shortcuts before opening the target app, which is why many users looked for alternatives. Contemporary instructions documented that behavior (Tech Advisor). In iOS 14.3 beta 2, Apple changed the launch experience so the Shortcuts app no longer fully appeared in the same way, but the icon was still a shortcut rather than a replacement (MacRumors).
The Shortcuts-free-looking workaround: Web Clips
A configuration profile can install a Web Clip—a managed Home Screen link with a label, URL, and optional custom icon. Apple documents the payload at WebClip and describes Web Clips as Home Screen links in its deployment guide.
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A Web Clip may launch a webpage, an app URL scheme, or (where supported) a targeted application. It may therefore open an app more directly than early iOS 14 Shortcuts, but the result depends on the iOS point release, the installation method, and the target app. Apple lists TargetApplicationBundleIdentifier as available from iOS 14 and says it requires installation through MDM. That requirement means a random downloadable profile is not equivalent to a properly managed deployment.
What the payload can contain
Label— the Home Screen name.URL— the destination opened by the Web Clip.Icon— custom image data.Precomposed— avoids the older gloss effect.IsRemovable— controls whether the user can remove the clip directly.TargetApplicationBundleIdentifier— identifies an application intended to open the URL, subject to Apple’s MDM qualification.
Simplified profile fragment
This illustrates the relevant fields; it is not a guaranteed copy-and-install profile:
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<key>PayloadType</key>
<string>com.apple.webClip.managed</string>
<key>Label</key>
<string>Custom App</string>
<key>URL</key>
<string>app-specific-url-or-launch-target</string>
<key>Icon</key>
<data>BASE64-ENCODED-PNG-DATA</data>
<key>IsRemovable</key>
<true/>
<key>Precomposed</key>
<true/>
<key>TargetApplicationBundleIdentifier</key>
<string>com.example.app</string>Use square artwork. Apple’s deployment guidance recommends no larger than 400 × 400 pixels and under 1 MB uncompressed; it also lists 114 × 114 pixels for Retina iPhone Web Clips and 144 × 144 pixels for Retina iPad Web Clips. These are Web Clip guidelines, not ordinary App Store icon requirements.
Before installing a profile
- Use an iPhone on the iOS 14 release you intend to run; behavior was not identical across 14.0–14.x.
- Keep a square PNG and record which profile you installed.
- Know the target app’s documented URL scheme if the profile uses one.
- Confirm the profile can be removed.
- Read every payload. Stop if it requests certificates, VPN, DNS, email, credentials, supervision, or device-management rights unrelated to a Web Clip.
- Prefer a profile whose organization and purpose are identifiable; an attractive icon is not a reason to trust an opaque signer.
Installation flow on iOS 14
- Generate or obtain the
.mobileconfigprofile from a source you understand. - Open it on the iPhone. If iOS reports Profile Downloaded, open that notice.
- If necessary, go to Settings → General → Profiles & Device Management (the label can vary by build).
- Select the profile, review its payloads, and tap Install.
- Enter the passcode and confirm any prompts.
- Return to the Home Screen, find the new Web Clip, and test it before rearranging anything.
- Move the original app to the App Library or another page if you do not want two similar-looking icons.
A successful result displays your artwork, but it remains a Web Clip. Removing the profile can remove a non-removable clip, and deleting the target app does not necessarily remove the clip.
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Common failures and fixes
The icon opens Safari
The URL may be a webpage, the app may not support that URL scheme, or the application-targeting field may have been ignored because the profile was not installed through supported MDM. Delete the clip and profile, verify the app’s documented scheme, and use Shortcuts if direct launching cannot be confirmed. Apple distinguishes the Web Clip’s URL from its application bundle identifier in the payload specification.
The icon is blank, cropped, or glossy
Invalid image encoding, non-square artwork, excessive size, or a false/missing Precomposed value can cause this. Recreate the image within Apple’s Web Clip guidance and reinstall the profile.
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The profile will not install
Malformed XML, missing identifiers, missing label or URL data, an unsigned profile, or an unsupported installation method can all fail. Do not keep retrying an opaque profile; remove the download and obtain a profile whose contents you can inspect.
The icon stops working after an update
This workaround relied on configuration-profile behavior, not a promised consumer feature. An update could change URL handling, application targeting, or profile restrictions. Do not assume a profile that worked on 14.0 will work on 14.3 or every later 14.x release.
Apple’s built-in apps behave differently
Do not promise identical results for system and third-party apps. Historical reports show app-targeting behavior changed during iOS 14.3 testing (community report; another report). Treat those reports as historical observations, not a universal Apple rule.
Remove the icons and profile
- Open Settings → General → Profiles & Device Management.
- Select the icon profile and tap Remove Profile.
- Enter the passcode if requested and confirm.
- Delete any Web Clip icons that remain on the Home Screen.
- Restore the original app to your preferred Home Screen page; it was never replaced.
If the profile is not listed, check other management sections in Settings and remove the Web Clip manually. If a profile installs device management or cannot be removed normally, stop using the source and contact the organization shown in its profile details rather than installing another profile.
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Which method fits your priority?
| Priority | Best choice | Important trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum safety and reversibility | Shortcuts | Early iOS 14 builds visibly opened Shortcuts. |
| No Shortcuts launch screen | Web Clip/profile workaround | Version-, app-, and installation-dependent; profile trust is a concern. |
| No third-party profile or management | Shortcuts | Creates a launcher, not a replacement icon. |
| True replacement everywhere | Not available to ordinary iOS 14 users | The app’s own icon remains in system locations. |
| Modern iPhone theming | Current Home Screen controls | Apple now offers default, dark, clear, and tinted styles, but not the arbitrary-image replacement described here (iPhone User Guide; Human Interface Guidelines). |
Bottom line
On iOS 14, a configuration profile with Web Clips was the closest Shortcuts-free workaround. It could add a custom launcher icon and sometimes open an app directly, but it never changed the installed app’s real icon and was not guaranteed across iOS releases or apps. For a personal iPhone, Shortcuts remained the safer supported choice; use a profile only when you understand its payload, trust its source, and have a clear removal plan.
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