Apple announced at its WWDC 2024 event on Monday that several new features coming to iOS 18 will make it easier to customize your iPhone's interface. The company will now support long-requested features like the ability to place app icons and widgets anywhere on your home screen, as well as support for dark mode icons with different color schemes.
Previously, iOS app icons were fixed to a grid, which forced workarounds like white space and transparent iPhone widgets to let users organize their screens however they wanted. But now that you can move icons around the screen and place them wherever you want, these workarounds are no longer necessary. Apple has said that going forward, you won't need to have your icons block your background wallpaper if you want to.
Additionally, when you switch to Dark Mode, your icons will get a new, dark look. Plus, it brings up a new customization sheet where you can colorize your icons. iOS will automatically suggest shades that match your wallpaper. Android already offers a similar feature through its design system, Material You.
Meanwhile, iPhone users have had to resort to complex workarounds, such as using iOS shortcuts with custom icons to achieve the look they want. Apple appears to have been caught off guard by the level of iPhone customization that has exploded with iOS 14, with home screen customization apps reaching millions of downloads and iOS widgets seeing rapid adoption, for example.