iPhone 14 Pro: Using Custom App Icons Now Less Annoying Thanks to Dynamic Island

[MacRumors]

As a means to customize their iPhones, many users want to use custom app icons on their Home Screen. iOS itself doesn't offer a native option to easily change and use custom app icons, but thankfully, the new iPhone 14 Pro and Dynamic Island make it easier to use a workaround to do just that.

One of the most popular ways users have used custom app icons on iOS is with Shortcuts. Using the Shortcuts app on iOS, users can create a custom shortcut on their Home Screen with any image or custom app icon they wish that opens a specific app. The workaround has not been perfect since there are practical limitations that can be annoying.

Intrusive banner when using custom app icons on the iPhone 13 and older​

Every time you tap on a custom app icon shortcut on your Home Screen, a large banner appears at the top of your display to confirm the shortcut is running. Many users find the banner distracting and intrusive, which makes the workaround less than ideal.

Thankfully, the new iPhone 14 Pro and the introduction of Dynamic Island make using custom app icons with Shortcuts more seamless and effortless. Dynamic Island on the latest high-end iPhones introduces an entirely new area at the top of the display where system-wide alerts and contextual information now appear at the top rather than obscuring other parts of iOS.

• How the iPhone 14 Pro's New 'Dynamic Island' Works

One alert that Apple has moved to Dynamic Island is Shortcuts. When running Shortcuts on the iPhone 14 Pro, there is no longer a banner that appears at the top of the display. Now, the shortcut runs seamlessly in Dynamic Island.

Custom app icon Shortcut running on the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌'s Dynamic Island​

While Dynamic Island makes it easier to run custom app icon shortcuts, other limitations still exist. The most notable is that custom app icons still cannot show notification badges like normal apps. This can be annoying for users who want to use a custom app icon for social media or messaging apps, where notification badges are particularly useful.

• How to Change App Icons on iOS Home Screen

Users creating custom app icons was a trend in 2020 following iOS 14, which introduced redesigned widgets to the Home Screen on the iPhone. Since then, Apple has more openly adopted the idea of users customizing iOS to their specific likings, making it easier to use custom app icons and, of course, the entirely personalized Lock Screen in iOS 16.

Article Link: iPhone 14 Pro: Using Custom App Icons Now Less Annoying Thanks to Dynamic Island

 

[sergekills]

Still perv. Argue with the wall.

 

[JonathanParker]

that’s a reason to upgrade alone

 

[DailySlow]

that’s a reason to upgrade alone

I think it’s more fun to upgrade in a group.

 

[jacjustjac]

It still irks me a little that Apple needs us to buy a phone with a Dynamic Island just to make these constantly regular, pop-up system UI banner notifications less annoying and cumbersome. They could have improved notifications on phones without a Dynamic Island too, just saying.

 

[Solid_Snake]

I think it’s more fun to upgrade in a group.

Reasons to Upgrade over the 13 Pro models:1) New design on the front, (2) New 48MP wide camera, (3) Satellite connectivity, (4) Better ultra wide camera, telephoto camera and the front camera, (5) New 5G chip (X65, (6) Crash detection, (7) better thermals, (8) Bluetooth 5.3, (9) Action mode, (10) Always on display.

 

[orbital~debris]

Intrusive banner when using custom app icons on the iPhone 13 and older​

Photo caption should read "Intrusive banner when using custom app icons on the iPhone 14 and older".

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

Retrospectively, still feel this pill shape cut out should have been introduced on iPhone 13, maybe even as far back as iPhone 12.

Dynamic islands is welcome and a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the notch hung around too long in my opinion.

 

[alexjholland]

If Apple simply demanded a 'color' and 'monochrome' icon for each app - that'd be great.

The ability to recolour icons to fit your scheme should be standard already.

Android's a step ahead in this regard.

 

[bLackjackj]

Reasons to Upgrade over the 13 Pro models:1) New design on the front, (2) New 48MP wide camera, (3) Satellite connectivity, (4) Better ultra wide camera, telephoto camera and the front camera, (5) New 5G chip (X65, (6) Crash detection, (7) better thermals, (8) Bluetooth 5.3, (9) Action mode, (10) Always on display.

Reasons NOT to upgrade. 1) No Sat connectivity now 2) More annoying lower notch 3) 48mp Camera that takes 80mb photos 4) 48mp Photos only in RAW 5) Meh Ultrawide. 13 Pro Wide good enough 6) Another iteration of 5G that carriers won't utilize. Longer battery & better speed reach with 4G 7) Current Bluetooth no problem at all 8) Already have stabilization on 13Pro 9) Don't need always on. Prefer Always off and more battery, less screen time. 10) iPhone 15 Pro in 11 Months

 

[dumastudetto]

* I never understood why people want to replace beautiful iOS iconography with their own sloppy replacements. Apple should make the banner bigger, not smaller, and more annoying (such as, freeze interaction with the launched app for 10 seconds) to really send a message to people.

* This statement does not apply to "cateye".

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

The next step is iOS detecting the shortcut is a single “Launch App” action and not showing a banner at all

 

[cateye]

I never understood why people want to replace beautiful iOS iconography with their own sloppy replacements. Apple should make the banner bigger, not smaller, and more annoying (such as, freeze interaction with the launched app for 10 seconds) to really send a message to people.

Sloppy? Sloppy?! (wail) I worked so hard on these icons! (sob) using recipes handed down from gramma when she used to use ResEdit in classic MacOS! (hiccup, sob) To make them my own and reflecting what I find important and delicious! (wheeze sob) If you're not going to appreciate what I do, then ENJOY YOUR "BEAUTIFUL" TV DINNER!! (full-on bawling, taking off apron, throwing it on counter, storming out of kitchen)

 

[ProfessionalFan]

More annoying lower notch

This is certainly a take.

Not a good one, but a take. Of all the complaints, I haven't seen someone call it a "more annoying notch" before. Considering it isn't a "notch" and it now is useful instead of totally useless space.

 

[dumastudetto]

Sloppy? Sloppy?! (wail) I worked so hard on these icons! (sob) using recipes handed down from gramma when she used to use ResEdit in classic MacOS! (hiccup, sob) To make them my own and reflecting what I find important and delicious! (wheeze sob) If you're not going to appreciate what I do, then ENJOY YOUR "BEAUTIFUL" TV DINNER!! (full-on bawling, taking off apron, throwing it on counter, storming out of kitchen)

If you've been using Apple products since the classic MacOS days, I salute your savvy investments. You clearly have impeccable taste, so I'm putting a disclaimer on my statement to exclude you.

 

[mxjcmxjc]

I'll wait for the iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra . I don't find the notification that annoying to consider an upgrade.

I recently switched to Apple from Samsung (2021) and I have been loving the experience so far and not feeling the need to upgrade is par for the current course.

 

[gavroche]

When I use the launcher app to click on an app icon, the entire screen momentarily switches to the shortcuts app, then to the app I’m launching. I’d there a way to change that? Nothing from dynamic island has changed that.

 

[adammusic]

Why am I getting gigantic dynamc island shortcut notifications sometimes?

 

[_Spinn_]

Glad they moved the Shortcut banner to the Dynamic Island.

 

[CrysisDeu]

Retrospectively, still feel this pill shape cut out should have been introduced on iPhone 13, maybe even as far back as iPhone 12.

Dynamic islands is welcome and a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the notch hung around too long in my opinion.

The pill will hang around too long in the future. This is today’s Apple unfortunately

 

[Eric_WVGG]

Mug?

 

[CarAnalogy]

That is an awfully positive spin. I prefer another phrasing. “Apple using shortcuts banner as stick to encourage upgrades.”

There is no reason the current shortcuts interface has to be as terrible as it is. I don’t use them because they are more annoying than just doing it manually. If I have to manually confirm and/or be stuck with an annoying notification that blocks my input, why bother.

Making them less ugly with an exclusive software feature is not the answer.

 

[CarAnalogy]

The next step is iOS detecting the shortcut is a single “Launch App” action and not showing a banner at all

This should have been, like, the second step. At least a year ago. But yes exactly.

 

[CarAnalogy]

It still irks me a little that Apple needs us to buy a phone with a Dynamic Island just to make these constantly regular, pop-up system UI banner notifications less annoying and cumbersome. They could have improved notifications on phones without a Dynamic Island too, just saying.

This. First it was the M1 and now Dynamic Island. If you don’t have the latest hardware Apple doesn’t care about you anymore. This has kind of always been true but it’s gotten extreme recently.

The notch is sooo last year

 

[bLackjackj]

This is certainly a take.

Not a good one, but a take. Of all the complaints, I haven't seen someone call it a "more annoying notch" before. Considering it isn't a "notch" and it now is useful instead of totally useless space.

No it's not a take. Useful? It takes up valuable real estate. Apple have attempted to control the Notch narrative for years, and it seems a lot are simply getting sucked in. It is still a notch/ pill, look under the sunlight. Software cannot hide it and it looks awful if you see it in person. It looks like the same notch, only lower and in your face. No thanks.