App icon customization, new emoji creation coming to iOS 18

A new report suggests that further enhancements to both the Home Screen and various Apple apps are coming in iOS 18, arriving in fall 2024.

The forthcoming iOS 18, expected to be announced at June's WWDC event, will mix the usual round of new features alongside AI-based enhancements. Previous reports have proposed that Photos, Safari, Siri, Voice Memos, and Notes among other apps will gain AI-based abilities.

Another potential use of AI technology will come to Messages, with the app gaining the ability to suggest new custom emojis, based on what the user is texting. This would be in addition to the ever-expanding library of standard emojis, which work across various platforms.

Apple will also be allowing users further freedom in customizing their home screens. In addition to previously-mentioned reports of free placement and grouping of app icons, more customization options are on the way.

Bloomberg now reports that iOS 18 will give users the ability to change app icons, though it is unclear how far Apple will go with this.

As an example of app icon customization, users might wish to change the new black icon for social service X back to the sky blue color it was when called Twitter. It could also be possible to change, for example, all sports-related apps to have a red icon, or banking and finance apps to have green icons.

It's unlikely that outright app icon replacement would be officially permitted, as in letting users replace the X app icon with the old Twitter icon.

The company will reveal more of its plans for iOS 18 at WWDC, starting June 10th, 2024.