How to use icon packs on Android, with or without a new launcher
Install and apply an icon pack on Android, fix apps the pack does not cover, and see what Pixel and Samsung phones offer if you keep the built-in launcher.
By Syed Zaman · Updated · 3 min read
Quick answer
Install an icon pack from Google Play, then open your launcher's settings and choose it. Pixel Launcher and Samsung One UI Home do not read standard icon packs, so you need a launcher that supports them, such as Kore Launcher, or the phone maker's own theme options.
What an icon pack is
An icon pack is an app full of replacement icons for other apps. It does nothing on its own: a launcher reads the pack and swaps each app's icon for the matching design. Most packs on Google Play use a common format that many third-party launchers support.
How to apply an icon pack in a launcher
- Install a launcher that supports icon packs and set it as your Home app.
- Install an icon pack from Google Play. Many are free; others are a one-time purchase.
- Open the launcher's settings and find its icon or appearance options.
- Choose the icon pack. The home screen and app drawer update straight away.
Icon packs in Kore Launcher
Kore Launcher supports third-party icon packs from Google Play, with adaptive icon backdrops that help every icon share a consistent shape. You can also adjust icon size, labels and the grid to suit the pack, and combine it with custom fonts and wallpapers.
When an app has no icon in the pack
- Open the icon pack's own app. Many packs list the apps they cover and accept icon requests.
- Update the pack. Designers add icons for new apps regularly.
- Use your launcher's icon backdrop or shape options, so icons the pack misses still match the rest.
Without changing launchers: Pixel and Samsung
Pixel and many other phones on Android 13 or later offer Themed icons, which tint app icons to match your wallpaper colours. It is usually in Wallpaper & style. It only changes apps that provide a monochrome icon, so some icons stay as they are.
Samsung Galaxy phones take icon designs from Samsung's Themes, in Settings or the Galaxy Store, and from the Theme Park module in Samsung's Good Lock app, rather than from icon packs on Google Play.
Some apps create home screen shortcuts with a custom icon. These are shortcuts, not real icon changes: the app drawer keeps the original icons, and some phones add a small badge to the shortcut.
Tips for a clean look
- Pick one pack and stick with it. Mixed styles are what make home screens look busy.
- Match the pack to the wallpaper: light packs on light wallpapers, monochrome packs on dark or minimal ones.
- Turn labels off if the icons are distinctive enough.
- Put apps you rarely open in folders, so fewer icons need a match.
Questions
Can I use an icon pack without a launcher?
Not a standard icon pack: Pixel Launcher and Samsung One UI Home do not read them. Pixel offers Themed icons, Samsung has its own Themes, and shortcut apps can fake it for a few apps.
Does Kore Launcher support icon packs?
Yes. Kore Launcher supports third-party icon packs from Google Play, with adaptive icon backdrops.
Are icon packs free?
Many are free and others are a one-time purchase. Check the listing for how many icons it includes, because coverage varies a lot between packs.
Why are some icons not changing?
The pack does not include those apps yet. Request the icon from the designer, update the pack, or use your launcher's icon backdrop so they still match.
Kore Launcher
Home screen launcher for Android
Kore Launcher supports third-party icon packs with adaptive icon backdrops, plus custom fonts, wallpapers and grid and icon size controls. One-time purchase, no ads.