How to build custom app icons easily with Adapticons [Video]

One of the best parts of using a third-party launcher (and even some default launchers these days) is getting to use icon packs. With so many options on the Play Store, it’s easy to find great icon packs, but discovering some of your favorite apps missing from the pack is an all-too-common occurrence. Thankfully, Adapticons makes it easier than ever to make your own icons.

Adapticons just hit the Play Store less than 24 hours ago, but it’s already extremely capable, while maintaining a simple interface. You’re given a list of all installed apps on your phone, and choosing one will take you to that app’s icon editor.

From there, you can add more apps for batch editing, or just choose a shape to get started. By default, you only have a few different shapes to choose from (though they’re the ones you’ll probably want to use for most icons anyway). To unlock the rest, you’ll need to make a $1 in-app purchase — which will also get rid of the banner ad at the bottom of the app.

Adapticons is pretty flexible. You can resize the shape or the icon within, and rotate the shape to get exactly the look you’re going for. You can also fill the shape with color (it’s white by default), or turn in monochrome, as well as replacing the original app icon with something entirely different.

The only downside to Adapticons is that it doesn’t actually apply your customizations systemwide — though without root access, that’s to be expected. Instead, the new icon shows up directly on your home screen once you’re finished in the app, and if you accidentally remove it from your home screen you’ll need to start all over again.

Eventually, it’d be nice to see a history section in the app that lets you add previously customized icons back to your home screen, but for now, Adapticons is still a fantastic tool that should help users fill some of the gaps in their icon packs.