iOS 26 launches to all users next week, and despite months of beta testing already, Apple saved a couple surprise features for the wide launch that have become instant favorites: app icons can now auto-tint based on your iPhone’s color or its case color.
App icons can now be tinted to match your iPhone color or case in iOS 26
Last year in iOS 18, Apple unlocked a bunch of new customization options for iPhone users.
But two last-minute additions to iOS 26 could steal the show as some of the most fun customization features yet.
As discovered in the iOS 26 RC, Apple has added two new options under the Customize menu for Tinted app icons.
To access the features in iOS 26:
- Long-press in an empty spot on your Home Screen
- Hit the Edit button that appears in the top-left
- Tap ‘Customize’
- Tap ‘Tinted’
Previously, this menu only provided options for manually setting color tints for your icons.
But in iOS 26 there are two new tint options. You can tint icons based on:
- your iPhone’s color
- or your iPhone case’s color
As you can see in the bottom-left icon pictured below, iOS 26 recognizes that my iPhone 16 Pro’s color is Desert Titanium.
With a quick tap, I can have all my app icons automatically update to match that Desert Titanium finish.
The feature also works with iPhone cases.
While the left-most icon changes your apps to match the iPhone itself, the next icon to its right makes app tinting match your iPhone’s case color.
My iPhone 16 Pro is currently case-less, so it turned all the icons clear. But it should prove very useful for the vast majority of iPhone owners who always use a case.
Auto-tinting presumably requires an official MagSafe case from Apple, but it’s always possible certain third-party MagSafe-compatible cases might work too.
Though app tinting is nothing new, I’ve found that these additions have made iOS’s app customization feature far more appealing to me.
Now, I don’t have to get finicky trying to match the right color and wondering what the best look is. And if I’m using a case, the new addition will be a convenient time-saver to get a beautiful iPhone aesthetic with just a tap.
Do you think you’ll use the new app auto-tinting features in iOS 26? Let us know in the comments.
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