iOS 18 Will Extend Dark Mode to Home Screen App Icons, Sources Say

iOS 18 will extend Dark Mode to the iPhone's Home Screen app icons, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

light-dark-mode
Introduced with iOS 13, Dark Mode already darkens some Home Screen elements, such as the dock and folders. iOS 18 will go further by automatically giving app icons a dark/black tint when Dark Mode when is turned on. The feature will initially be limited to built-in Apple apps, but perhaps there will be an API that allows third-party apps to support it.

We believe that the dark app icons paired with a dark wallpaper will give the Home Screen a full-blown Dark Mode appearance for the first time.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that iOS 18 will let users change the colors of app icons, and this dark tint is related to that feature.

Another last-minute iOS 18 leak we recently reported about is the ability to lock individual apps behind Face ID for the first time.

Apple will unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on Monday. The first iOS 18 beta will likely be made available to Apple Developer Program members immediately after the keynote, and the update should be widely released in September.

Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
ipados 26 1 slide over

Apple Releases iPadOS 26.2 With Multitasking Improvements

Friday December 12, 2025 10:09 am PST by
Apple today released iPadOS 26.2, the second major update to the iPadOS 26 operating system released in September. iPadOS 26.2 comes a month after iPadOS 26.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. iPadOS 26.2 continues with the multitasking improvements that were added with iPadOS 26.1. You can now drag and...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Update Now: iOS 26.2 Fixes 20+ Security Vulnerabilities

Friday December 12, 2025 11:11 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, and macOS 26.2, all of which introduce new features, bug fixes, and security improvements. Apple says that the updates address over 20 vulnerabilities, including two bugs that are known to have been actively exploited. There are a pair of WebKit vulnerabilities that could allow maliciously crafted web content to execute code or cause memory...

Top Rated Comments

contacos Avatar
20 months ago

Don't the included wallpapers respond to dark mode already? Not sure what's new here - unless it does something with the icons?
It’s literally in the article that you apparently didn’t even read ?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
20 months ago
That’s awesome

I use dark mode for every one of my apps (that allow dark mode)

There still are a few large companies that for whatever reason don’t support dark mode - Amazon (store app) and Uber Eats even though the regular Uber (ride share app) does support dark mode
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NapZzz Avatar
20 months ago
battery life improved definitely
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexESP Avatar
20 months ago

1. still stuck on dark mode changes in 2024? This is way long overdue
2. And this is considered a feature???
Long overdue? Are dark-mode icons so critical that we couldn’t live without it and Apple should prioritise it over the hundreds of similar things they could do? Besides that, building a dark mode that always looks great without much action from 3rd party developers is not an easy thing.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deuxani Avatar
20 months ago
I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time! A couple of years ago many devs decided “let’s make our app icons completely white” (all apps from Google, Microsoft, many of Apple, etc) so when you switch to dark mode you still have a lot of white icons on your Home Screen blinding you.

It would be very welcome if the white background of those apps would turn black or grey when in dark mode, let’s hope so!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
obamtl Avatar
20 months ago
You mean this wasn't already the case?

*Crosses out 'great attention to detail' from my resume.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)