How to Unlock Secret Old School App Icons on Instagram
I’ve never really given much thought to what the various icons look like on my device – especially since I’m an iOS user, which means you usually get stuck with what you get. However, the launch of iOS 10.3 back in 2017 allowed developers to offer additional app icons that people could use, and iOS 14 opened the doors wide for customization.
Not wanting to be left out of all the entertainment, Instagram has launched a built-in icon pack for its iOS and Android apps that allows you to give your app an old-school look on your phone. I love it and this is how you can customize it on each platform.
How to change Instagram icon in iOS and Android
Before starting, make sure you have updated the Instagram app to the latest version available from the App Store or Google Play Store .
Open Instagram, click on your profile icon in the lower right corner, click on the three-line menu in the upper right corner and click on ” Settings”. Now it will be a little weird. Instead of pressing anything else, start scrolling up. Yes, up. You’ll know you’re doing it right when you see a small line of emojis begin to form.
Keep scrolling as much as possible – it shouldn’t take long – and you’ll turn into an Easter egg-like menu with new app icons. Choose your favorite.
Although all of these initial screenshots are from iOS, I followed the exact same process on Android. All settings look the same and you won’t get prettier icons because you are using a different platform. However, due to the way Android works, you are actually creating an app shortcut for Instagram when you select a different icon.
As a result, your icon will not look as pretty as what iOS users get, since the main Instagram icon will be attached to it as well. (You’ll also want to reduce the clutter by removing the main Instagram icon from the home screen, if it’s there.)
Android’s implementation of this icon change looks less attractive, but it is. I’m sure you could find some clever way to completely replace the Instagram icon using the dedicated Android launcher and icon pack, but that’s a lot more than what Instagram initially offers.