I love iOS 14 custom icons — but there’s one big problem

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I dearest iOS 14 custom icons — just in that location'due south one big problem

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Making my own iPhone icons is a neat new iOS 14 feature that I loved ... before it made my iPhone wait a fleck dull.

Yes, if y'all haven't heard one of iOS 14'due south more than popular changes gave users the ability to customize their home screens, and our guide to iOS 14 habitation screen ideas shows how far people are taking it. But information technology didn't entreatment to me at first.

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Last week, one of my favorite podcasts, Practice By Friday, released its own fix of custom icons for its Patreon subscribers. This set of callbacks to old podcast episodes were the commencement set of unique icons that fabricated me want to sign up.

So, I used my colleague Kate Kozuch's invaluable guide for how to make custom iPhone widgets and app icons with iOS 14 to really set up them up. If you lot oasis't experienced this still, it's non entirely easy (and I thank her for helping explain it). Yous import the photos for the app icons into the Files app (using iCloud Drive), and and then you employ the Shortcuts app to make new icons that are essentially shortcuts to the actual app. It'south like how you can make an alias version of an app for your desktop in Windows 10 or macOS.

A short (but not that brusque) while later, as I rewatched Hannibal (i of the best Netflix shows), I was washed. I turned 16 icons into app buttons, and had replaced my whole dwelling screen. The peculiar app icons looked weird in a proficient way, as if I had an conflicting version of all these apps. For example, a drawing of a keychain is at present my Settings app: and I love it.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

But then it all went wrong. In one case I actually tested one of these custom app icons, I noticed how iOS 14 adds a step in the middle, sending you to the Shortcuts app briefly. This momentary pause shows you how the Shortcuts app is opening the app you've linked the custom icon to.

And it's not like I have an older iPhone. I've got an iPhone 11 Pro Max, which is pretty speedy. In fact, iOS 14 seemingly loads my absurdly large iCloud Photo Library faster than iOS 13 did. But this weird pause makes information technology seem like the iPhone is having trouble directing me through to the apps I've linked in Shortcuts.

Fortunately, at that place's going to exist a happy ending. As reported by Chance Miller at 9to5Mac, this pause and loading moment is gone in iOS 14.3 beta two. Nosotros only don't know when iOS xiv.3 comes out, and I tin can't play with it yet as I'thousand not a huge fan of  testing software for a company that doesn't pay me.

(Image credit: Tom'south Guide)

Apple's motion to tie these custom app icons' launching then tightly with Shortcuts isn't a large fail or anything, but its determination to modify form is a skillful sign of where things are at Apple. They're apparently seeing how we utilise their features, and what just doesn't expect right. Every bit they'd tell you — and our iPhone 12 review backs upwards — the iPhone A14 Bionic is a super-fast processor, the fastest in any phone, and faster than some laptops take. It'due south but near making sure that iOS 14 doesn't make information technology look any slower.

Henry is a senior editor at Tom'due south Guide roofing streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past half-dozen-plus years. Prior to joining Tom'southward Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild earth of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/ios-14-custom-icons-problem

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