Make and use themes with WinterBoard
Section 3: Changing program icons

Updated: July 23, 2009

There are two methods for changing program icons: the WinterBoard way, and the old SummerBoard way - which WinterBoard still recognizes.

Application icons are generally 60x60 pixels in size. They are PNG format. If you replace any graphic with your own custom graphic, make sure you are saving the file as a PNG, and that it retains the same dimensions as the original. You can try experimenting with dimensions, but your restults may be mixed. You don't have to swap out the stock icons if you don't want to. If no icons are present in your custom folder, then the stock icon(s) will be used.





These are the names you must use to replace the original 21 icons (on the 3GS): App Store.png Calculator.png, Calendar.png, Camera.png, Clock.png, Compass.png, Contacts.png, iPod.png, iTunes.png, Mail.png, Maps.png, Messages.png, Notes.png, Phone.png, Photos.png, Safari.png, Settings.png, Stocks.png, Weather.png and YouTube.png. As long as you name your icon the exact same thing as the name of the application, you can replace anything.

Method 1.

The WinterBoard way is a more proper way, but more time consuming. You should be in your theme folder at this point.




Press the New Folder icon and name this folder Folders.




You should now see this. Go into the Folders folder.





Click the New Folder icon and name this folder AppStore.app (or whatever application folder you would like to replace the icon for).




You should now see this. Go into the AppStore.app folder.




Now copy your new graphic into this folder. Make sure to name it the same thing as the graphic it is to replace. Not all application icons are named icon.png.




Check your work by launching WinterBoard and selecting your theme. You'll have to press it twice: once to unselect it, and again to reselect it, so it'll reload your changes. Then press the Home button. There's my gray scale AppStore icon. Delete this icon at this point, unless you want to keep the App Store this way. Note: If you want to alter the stock applications icons, then see my tutorial on how to convert the PNG graphics that come on the iPhone to an editable format here.

Method 2.

Now I'll cover the old SummerBoard method for program icon changing, which WinterBoard still recognizes. You should be in your theme folder.




Click the New Folder button, and name it Icons   Make sure it is being created Remotely and click Create.




Double click your Icons folder.




Now copy your new icons into this folder. Name your icons after the name of the application you wish to replace. Note that App Store.png has a space in it. It won't work without this space, because that's how the text name for the application appears on the SpringBoard.




Launch WinterBoard, and press your theme's name twice to reload it. Then press the Home button.








Ready to change the battery icons now?