Instagram has unveiled a fun and visually creative feature for its younger users — the ability to customize the app icon. The update, designed exclusively for Teen Accounts, brings six new designs including fire, floral, chrome, cosmic, and slime, each created to let teens reflect their personality through their home screens.
The global rollout began this week and will reach all Teen Accounts in the coming days. This feature marks another step in Instagram’s efforts to enhance personalisation and engagement while ensuring a safe and positive space for younger audiences.
A Creative Touch For Teen Users
According to Instagram, the new app icon options were developed in collaboration with illustrator Carlos Oliveras Colom and the platform’s in-house design team. The designs aim to bring more colour and creativity to the everyday user experience.
Carlos Oliveras Colom shared his excitement on Instagram, saying, “If I were a teen, I’d change that icon every day — either to express what I’m feeling or the vibes I’m setting for the day.”
This small but meaningful update gives users the freedom to express themselves visually, reinforcing Instagram’s focus on individuality and creativity.
How To Change The App Icon
To access the new icons, eligible users can open their Instagram app and tap the logo at the top of the home screen. This opens a menu displaying the six design options. Once a user selects their preferred style, the icon automatically changes on their phone’s home screen, replacing the standard Instagram logo.
The process is quick, easy, and fully reversible, allowing users to switch between designs as often as they like.
Instagram’s Ongoing Focus On Teens
This new feature is part of Instagram’s broader strategy to make the app safer and more enjoyable for teenagers. Over the past year, Instagram has introduced enhanced privacy settings, content filters, and time management tools that limit exposure to sensitive material and encourage healthy online habits.
While the ability to customize app icons might seem minor, it reflects a growing trend among social media platforms to give users more control over their digital experience. It’s also a nod to nostalgia — Instagram previously allowed icon customisation in 2020 for its tenth anniversary, though only for a short time. This new version, however, is designed to stay permanently for teen users.
A Step Toward Personalised and Safer Social Media
Instagram’s focus on design and safety continues to evolve as it looks for ways to balance creative freedom with responsible digital habits. Features like app icon customisation may appear simple, but they play a significant role in making the platform feel fresh, engaging, and user centric.
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