Some Instagram users are feeling disappointed by a new feature. The platform has launched custom app icons, but this option is available only for teenage users. Teens can now select from a collection of new icons to replace the traditional Instagram logo on their phone’s home screen. They can access this feature by tapping the Instagram logo at the top of their home feed after opening the app.
The current selection offers six different logo styles. These include designs themed around neon, clear glass, fire, flowers, and green slime.
The announcement of this age-restricted feature was met with significant pushback from users on social media. Many argued that adult users also want the ability to customize their home screens and do not believe the feature should be limited to teens. Some comments compared the move to Snapchat, which requires a paid subscription to change its app icon. Others noted the feature reminded them of the customization options popular on MySpace.
Instagram’s teen accounts were introduced in 2024. These accounts come with additional restrictions and built-in protections for minors, including limits that keep content to a PG-13 level. Earlier this year, the company began using AI technology to identify users who lied about their age on the platform, automatically enrolling them into these more restricted teen accounts.
The custom icons represent a different strategy for the company. Instead of using a restrictive measure, this feature acts as an incentive to make teen accounts more appealing. When asked for comment, Instagram stated it added the icons because its research showed teens enjoy customizing their experience. The company confirmed it has no plans to expand access to this feature to older users or to offer it through a paid subscription.
Targeting younger users with customization options is a logical move. This demographic has widely embraced the trend of iPhone home screen customization, which saw a surge in popularity when Apple introduced widgets with iOS 14 in 2020. Apple also made it easier to customize icons through improvements to app shortcuts. More recently, Apple simplified the process further with tinted icons in iOS 18, which received updates in iOS 26.
While Android users have had similar customization options for a much longer time, the majority of teenagers in the United States use iPhones.