How to change icon on "running apps" screen

[Android Central Question]

Ok. Maybe I'm missing something or perhaps this is something that just doesn't bother the daylights out of other people the way it does me lol! I use Nova Launcher Pro and Flight Lite icons. I can change all of my icons on my home screen and in my app drawer but when the apps are running it still shows whatever icon is default for the little bubble above that app's window on the "running apps" screen and when I look in the settings at the list of all my apps. In my case, since I am using a third party theme, half of the icons are the default icons and half of them are the ones that came with the theme. Is there a way to change this without digging in the code? I am fairly familiar with how to work with code but I have two young kids and just don't really have the spare time to learn how to dig into the code right now. Seems to me like Android would allow you to change an app's icon across the whole phone right? I mean, if you want the icon changed, surely you would want it consistent across the phone, right? Is it just me? Anyways, I have a Note 20 Ultra upgraded a few weeks ago from a Note 5 that I loved for years and this bugged me on my old phone too. Also, does anyone have any experience with any of the software to edit the code? Is it a beast to do? I would love to pick around in it but I would not want to accidentally screw up my phone and have to spend hours searching how to fix it....I use my phone mostly for work and can't really afford to have it out of commission. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[mustang7757]

Also...some of the problem is time constraints. I don't have the time to play with it and sift through it like I'd like to.

Understand

 

[Jrolen86]

That's my gripe! It will change everywhere but the recent apps view and the icons on the list of apps found under settings. It will change it on the home screen, app drawers, even folders....everywhere but those two places. I have enough understanding of how it is programmed to see why this happens as far as the code is concerned but it just really seems to me like it would take very little tinkering by a professional (obviously not me) to fix that (what I would consider to be a bug). Seems like if you change the icon it should change the image used for that particular app globally across the phone. And (there is certainly a distinct possibility) I may just be ocd about it and no one else even notices the "problem"....goodness knows I have worked on enough peoples' phones over the years to realize that most people don't really care about this kind of minutia...but it bugs me though. I may just go and try to fiddle with such things on a phone that I don't rely on so much...

 

[mustang7757]

Re: How to change icon on "running apps" screen

That's my gripe! It will change everywhere but the recent apps view and the icons on the list of apps found under settings. It will change it on the home screen, app drawers, even folders....everywhere but those two places. I have enough understanding of how it is programmed to see why this happens as far as the code is concerned but it just really seems to me like it would take very little tinkering by a professional (obviously not me) to fix that (what I would consider to be a bug). Seems like if you change the icon it should change the image used for that particular app globally across the phone. And (there is certainly a distinct possibility) I may just be ocd about it and no one else even notices the "problem"....goodness knows I have worked on enough peoples' phones over the years to realize that most people don't really care about this kind of minutia...but it bugs me though. I may just go and try to fiddle with such things on a phone that I don't rely on so much...

Not much any Andriod phone on stock firmware can do with recent app list icon , i wouldn't go too crazy over it .

 

[Javier P]

That's my gripe! It will change everywhere but the recent apps view and the icons on the list of apps found under settings. It will change it on the home screen, app drawers, even folders....everywhere but those two places. I have enough understanding of how it is programmed to see why this happens as far as the code is concerned but it just really seems to me like it would take very little tinkering by a professional (obviously not me) to fix that (what I would consider to be a bug). Seems like if you change the icon it should change the image used for that particular app globally across the phone. And (there is certainly a distinct possibility) I may just be ocd about it and no one else even notices the "problem"....goodness knows I have worked on enough peoples' phones over the years to realize that most people don't really care about this kind of minutia...but it bugs me though. I may just go and try to fiddle with such things on a phone that I don't rely on so much...

We are running in circles and it seems you still don't understand what we are trying to explain. What you are questioning is not a bug neither a problem. Let's try again.

Home screen and app drawer. Any icon pack with a third party launcher will do the job. This only works at user interface level where any inconsistency is not that important. For security reasons custom launchers can't handle the system icons, and this is a good thing.

System icons (Recent Apps, app list, quick settings panel ...). This is handled by the system and stock launcher for consistency and security reasons. OEMs like Samsung or OnePlus let you change and theme these system icons (colour, shape ...) with some obvious limitations.

Samsung. Only packs from the Samsung (Galaxy) Store can be used to change system icons and not all of them will work or have a decent result. The main problem is that icon packs don't include every possible app so they have to allow a decent masking to avoid a messy and inconsistent outlook. These packs will change the icons in Recent Apps and Settings app list, you just need to try a few of them until you find one that you like. This is exactly what you are trying to achieve, right?

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Indeed. Look at the icon packs and it will show you in the screenshots if it masks the icons or not. I am using a themed icon pack with my S10+ and it Themes my recent apps and my app in the settings menu by mask. Keeps it consistent looking. But I got it from the Galaxy store NOT the Play Store as this is a Samsung specific thing and since you have a Samsung this is your starting point.

 

[Jrolen86]

I understand what you are saying perfectly clear. When I called it a bug I was saying that if I were the person programming it, that would be something I would go in and fix...I am not the only person with this gripe...I have seen it referenced by people other than me on other forums. I understand the security issue....I have worked for 15 years in banks. I see why they wouldn't let that work. I can not sacrifice my primary phone. If I had an extra phone to fiddle around with then it would be fun to play around with it and learn more about how to change these things on a phone I don't rely on. As far as the security needs of that icon, if the themes that are available to modify that can do so, then it seems to me like someone would have created a "safe" app to do exactly that. I was merely questioning why it is, after so many years, that someone hasn't done it yet.

Catwoman, I will have to take the time to look. My problem is that I am picky about the icons. I have not searched it in a while so there may be one that has come out that I like but the last time that I spent the time to look into my icons, I couldn't really find anything that I liked and that was really universal. I know they can't make a theme that has a unique icon for every app under the sun. That's why I settled on Flight Lite because it allowed me to assign my own. I will have to look again and see if maybe something new is out there that I like.

 

[Javier P]

Flight is a good example for the other reason included in my post, consistency. I use Flight and Lines icons in my home screens and I like them very much. The problem is that it's basically impossible for the launcher (Nova7) to mask icons not included in the packs. In most cases the result is a solid circle as background, completely different to the pack design. This would make your system icons an inconsistent mess, specially with apps that came preinstalled in the device.

We could say that the user is responsible for their homescreens, but the OEMs are responsible for the system settings layout and they demand security and consistency.

You can always get in touch with Flight devs and ask them to include their icon pack in the Galaxy Store so it can be used system wide in Samsung devices.

 

[Jrolen86]

Maybe. I can't remember for sure but I seem to remember contacting them (it would have been a long time ago) about something and I never heard back. At least I had it in my head that I had but I may be misrembering too.. I may try again...you never know.