home - download - register - screenshots

IcoEdit FAQ

Are there any instructions for using IcoEdit?
How does IcoEdit work?
Can IcoEdit add small icons for apps that do not have them?
Can I delete IcoEdit when I am done with editing?
Can I still restore original icons when I have deleted IcoEdit?
Will my icon survive when I install a new version of that app?
What does the Backup check box do?
Can I change icons of built-in apps?
My 3rd party launcher still shows the original icon. What is wrong?
What is the maximum number of apps exported to the app list?
I am a developer. Can I use IcoEdit to create icons for my app?
What is planned for future versions of IcoEdit?

Are there any instructions for using IcoEdit?

Yes, there are. The instructions can be found in the program itself. Install the icoedit.prc file, launch it and read the instructions using the menu command Help / Tips. This FAQ is a good source of information as well.

How does IcoEdit work?

Every application can have one big and one small icon. These icons are stored in the application itself. When any launcher or other program wants to display app icon, it fetches the icon from the app.

IcoEdit simply edits icons inside the applications. This approach has several advantages:

No hacks or system patches are needed
No system slowdown or overhead
No additional space for icon database is required
The changed icons are preserved when IcoEdit app is deleted.

Can IcoEdit add small icons for apps that do not have them?

Of course, that is one of the key features of IcoEdit! IcoEdit can both edit existing big/small icons and create new big/small icons if the app does not have any.

Can I delete IcoEdit when I am done with editing?

Yes, you can. IcoEdit edits icons inside applications and does not need to be present any more once you make your changes. This way you can save RAM of your device for other apps.

Can I still restore original icons when I have deleted IcoEdit?

Yes, you can. Original icons can be restored at any time. Just install IcoEdit back again and then use menu command Options / Restore to restore particular icon or Options / Restore all… to restore icons of all installed apps.

Will my app icons survive when I install a new version of that app?

Because the icons are stored in the app itself, you have launch IcoEdit to copy the big and small icons to clipboard first, then install the new version of that app and then paste the icons back into the new version. This way your icons will survive.

What does the Backup check box do?

The Backup box sets or unsets the backup bit of each application. All applications that have the backup bit set are backed up at HotSync. The whole PRC file is transfered into your desktop backup folder /YourName/Backup. After hard reset all content of your desktop backup folder is installed back into your device.

This will prevent the loss of installed apps and your modified icons in case of hard reset. This way IcoEdit can be used as a helpful backup utility as well.

Can I change icons of built-in apps?

Unfortunately, you cannot because they are placed in ROM (Read-Only Memory). That is one drawback of the 'clean' approach of changing the icons right inside the apps instead of storing additional database of icons for each app and using a hack to redirect any system request for app icon.

We have a good news, however! We are working on a supplemental app that will allow changing ROM icons in a clean way…

My 3rd party launcher still shows the original icon. What is wrong?

Some 3rd party launchers are trying to speed up their display by caching the icon images in their own database. If you want to see new icons you must force the launcher to reload app icons. This can be usually done by switching the launcher view between big and small icons.

What is the maximum number of apps exported to the app list?

There is no limit. IcoEdit will export all apps you have to Memo Pad.

As the built-in Memo Pad application has a limit of 4.000 characters in one memo, IcoEdit will split the list into more memos if it does not fit into a single one.

I am a developer. Can I use IcoEdit to create icons for my app?

Sure. Here are the instructions:

When you reach the release state, compile your app and istall the PRC file into your device.
Launch IcoEdit and design big and small icons.
Use menu command Options / Forbid restore… to make your new icons original.
Check the Backup box and HotSync.
Pick the modified PRC file with new icons from your /YourName/Backup desktop folder and distribute your app.

If you wish you can also load the modified app into Emulator and capture the icon images for future use. Good luck with your app!

What is planned for future versions of IcoEdit?

So far we have these plans and ideas:

More clipboards or separate icon database
Icon export / import functions to enable sharing and exchanging good icons

If you have some other ideas, let us know!