iPhone 3.0 Apps are wrong icons and some are blank

i dont know if its temporary or not, but this is the first set of steps i've seen that actually worked.

i did mine almost the same.

1--delete app using iphone delete (i usually did a couple at a time)

2--hard reboot

3--load all deleted apps from app store

4--soft reset

5--apps seemed perfect when it turned back on.

I am able to repeat this bug 100% of the time. They glitched icons come back (generally the same ones are affected each time) every time I do a reset.

I have removed the app s by unchecking them on itunes, synced to remove them from the phone, then rechecked them to add again. This brings back the apps icons every time.

I have also deleted the apps altogether from within itunes and upon sync, I tell itunes to remove the apps from the phone (as opposed to bringing them back into itunes). Then I re-downloaded the affected apps from the store. This also works.

However both approaches do not fix this and Im not sure what else to try. A restore from backup always gets screwy with me... I always seem to lose apps, prefs, get back long-gone notes, etc.

Not sure what to do at this point but to hope that Apple fixes this soon.

I've tested a temporary fix for about 24 hours now but it involves having less than 3-4 pages of apps. Removing all apps (best to remove all instead of just the affected ones), then hard-reboot. Sync only enough apps for 3, maybe 4 pages most. Upon multiple subsequent reboots and good usage the icons have stayed the same. Test via normal shutdowns and hard reboots after you have installed the apps you want.

Anymore than 4 or more pages of apps. seems to present the problem. In the mean time I've got my favorites down to about 3.5 pages and so far so good. I'll report back by the end of the week if it repeats.

Benom, I did a restore and it wiped all my 3rd party apps. How did you avoid that happening?

This happens to me all the time, what a nightmare. Apple doesn't make it very intuitive. I THINK, when you sync your phone and it says "Backing up iPhone", its supposed to be backing up just the new things added since last time. However when ever I restore it seems to think Im working off of some ancient version and it screws up everything.

I dont think there is even a way to override those incremental backups (which apparently dont work for a lot of us) and do a complete backup.

Does this only effect the iPhone 3GS/ I have my old iphone (original iphone) with 3.0 installed and it does not have this issue. Just curious. But this is definately a pain. I installed the Sirius/XM application then Pandora. Both applications use the Sirius/XM Radion icon. Could it have anything to do with they type of applicaiton it is associated with? As mine only appears to be effected with similar type applications.

I have the same problem on my 3GS. I've isolated it as follows working with an Apple engineer:

* The problem is for apps downloaded to iTunes. Apps downloaded directly from the cloud via iPhone are fine.

* The problem does not appear until a reset is performed (holding power and home keys).

* After a reset, 1 or more icons will be mismatched with labels.

* The only way to fix it is to do an OS restore on the phone. Then download those apps via the phone and not iTunes.

* Apple engineers are now aware of this and are working on it.

Could you perhaps point me to something that describes how to do an OS restore?

Never mind, I see it now on iTunes. Sorry...

I was having a similar problem on a iPhone G3 that I upgraded to OS 3.0: missing applications on the phone, but the applications showed up in iTunes on the Mac (both under Applications and under the Device when it was connected) and if you went to the App Store to try to buy one, the normal button for installing/buying the application was grayed out and said "installed".

What worked for me--no guarantee for others as there may be multiple types of problems--was to go to Settings->General->Reset->Reset Home Screen Layout.

Instantly solved the problem, without much work to get set back up. Hope it helps a few others of you.

Actually, my problematic icons are for apps downloaded from the cloud directly via the iPhone. Apps downloaded via iTunes are fine.

I believe this happens when you DL some apps from AppStore on the iPhone and some apps from iTunes on your Mac PC. The mix between the apps from these two platform confuses the heck out of iPhone OS 3.0. If you stick to just DL apps on either of the platform, you should have no problems.
I seriously hope Apple fixes this issue and some other OS 3.0 bugs fast as this is not good.

Thought I would add my case as well. Bought my 3GS on Saturday morning 20 June and have downloaded apps and just as I started page 4 the error happened Grey or blank apps and apps with wrong icons.

I have 7 work colleagues with 3G phones and they have far more apps than me and have never had the problem.

PS I have only bought apps froms phone and not iTunes. So the mention of the combo purchase is incorrect.

I will try the fixes suggested, restore or remove reboot process ? not sure. Will call support tonight as well as the more incidents hopefully the quicker it will be fixed!

I found a solution to the switched icons. You have to do an Erase all content and settings under the Reset command under Settings. Once I completed that they have stayed stable for over 2 days where before it wouldn't last more than 24 hrs. Let me know if this helped anyone else

Before you say you found a solution, have you tried resetting your iphone after your fix? A reset is what triggers the issue for me.

Im guessing it will come back. And if it does, a total erase may is over kill, because I get the same results from removing the apps via itunes then adding them back in again.