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Hickeroar Author

Level 1

63 points

Wrong icons showing up for apps...and a possible work-around.

I just upgraded to the iPhone 3G S from an iPhone 3G, and have run into a problem where some apps are showing up with icons from other apps.

I did some searching, and there are a several threads with many other people saying they are having the same problem, so it looks like this needs to be "run up the flagpole" so to speak. I also think I found a common thread that could be used to track down the problem.

I have tried rebooting the iPhone, syncing the iPhone, deleting and re-installing the apps from the iPhone app store, and they still just show back up with the incorrect icon.

Right now Bejeweled 2 shows the Statefarm app icon, Hero of Sparta shows the Flight Control icon, and the Kinda app shows the Trixel icon.

The common thread is that I downloaded all these apps directly from the iPhone app store and not through an iTunes sync. Two of them I already owned prior to the download (kindle and bejeweled2), so it doesn't seem linked to buying them NEW now, but in fact DOWNLOADING them.

If I delete the apps (through the home-screen, or by unchecking them in the iPhone/iTunes application tab) and then reinstall them through iTunes instead of the iPhone app store, they show up just as they should.

It appears that it's an icon caching issue to me. I didn't have Trixel, Flight Control, or Statefarm installed at the time, but their icons showed up on those apps when I downloaded an app from the iPhone app store.

My wife's 3G(non-S) 3.0OS phone doesn't seem to have this issue, she she has, and has had, few fewer apps installed than I have.

iPhone 3G S, iPhone OS 3.0

Posted on Jun 25, 2009 8:34 AM

62 replies

ruerric

Level 1

0 points

Jul 6, 2009 8:09 PM in response to Hickeroar

I also have a problem..
It's my AIM icon, it's mixed with the Citibank icon... I've tried all the things posted here but still no luck.

Jul 6, 2009 9:40 PM in response to Hickeroar

I am having the same issues with wrong icons showing up for apps. It is very frustrating. Please fix!

Robin76

Level 1

0 points

Jul 6, 2009 10:38 PM in response to rogerselizabeth

I have also been having the wrong icon problem.
Zippo lighter app shows Banner Free icon.
Iconverter app shows Text + icon.... Etc, etc..
All the apps I downloaded over the weekend have wrong icons.
I called apple tech support but they were really surprised to hear about this.
I was with them for an hour being transfered from one tech guy to another supervisor.
Finally I emailed them a pic of the page with the wrong icons. They replied saying
we will see what we can do. So let's see what happens .....
I hope they fix it!

Kawter

Level 1

1 points

Jul 8, 2009 11:53 PM in response to Robin76

Having the exact same issues. Unfortunately it looks like i will be restoring to factory settings

Joeec

Level 1

9 points

Jul 9, 2009 12:54 PM in response to Kawter

Same issue here on the original iPhon e with 3.0. Only difference is I NEVER purchased or updated through the iPhone app. All my updates and purchases have been made through iTunes.

7 bad icons now and counting.

Jul 9, 2009 4:02 PM in response to Hickeroar

I too am only replying so Apple will fix this crap. If I didn't have spotlight to find apps I'd be screaming by now.

iPhone 3gs

Jul 9, 2009 5:48 PM in response to Shaun Rosenberg

I also noticed incorrect icons after a reset. It was fine before that. Deleting and reinstalling did not help.

Jul 9, 2009 6:26 PM in response to Hickeroar

I don't have this problem but close. I have a weblink on the iphone desktop but for some reason every time I delte it reappears whether I sync or not it just pops back up. Plus it seems to delete one of my programs when it reappears Fandango disappears. It only seems to be happening with this one internet shortcut I had like 5 months ago that somehow appeared when I synced my iphone 3gs nd the fandango.

It also messed up my imob, ivampires, mafia wars and girls wars applications. Now they have no data no matter how far back I synce'd it.

Jul 11, 2009 1:12 AM in response to Hickeroar

I had this problem. Not at first. But after awhile.
I got to the top tier of tech support. After working on it for a week, they told me to do this and it worked.......so far anyway.

1. create a new user account. they told me to name it "test."
2. log out of your regular user name and into "test."
3. open itunes in this new account and plug in the iphone.
4. do a complete restore of the iphone in that account and create a new account on the iphone.
5. close itunes and log out of "test"
6. go back to your regular user account and open itunes again.
7. plug in iphone and do not back it up.
8. just sync a few of your apps by checking them in itunes. maybe two of the problem ones. then see if they work.
9. if so, install all of the ones you want.
10. i added my calendar and email and address book thru mobile me.
11. i then did a sync of my photos and music etc.
12. unplug the iphone and use it.
13. when you come back in, then let it backup the new settings.

i did all this, and it's been working perfectly now. i even did a reset and it retained all the icons correctly.
i am still nervous about it. hoping the icons won't suddenly switch to wrong ones again. but, so far, it's still perfect.

thought i'd share this with everyone. i asked the tech guy why apple hasn't said anything about all this. he said he thought they'd patch it in the next update.
they are well aware of this problem.

slide_76

Level 1

0 points

Jul 11, 2009 11:47 AM in response to Hickeroar

Found a solution that worked for me over at http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=725376.

codeunrwolfpack says

"There is a way to fix this. You have to delete one of the apps that is messing up from your iPhone (preferably a free one that doesn't have any information stored that you don't want to lose). Then go back to the App Store on your iPhone, and redownload the application you just deleted. Once is starts downloading click on the app icon to pause the download process, then turn off your phone only using the slider (not a hard reset). Turn your iPhone back on and finish the download. This should fix the icons for all of the apps. At least it has been working for me"

Although I couldn't get it to pause during download I just turned it off in the middle of download and when I turned it back on it finished the download and all my icons were back to the way they were supposed to be. I had at least half a dozen that were either wrong or half one icon/half another.

Jul 13, 2009 10:24 AM in response to slide_76

This worked for me:

1. Delete the apps with the incorrect icons from the iphone.
2. Delete the same apps from iTunes.
3. Download the apps from iTunes (it still recognized that I bought them previously).
4. Sync the iphone.

ViperKP

Level 1

0 points

Jul 13, 2009 2:11 PM in response to Hickeroar

I had the same problem...just with 1 icon. My Warpack Grunts had the Remote icon for the longest time. I had to do a new restore on my phone so I deleted the iPhone software in the iTunes folder (which was iPhone 1,1 OS 3.0 [Had the iPhone OG {2G}) and downloaded the 3GS software for OS 3.0. Now it's completely fine. No problems yet. Just adding a name to the list so Apple will find a work around.

andrel42

Level 1

8 points

Jul 16, 2009 1:24 AM in response to ViperKP

I wonder if Apple is actually monitoring these forums. Same problem since day 1 with the 3GS. Very confusing and personally withouth glasses I can only see the icon not the text 🙂

Dear Apple, could we please have an official fix?

Thank you
Andre

Jul 16, 2009 3:23 AM in response to Hickeroar

This is driving me mad, I keep opening up the wrong app! I've now removed all the ones now that are wrong, and will not get anymore apps till this is fixed!

With all the other things wrong with my 3GS I keep looking at the HTC hero?

Jul 16, 2009 2:21 PM in response to Hickeroar

im having this same problem , all my icons are all messed up . is this gonna be resolved or do we just have to live with it because it is driving me crazy

Wrong icons showing up for apps...and a possible work-around.