My settings icon is missing on my iphone8

you might have accidentally 'removed' it from your Home Screen

From your Home Screen, swipe left until you get to the App Library.

Swipe downward and you'll get an alphabetical list of your apps.

Locate the app in the list or type the app name into the search field

Once you've located the app, tap/hold until it raises/selects, then drag it and it'll pop out to your Home Screen

Organize the Home Screen and App Library on your iPhone - Apple Support