Changing the YouTube ReVanced icon and name seems like a simple cosmetic tweak, but in practice it is one of the modifications that causes the most failures after an update. This checklist covers the points worth reviewing before, during, and after the change, along with the typical errors that appear when something won’t load or the app closes by itself.
Before touching anything: preliminary checks
- ReVanced Manager version: the custom icon patch and the app name patch only appear if the Manager and the patches are up to date. If you don’t see the option, it’s not a phone issue: it’s that your patch version doesn’t include it.
- Correct base APK: the patch is applied to the YouTube APK downloaded separately, not to the app installed from the Play Store. Use a version recommended by the patches themselves (they usually indicate it in their repository).
- Free space: applying patches generates temporary files. With less than 1 GB free, the process can abort midway and leave a corrupted APK that «won’t install.»
- Uninstall the previous version if you change the signature: if you were coming from a ReVanced signed with a different key, Android will reject the installation with the «app not installed» error. This is the most common failure and has nothing to do with the icon.
During patching: the two patches that matter
Inside Manager, in the patch list, look for two specific entries: one for the app’s visible name and another for the icon. Check both, and when applying, Manager will ask you for the new name text and let you choose an image. Two nuances you only learn by using it:
- The icon must be square and, in most versions, in PNG. A JPG with a simulated transparent background will show a white box in the launcher.
- The name doesn’t accept certain special characters; if you use emojis or strange symbols, the launcher may display the package name (for example, com.google.android.youtube) instead of the name you typed.
A common real-world case: changing the name to something with leading or trailing spaces causes some customization layers (MIUI, One UI) not to refresh the label, and «YouTube» keeps appearing. Solution: reinstall the patched APK; restarting the phone is not enough.
After installing: five-step verification
- Open the app drawer and confirm that the new icon appears without the old logo overlaid.
- Long-press the icon and check the name in the context menu: if the old one shows there, the label wasn’t updated.
- Check that the app opens and plays video. If it closes on startup, the problem is usually the signature or an incompatible patch, not the icon.
- Check the permissions: when reinstalling, Android revokes storage and notification permissions. Grant them again if you use downloads or background playback.
- If you use microG, verify that it is still linked; a name change doesn’t break it, but a clean reinstall can unlink it.
When something fails: causes and what does NOT work
According to the ReVanced community documentation, icon and name customization is just another patch and depends on the base app version. This means it doesn’t work the same across all YouTube versions: in some recent ones the icon patch is marked as unavailable, and forcing it produces an APK that installs but won’t open.
Nor does trying to change the icon after installing work, by editing the APK with a generic editor: it breaks the signature and Android rejects it. The change must be made at the time of patching.
Another honest limitation: if you update the patches or the base app, you’ll have to repeat the customization process; it isn’t preserved between updates. And on devices with very old Android (versions prior to 8), some visual customization patches don’t apply correctly.
Final quick checklist
- Manager and patches up to date.
- Base APK at the recommended version.
- Enough free space.
- Uninstall the previous version if the signature changes.
- Check the name and icon patches.
- Square PNG icon, name without strange characters.
- Verify icon, name, opening, and permissions after installing.
- Assume it will be lost on update.