The lazy man’s guide to theming.
I get requests all the time to make simple changes to my themes that anyone with a computer can do. So I put together this quick guide on how to theme the easy way. This is how I do most of my themes minus any xml edits or battery mods. This guide is for changing images only without having to decompile and recompile the entire apk file with apktool or apk manager. Great for when you just want to make a few changes to your existing setup.
What you will need.
~ 7zip use Google search it’s easy to find
~ image editor Gimp is great and free you can Google it also. I use Fireworks and Photoshop depending on what I am trying to do.
~ Draw9Suite. Created by tommytomatoe/kakomalo Thread found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1272513
Download here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/TaDGMjde/9patchPngSuite.html
Unzip and place contents in folder, I have mine on my desktop.
~ An existing rom or theme to modify.
With just these tools you can do a lot.
Once you have 7zip and 9patchPngSuite on your system you will need to download the rom, or already existing theme for the rom you are on so you can make the changes you want to it.
Download the rom/theme you want to make changes to and use 7zip to unpack the rom/theme you downloaded, do this by right clicking on the zip file and chose open with 7zip. Inside you will find lots of folders, the ones you are looking for will be in system/app (for apps) or system/framework (for framework files). Extract the apk’s by just dragging them out of the 7zip window, to a folder on your desktop.
Inside the folder you extracted the apk’s to create a folder for each apk’s you extracted. Now you will want to extract the folder drawable-hdpi from the res folder of each apk to its associated folder, do this with 7zip also the same way you extracted the apk file. Once the drawable-hdpi folders are extracted you will see the images inside that you can modify.
At this point I create another folder inside each of the specific apk folders and name it .9 images and I copy and paste all the .9 images I want to change into that folder (these are for reference). I then copy all of those images into the compiled folder of 9patchPngSuite. And chose option 1 to decompile them. Now look in the decompiled folder and you can now take those images and change anything inside the black lines and dots you will see on the outside edge. If you feel like it you can also create your own .9 file with your own image by choosing option 2, this will open up draw9patch. Maser&Slave made a great tutorial on this so I won’t go into it. Edit your images, but be careful if the image displays words on it (like with popup_center_dark.9 )and it has a dark background it should remain dark so the word will still be readable, and vice versa if the image has a light background it most likely will have a dark font displayed on it that will be difficult to read if you make the image a dark color. Once all your images are edited use option 3 to recompile them, now in the output folder you will find your recompiled images that you can put back into your drawable-hdpi folder. Edit any other images you want just be careful with the pixel size if an image is 70X70 and you make it 140X140 it could cause some problems, some you can change others you can’t, it’s a lot of trial and error. Once all edits are finished put them all back in the drawable-hdpi folder you extracted from the apk, use 7zip to open the apk again, navigate to the res folder and delete the existing drawable-hdpi folder and drop the one you made the changes to into it, use the back arrow in the 7zip window and it will zip it back up and you can push the apk or flash it to test if your images came out the way you wanted them to. This will work with any image you chose to edit. You can also use this method add images from other themes you like to modify your theme to the way you want it. Just copy and paste the images you want to change into the drawabel-hdpi folder of the theme you are creating.
Brief list of what each apk controls, I am still new to ICS so if anyone knows more info please post.
Framework-res.apk
This will contain most of the images you will want to make changes to. Including check boxes, popup windows, menus, tabs, general status bar images, some lockscreen clocks, and a lot more. You will recognize them as you scroll through them. Some are hard to recognize like activity_tite_bar.9 and dark_header.9 because they are small, it will take some practice and trial and error to get the look you want.
Twframework-res.apk
This contains very little in ICS it still controls the tab backgrounds for a lot of apps but that is all I have found so far.
Systemui.apk
This apk contains most of the files for your dropdown and status bar, like signal bars, 3g 4g icons, wifi strength icons ,dropdown background and more. in ICS it also contains the battery images.
Ik95-res.apk and lidroid-res.apk
These apks contain the toggle images and background In the dropdown i.e. wifi toggle, airplane mode toggle etc. for the 14 ad 15 toggle mods.
Here is a standard flashable zip file you can put your modified apk files in and flash with CWM, open with 7zip and put your apk file in the corresponding folder in the flashable zip if you pulled it from framework put it back in the system/framework folder, if you pulled it from app put it in system/app folder in the flashable zip. Then flash like any other theme.
Flashable zip : http://www.4shared.com/zip/cmn3J1yd/My_flash.html
included below is a word doc of this tutorial.
future additions ....
Thanks for the guide, chief!
Related
Just wanted to create a Post so people can bounce ideas off each other as to what would be necessary to change themes on the fly. How does a normal phone change themes?
i just have a folder on my SD card called themes and i update it everyday with everytheme and the latest version of each, the themes folder has all my themes separated into adp1 adp1.1 rc30 and rc33 and i use linda file manager to move them to the root and rename them. i can flash any theme anytime i want. and if a new one comes out while i'm not near a computer i download with steel and try it out.this is the best way as far as i can see, at least with the tools i have access too
anyone seen the iphone emulator? it actually works where it will open a program associated with the icon, could that possibly help get a way to theme similar to how summerboard works?
jdwme said:
anyone seen the iphone emulator? it actually works where it will open a program associated with the icon, could that possibly help get a way to theme similar to how summerboard works?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not even close to being a theme though.
A proper theme is more than just smoe icons.
IE. iKid has a much nicer looking media player.
i use the exact same method w the themes on sdcard... i take it one step further... i use andftp to upload to my qctx.org server and upload directly tested themes... so i can access and organize however i need
- great for backing up sdcards
This is how I edit my themes on the fly
Walkthrough for creating your own Android theme
First you need to get signing setup properly. This topic is covered in many places and my recommendation is to use the Stericson walkthrough or the Stericson auto-signing setup tool. Once you can click on any zip or apk file and get the option to Resign it you are ready to proceed with making your own theme.
1. Download an archive manager that allows you to open archives inside of archives without creating new windows. My recommendation for this is the application 7-zip. It is tiny, free, easy to use, and on all my computers it has replaced winzip and winrar.
2. Now take a blank theme from Stericson to use as your starting point, this will be the minimum needed to change your theme and will contain all the original artwork.
3. Open the update.zip and inside are typically 3 files, framework, system or app, and META-INF. Leave META-INF alone, you wont be touching that. Inside framework and system/app is where the files are that you can change. In this case we will open update.zip, then double click framework and then double click framework-res.apk (this is where the next archive will open inside the same window, your life just got a little easier).
4. Now you are looking at assets, META-INF, res, and a couple other random files, the resources.arsc can be edited but I will show you that in another tutorial. Now open up the folder res and you will see the treasure we are searching for, folders with the name drawable. All of the folders that start with the name drawable are where we can edit the themes, this includes drawable, drawable-land, drawable-port, and drawable-finger.
5. Now drag and drop the folders drawable and drawable-land onto the desktop. Once they are on the desktop you can edit the .png files in those folders until you are ready to put your theme together.
6. Now in your still open window at \framework\framework-res.apk\res\ you will open the drawable folders one at a time and drag and drop your edited files into the archive, only dragging and dropping the files you edited and not just everything inside the folder.
7. Once you have your new images copied into the archive in the correct place you can just hit the close button or browse up a couple directories and find other files to edit. Any time you edit an apk and browse out of it or close it you will be prompted to update it in the archive by 7-zip (this is my secret shortcut), always press ok.
8. Now you have a freshly created theme ready to install, all you have to do is right click, chose to Resign the file, and once its done you can copy it to your SDcard, make sure its named update.zip, and flash your new theme.
Its literally that easy! And you use this same technique in the system/app folder to edit the apk files for the individual apps on the phone. Explore around in the update.zip and see what you can find, I only told you about the major items but there is plenty more to find and change. You can always copy a folder out of the archive and if you cant edit anything just toss it but if you can find something to edit, do so and throw it back in the archive. You guys now have all the info I had when I started plus all my tricks to making that process 10x easier.
jdwme said:
anyone seen the iphone emulator? it actually works where it will open a program associated with the icon, could that possibly help get a way to theme similar to how summerboard works?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing with the iPhone is that the applications are just folders with a .app extension at the end. This allows one to easily replace resources inside of them using just simple scripts.
In Android, the applications are zip files with an extension of .apk and must be signed. This makes it harder to replace resources on the fly.
I use the Discover App from the MarketPlace. I have a folder called Themes in my SD Card which I have separate folders labeled with the name of the theme. Inside the folder I have the update.zip. With discover I just move the update zips in and out of the folders to change themes.
Rich
So I'm a bit of a noob. I'm attempting to create a theme and I cannot figure out where to edit the noti bar as well as the lockscreen image. For the lockscreen, I just want to keep the same tw lockscreen, but I want to change the padlock/background. Any help would be amazing as I am truely stumped.
If this needs to be in general, please move me
The file(s) that you are looking for are located in the framework-res.apk package located in a ROM/Theme. Inside of the .apk is a folder called res, and inside it is a folder called drawable-hdpi. This folder contains the majority of images used to make a theme look a certain way. In order to change the status bar, you need to edit the file statusbar_background.png. The lock screen one is in this folder too.
Nice. Thank you sir
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
I figured since the question has been answered I could just hijack this thread instead of making a new one. I am pretty new on modifying Android ROMs and would like to know where I should start first if I wanted to create my own theme? I would like to do some simple modifications first like icons and colors. Where can I find the necessary materials to get started? Like a fresh Touchwiz 2.5 template from the epic? Or do I just extract them from the stock ROM, if so, how? Thanks.
The files are accessible from the ROM if you open the zip and go to /system/framework then extract framework-res.apk
From there, you can open the apk with a tool like WinRAR and navigate to /res/drawable-hdpi as thomasskull666 mentioned. You can extract the png files from there and then just drag them back in once modified. Then just drag the framework-res.apk back into the ROM zip and flash it and bask in the glory of your handiwork.
Best advice is organize your workspace. You will have so many folders in folders your head is going to spin! What I do is copy the framework-res.apk, twframework-res.apk into a folder on your PC called STOCK DI18 Theme. *Make sure you pull these files from a deodexed rom or you'll have issues! Drawable-hdpi folder inside of both framework-res.apk files is where the brunt of you mods will be. If you are feeling daring, after changing the images in there you can begin to pull the drawable-hdpi from apps as well as long as you drag out the drawable folder, make your edits, then drag the edited folder right back in the zip, you'll be fine. Don't touch .9.png files if you don't know how to program them, I'm guessing you don't. Don't worry, edit everything else first to get that "feel" for what you are getting into. From there then research the .9.png files.
I highly recommend using 7zip for all of this, it is less of a headache. This is the basics of what you'll be doing to everything. Lets say you were going to do all this right off of your desktop. Make a folder on your desktop called STOCK DI18 Theme. Copy your framework-res.apk and twframework-res.apk into that folder from your deodexed rom. ANY TIME YOU NEED TO TAKE THESE FILES TO EDIT FOR YOUR THEME, COPY THEM FROM THIS FOLDER, NEVER SAVE THE CHANGES BACK INTO THIS FOLDER. This is important because you want easy access to all your stock files. Copy your system/framework and system/apps in here.
Now if you want to work on the framework-res.apk first. copy it to the desktop. Right click and choose 7zip-open archive. You can see the file structure of the apk. Click twice on res and you will see all the folders including drawable, drawable-hdpi, etc. Drag and drop drawable-hdpi to your desktop. Edit anything you want in there except a .9.png. Save the files into that same folder. Then drag and drop the folder right back into the archive where you got it in the first place. Then say your all done. Drag framework-res.apk back into the zip your going to flash on your phone in the same method.
Another quick tip, if you don't have an update zip and you have no idea what you are doing, download any working theme from here. Grab one of mine, and copy your framework-res.apk, twframework-res.apk, apps, etc over what in there. Make sure not to leave nothing it will show up in your theme! Any thing you need clearing up on, PM me, this should be plenty to get you started. To theme an app, right click say alarmclock.apk choose 7zip-open archive and do your magic again. As long as you only change the pictures in there you won't alter the signature on them so don't be afraid to mess with it.
Lastly, the Epic's framework is LOADED with files that it doesn't even use so be careful you not spending too much time editing a file you never seen on your phone before!
dreamsforgotten said:
Lastly, the Epic's framework is LOADED with files that it doesn't even use so be careful you not spending too much time editing a file you never seen on your phone before!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent tip, this is especially helpful if you are trying to port a theme as not all of the .png's will match up. Make sure you know what you NEED to be replacing as opposed to what is optional. Also I don't know if it was mentioned before but there are some files (especially in twframework-res) that have a .9 before the .png. These are not your run-of-the-mill png files, and they need to be specially edited to preserve their formatting. I recommend avoiding these if at all possible, but there is a way to edit them if you are feeling really adventurous. Here is the link to that post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=5206698
My suggestions for success: If you really want to make sure you are editing only the files that you need to edit in framework-res.apk, download a few custom themes or ROMs and extract the framework-res.apk from them. Then use a program such as UltraCompare to compare the files and folders inside each to find common files. This will help you pinpoint exactly what needs to be edited and what needs to be left alone. Lastly, like dreamsforgotten stated, be sure to have a good work directory from which to edit these .apks, as you will be working with folder after folder after folder. Organization is key, and patience is required
I recently received my Galaxy Nexus - and love it!
My idea was to keep it as stock as possible, but I wanted to change the look and feel to be more minimal, without having to install a non-stock launcher or use a different ROM. (The inspiration for this came from Nitroz's 'Black Exodus' theme.)
Phone : Galaxy Nexus, Rooted, now with a slightly modified stock ICS 4.0.2
There were a number of posts all around the Internet that led me in the right direction. To the cast of thousands who shared their information - Thank You!! The instructions below are just a compilation of the work already out there, but hopefully as they are in one place they will speed things up if you want to do this.
I am assuming that any future OTA updates will reset this.
Instructions for a Newbie (like me)
Requires :
One Rooted Galaxy Nexus
Way of getting files on and off the phone - I am using ES File Explorer
7-Zip on a PC
The new icons
The icons are located in the APK files located in the \system\apps folder.
To change the SMS icon
On the phone
Backup the original \system\apps\mms.apk file
Copy the \system\apps\mms.apk to a PC with 7-ZIP installed
On the PC
Open with 7-Zip (DO NOT EXTRACT)
Change to the res\mipmap-xhdpi folder
Drag and drop the new PNG file (ic_launcher_smsmms.png) over top the old one.
Copy the APK file back to \system\apps on the phone
The phone does not require a reset, but you will need to add the icons back.
To change the Contacts and Phone icons
These are located in the \system\apps\contacts.apk.
Folder - res\mipmap-xhdpi
Files - ic_launcher_phone.png, and ic_launcher_contacts.png
To change the Browser icon
These are located in the \system\apps\BrowserGoogle.apk.
Folder - res\mipmap-xhdpi
File - ic_launcher_browser.png
To change the App Drawer icon
These are located in the \system\apps\launcher2.apk.
Folder - \res\drawable-xhdpi\
File - ic_allapps.png
Removing the line above the App Doc
The file from the phone to edit is \system\apps\launcher2.apk.
On the PC create a blank file called hotseat_track_holo.9.png.
Overwrite the file in the /res/drawable-xhdpi directory of laucher2.apk
Just a thought, but Nova Launcher looks exactly like the stock launcher, but you can change the icons to whatevery .png you want directly from the homescreen. They will remain even after updates to the app. It's entirely up to you, but i thought that might save you a ton of work
And save myself 2 days of pain and frustration?? ;-) It was a good learning exersize, although when the config gets nuked by an update, and I don't have the time to play, I will look at using a different launcher. Thanks for highlighting Nova as an option.
Question for [TN&TR] "Black"FI27 ICS. Modded&Tweaked OUT! Update! 10/16/12
What file or files needs to be moded to change the carrier banner name on the pull down as well as the border of the pull down that says "Black". Finally the boot animation as well. I only ask cause I every rom is a bit different. The theads I found about this did not work for this rom. Any help is apprieciated from anyone who has expierience with this rom or the talented Devs that moded this build. Thanks, great rom
Sent from my Black SPH-D710
elniper said:
What file or files needs to be moded to change the carrier banner name on the pull down as well as the border of the pull down that says "Black". Finally the boot animation as well. I only ask cause I every rom is a bit different. The theads I found about this did not work for this rom. Any help is apprieciated from anyone who has expierience with this rom or the talented Devs that moded this build. Thanks, great rom
Sent from my Black SPH-D710
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can help you out halfway. To change the boot animation, download one that you would like, browse to system/media from root explorer or another file explorer and replace the old one with the one you downloaded and reboot
Sent from my Epic 4G Touch using XDA Premium
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1844529
Explained here, but it may not work right with files that have already been modified. They might not decompile correctly, I'd check with Tim before changing anything though, he'll let you know if it's workable.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656612
And this should take care of the boot animations
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Stryke_the_Orc said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656612
And this should take care of the boot animations
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I will check this out and let you know.
Sent from my Black SPH-D710
elniper said:
Thanks. I will check this out and let you know.
Sent from my Black SPH-D710
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have already made a mod for the carrier labels in the fi27 update. The new carrier label says team rejectz. If you would like to make your own carrier label(s) for fh23 for your own personal use, here's how...
What you will need:
-Pc/laptop updated with the latest java /sdk/jdk. (google it)
-Team Rejectz quick fix. (xda-dev section)
-Root file explorer such as : root explorer or ES file explorer OR adb shell on your pc to pull/push files from your pc to your phone.
-Notepad++ (google it)
-7 zip (google it)
- rooted e4gt and a NANDROID BACKUP!
1. Pull the framework res from your phone. Make a copy and save it. (system/framework)
2. Use the quick fix to decompile the framework res apk. The quick fix will make a framework res folder.
3. Go to res/values/strings.xml and open it with NotePad ++
4. At the top of NotePad ++ you will see an icon that looks like a pair of binoculars. That's the search icon.
Search for "Sprint". You should get 3 instances.
5 edit "Sprint" to say Black or Team Rejectz, your name or whatever you like. Just make sure its not too big or it won't work.
6. Recompile. After quick fix is done recompiling, there will be 2 new folders in the framework res folder; build, and dist. Go into the dist folder and you will see your new framework res apk.
7. Open the archive (don't extract, just open archive) of both the original copy of the framework res and the new one you edited from the dist folder. Drag and drop the META inf folder from the original to the modded apk. Now double click on the res folder in both archives. Drag and drop the drawable hdpi folder from the original to the modded archive.
Close out the archives and push your new framework res to system/app on your phone with either adb or your rooted file explorer. If you use the file explorer to push the framework res make sure you set the permissions the same as the rest of the system apks first. Push, reboot, enjoy.
Thanks
timmetal6669 said:
I have already made a mod for the carrier labels in the fi27 update. The new carrier label says team rejectz. If you would like to make your own carrier label(s) for fh23 for your own personal use, here's how...
What you will need:
-Pc/laptop updated with the latest java /sdk/jdk. (google it)
-Team Rejectz quick fix. (xda-dev section)
-Root file explorer such as : root explorer or ES file explorer OR adb shell on your pc to pull/push files from your pc to your phone.
-Notepad++ (google it)
-7 zip (google it)
- rooted e4gt and a NANDROID BACKUP!
1. Pull the framework res from your phone. Make a copy and save it. (system/framework)
2. Use the quick fix to decompile the framework res apk. The quick fix will make a framework res folder.
3. Go to res/values/strings.xml and open it with NotePad ++
4. At the top of NotePad ++ you will see an icon that looks like a pair of binoculars. That's the search icon.
Search for "Sprint". You should get 3 instances.
5 edit "Sprint" to say Black or Team Rejectz, your name or whatever you like. Just make sure its not too big or it won't work.
6. Recompile. After quick fix is done recompiling, there will be 2 new folders in the framework res folder; build, and dist. Go into the dist folder and you will see your new framework res apk.
7. Open the archive (don't extract, just open archive) of both the original copy of the framework res and the new one you edited from the dist folder. Drag and drop the META inf folder from the original to the modded apk. Now double click on the res folder in both archives. Drag and drop the drawable hdpi folder from the original to the modded archive.
Close out the archives and push your new framework res to system/app on your phone with either adb or your rooted file explorer. If you use the file explorer to push the framework res make sure you set the permissions the same as the rest of the system apks first. Push, reboot, enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, will try. And the boot animations, you agree with Stryke_the_Orc and others or you have a better method for Black Rom v1.3.
elniper said:
Thanks, will try. And the boot animations, you agree with Stryke_the_Orc and others or you have a better method for Black Rom v1.3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I'd guess he'd say to use the method in the thread I directed you to, its his thread lol :beer:
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Need Help
timmetal6669 said:
I have already made a mod for the carrier labels in the fi27 update. The new carrier label says team rejectz. If you would like to make your own carrier label(s) for fh23 for your own personal use, here's how...
What you will need:
-Pc/laptop updated with the latest java /sdk/jdk. (google it)
-Team Rejectz quick fix. (xda-dev section)
-Root file explorer such as : root explorer or ES file explorer OR adb shell on your pc to pull/push files from your pc to your phone.
-Notepad++ (google it)
-7 zip (google it)
- rooted e4gt and a NANDROID BACKUP!
1. Pull the framework res from your phone. Make a copy and save it. (system/framework)
2. Use the quick fix to decompile the framework res apk. The quick fix will make a framework res folder.
3. Go to res/values/strings.xml and open it with NotePad ++
4. At the top of NotePad ++ you will see an icon that looks like a pair of binoculars. That's the search icon.
Search for "Sprint". You should get 3 instances.
5 edit "Sprint" to say Black or Team Rejectz, your name or whatever you like. Just make sure its not too big or it won't work.
6. Recompile. After quick fix is done recompiling, there will be 2 new folders in the framework res folder; build, and dist. Go into the dist folder and you will see your new framework res apk.
7. Open the archive (don't extract, just open archive) of both the original copy of the framework res and the new one you edited from the dist folder. Drag and drop the META inf folder from the original to the modded apk. Now double click on the res folder in both archives. Drag and drop the drawable hdpi folder from the original to the modded archive.
Close out the archives and push your new framework res to system/app on your phone with either adb or your rooted file explorer. If you use the file explorer to push the framework res make sure you set the permissions the same as the rest of the system apks first. Push, reboot, enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea. Tried this today. I ran into a couple problems. The last step you say to push the framework-res file to "system/app" is that correct cause there is no room in there. I only have like a couple megs in there. I would have thought that it replaces the original file in "system/framework". I copied it there and over wrote the original and set permissions . The phone restarted by it self when I did that and got stuck on the boot animation. I force restarted the phone again and it still gets stuck on the boot animation. I restored my nandroid. I followed your instructions to a T. With the exception of where the framework-res file should go:crying: My carrier label has the same amount of characters as "Team Rejectz".
elniper said:
Yea. Tried this today. I ran into a couple problems. The last step you say to push the framework-res file to "system/app" is that correct cause there is no room in there. I only have like a couple megs in there. I would have thought that it replaces the original file in "system/framework". I copied it there and over wrote the original and set permissions . The phone restarted by it self when I did that and got stuck on the boot animation. I force restarted the phone again and it still gets stuck on the boot animation. I restored my nandroid. I followed your instructions to a T. With the exception of where the framework-res file should go:crying: My carrier label has the same amount of characters as "Team Rejectz".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, first yes that should go to framework, system/app must have been a typo. Second, the getting stuck on boot could be a number of things, you'll have to get a logcat to find the specific cause. When this happened to me it was an improper edit that caused the xml to fail although it recompiled fine. Hope that helps.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Ok, so I can start attempting to make my own carrier label, and I want my clock on status bar in the center
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Hello Guys i just figured out that the root explorer app has a lot of inbuilt cool features it is lot more than a file explorer it can handle archives like .zip same as winrar so i thought to use it as i use it on my pc
In this guide i will teell you how to edit an app icon using root explorer only
1) Rename the .apk to .zip like example xyz.apk to xyz.zip
2)Hold the xyz.zip and select extract
3Wait for it to extract and go to extracted file
4)It will extract all its content iin a folder open it you will see res folder open it
5)There will be many folder sartibg with drawable like drawable-idpi,drawable-hdpi...etc
6)Search for the icon image now replace the image with any image of your choice but remember to maintain same resolution and a png file format as icons are png in that android
7)Once done go back and hold the foldet and select to zip it then go to that zip folder
8)Rename the zip to apk example xyz.zip to xyz.apk and you are done
Note : The new apk made might not be installed as direct apk you might need to push it to system to make it work
i think this in general section