How to change an application icon programmatically in Android?

Is it possible to change an application icon directly from the program?
I mean, change icon.png in the res\drawable folder.
I would like to let users to change application's icon from the program so next time they would see the previously selected icon in the launcher.

Try this, it works fine for me:

1 . Modify your MainActivity section in AndroidManifest.xml, delete from it, line with MAIN category in intent-filter section

<activity android:name="ru.quickmessage.pa.MainActivity"
    android:configChanges="keyboardHidden|orientation"
    android:screenOrientation="portrait"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/CustomTheme"
    android:launchMode="singleTask">
    <intent-filter>
        ==> <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" /> <== Delete this line
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
    </intent-filter>
</activity>

2 . Create <activity-alias>, for each of your icons. Like this

<activity-alias android:label="@string/app_name" 
    android:icon="@drawable/icon" 
    android:name=".MainActivity-Red"
    android:enabled="false"
    android:targetActivity=".MainActivity">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
    </intent-filter>   
</activity-alias>

3 . Set programmatically: set ENABLE attribute for the appropriate activity-alias

 getPackageManager().setComponentEnabledSetting(
        new ComponentName("ru.quickmessage.pa", "ru.quickmessage.pa.MainActivity-Red"), 
            PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);

Note, At least one must be enabled at all times.

It's an old question, but still active as there is no explicit Android feature. And the guys from facebook found a work around - somehow. Today, I found a way that works for me. Not perfect (see remarks at the end of this answer) but it works!

Main idea is, that I update the icon of my app's shortcut, created by the launcher on my home screen. When I want to change something on the shortcut-icon, I remove it first and recreate it with a new bitmap.

Here is the code. It has a button increment. When pressed, the shortcut is replaced with one that has a new counting number.

First you need these two permissions in your manifest:

<uses-permission android:name="com.android.launcher.permission.INSTALL_SHORTCUT" />
<uses-permission android:name="com.android.launcher.permission.UNINSTALL_SHORTCUT" />

Then you need this two methods for installing and uninstalling shortcuts. The shortcutAdd method creates a bitmap with a number in it. This is just to demonstrate that it actually changes. You probably want to change that part with something, you want in your app.

private void shortcutAdd(String name, int number) {
	// Intent to be send, when shortcut is pressed by user ("launched")
	Intent shortcutIntent = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), Play.class);
	shortcutIntent.setAction(Constants.ACTION_PLAY);

	// Create bitmap with number in it -> very default. You probably want to give it a more stylish look
	Bitmap bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(100, 100, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
	Paint paint = new Paint();
	paint.setColor(0xFF808080); // gray
	paint.setTextAlign(Paint.Align.CENTER);
	paint.setTextSize(50);
	new Canvas(bitmap).drawText(""+number, 50, 50, paint);
	((ImageView) findViewById(R.id.icon)).setImageBitmap(bitmap);
	
	// Decorate the shortcut
	Intent addIntent = new Intent();
	addIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_INTENT, shortcutIntent);
	addIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_NAME, name);
	addIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_ICON, bitmap);

	// Inform launcher to create shortcut
	addIntent.setAction("com.android.launcher.action.INSTALL_SHORTCUT");
	getApplicationContext().sendBroadcast(addIntent);
}

private void shortcutDel(String name) {
	// Intent to be send, when shortcut is pressed by user ("launched")
	Intent shortcutIntent = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), Play.class);
	shortcutIntent.setAction(Constants.ACTION_PLAY);

	// Decorate the shortcut
	Intent delIntent = new Intent();
	delIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_INTENT, shortcutIntent);
	delIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_NAME, name);

	// Inform launcher to remove shortcut
	delIntent.setAction("com.android.launcher.action.UNINSTALL_SHORTCUT");
	getApplicationContext().sendBroadcast(delIntent);
}

And finally, here are two listener to add the first shortcut and update the shortcut with an incrementing counter.

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
	super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
	
	setContentView(R.layout.test);
	findViewById(R.id.add).setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
		@Override
		public void onClick(View v) {
			shortcutAdd("changeIt!", count);
		}
	});
	findViewById(R.id.increment).setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
		@Override
		public void onClick(View v) {
			shortcutDel("changeIt!");
			count++;
			shortcutAdd("changeIt!", count);
		}
	});
}

Remarks:

• This way works also if your App controls more shortcuts on the home screen, e.g. with different extra's in the Intent. They just need different names so that the right one is uninstalled and reinstalled.

• The programmatical handling of shortcuts in Android is a well known, widely used but not officially supported Android feature. It seems to work on the default launcher and I never tried it anywhere else. So dont blame me, when you get this user-emails "It does not work on my XYZ, double rooted, super blasted phone"

• The launcher writes a Toast when a shortcut was installad and one when a shortcut was uninstalled. So I get two Toasts every time I change the icon. This is not perfect, but well, as long as the rest of my app is perfect...

You cannot change the manifest or the resource in the signed-and-sealed APK, except through a software upgrade.

Programatically, you may want to publish the application launcher yourself :

Note: this method no longer works starting with Android 8.0 - Oreo

In your AndroidManifest.xml, add :

<uses-permission android:name="com.android.launcher.permission.INSTALL_SHORTCUT"/>

Then you need create your app launcher intent:

Intent myLauncherIntent = new Intent();
myLauncherIntent.setClassName("your.package.name", "YourLauncherActivityName");
myLauncherIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);

Create an install shortcut intent with your app launcher and custom icon:

Intent intent = new Intent();
intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_INTENT, myLauncherIntent);
intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_NAME, "Application Name");
intent.putExtra
       (
        Intent.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_ICON_RESOURCE,
        Intent.ShortcutIconResource.fromContext
                                    (
                                         getApplicationContext(), 
                                         R.drawable.app_icon
                                    )
       );
intent.setAction("com.android.launcher.action.INSTALL_SHORTCUT");

And finally launch the broadcast intent:

getApplicationContext().sendBroadcast(intent);

Assuming you mean changing the icon shown on the home screen, this could easily be done by creating a widget that does exactly this. Here's an article that demonstrate how that can be accomplished for a "new messages" type application similar to iPhone:

http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-10278814-251.html

@P-A's solution partially works for me. Detail my findings below:

1. The first code snippet is incorrect, see below:

   ==> <== This line shouldn't be deleted, otherwise will have compile error //DELETE THIS LINE

2. Should use following code to disable all icons before enabling another one, otherwise it will add a new icon, instead of replacing it.

   getPackageManager().setComponentEnabledSetting( getComponentName(), PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP); BUT, if you use code above, then shortcut on homescreen will be removed! And it won't be automatically added back. You might be able to programmatically add icon back, but it probably won't stay in the same position as before.

3. Note that the icon won't get changed immediately, it might take several seconds. If you click it right after changing, you might get an error saying: "App isn't installed".

So, IMHO this solution is only suitable for changing icon in app launcher only, not for shortcuts (i.e. the icon on homescreen)

Try this solution

<activity android:name=".SplashActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>

    <activity-alias android:label="ShortCut"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_short_cut"
        android:name=".SplashActivityAlias"
        android:enabled="false"
        android:targetActivity=".SplashActivity">
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity-alias>

Add the following code when you want to change your app icon

PackageManager pm = getPackageManager();
                    pm.setComponentEnabledSetting(
                            new ComponentName(YourActivity.this,
                                    "your_package_name.SplashActivity"),
                            PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED,
                            PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);

                    pm.setComponentEnabledSetting(
                            new ComponentName(YourActivity.this,
                                    "your_package_name.SplashActivityAlias"),
                            PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED,
                            PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);

AndroidManifest.xml example:

<application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme">

        <activity android:name="com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity"
                  android:label="@string/app_name"
                  android:launchMode="singleTask">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN"/>
                <!--<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER"/>-->
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>

        <activity-alias android:label="RED"
                        android:icon="@drawable/ic_android_red"
                        android:name="com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity-Red"
                        android:enabled="true"
                        android:targetActivity="com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity-alias>

        <activity-alias android:label="GREEN"
                        android:icon="@drawable/ic_android_green"
                        android:name="com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity-Green"
                        android:enabled="false"
                        android:targetActivity="com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity-alias>

        <activity-alias android:label="BLUE"
                        android:icon="@drawable/ic_android_blue"
                        android:name="com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity-Blue"
                        android:enabled="false"
                        android:targetActivity="com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity-alias>

    </application>

Then follow below given code in MainActivity:

ImageView imageView = (ImageView)findViewById(R.id.imageView);
            int imageResourceId;
            String currentDateTimeString = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance().format(new Date());
            int hours = new Time(System.currentTimeMillis()).getHours();
            Log.d("DATE", "onCreate: "  + hours);
    
            getPackageManager().setComponentEnabledSetting(
                    getComponentName(), PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
    
            if(hours == 13)
            {
                imageResourceId = this.getResources().getIdentifier("ic_android_red", "drawable", this.getPackageName());
                getPackageManager().setComponentEnabledSetting(
                        new ComponentName("com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample", "com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity-Red"),
                        PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
            }else if(hours == 14)
            {
                imageResourceId = this.getResources().getIdentifier("ic_android_green", "drawable", this.getPackageName());
                getPackageManager().setComponentEnabledSetting(
                        new ComponentName("com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample", "com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity-Green"),
                        PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
    
            }else
            {
                imageResourceId = this.getResources().getIdentifier("ic_android_blue", "drawable", this.getPackageName());
                getPackageManager().setComponentEnabledSetting(
                        new ComponentName("com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample", "com.pritesh.resourceidentifierexample.MainActivity-Blue"),
                        PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED, PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
    
            }
    
            imageView.setImageResource(imageResourceId);

As mentioned before you need use <activity-alias> to change the application icon. To avoid killing the application after enabling appropriate activity-alias you need to do this after the application is killed. To find out if the application was killed you can use this method

1. Create activity aliases in AndroidManifest.xml

<activity android:name=".ui.MainActivity"/>

<activity-alias
    android:name=".one"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_one"
    android:targetActivity=".ui.MainActivity"
    android:enabled="true">

    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
    </intent-filter>

</activity-alias>

<activity-alias
    android:name=".two"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_two"
    android:targetActivity=".ui.MainActivity"
    android:enabled="false">

    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
    </intent-filter>

</activity-alias>

2. Сreate a service that will change the active activity-alias after killing the application. You need store the name of new active activity-alias somewhere (e.g. SharedPreferences)

class ChangeAppIconService: Service() {
    private val aliases = arrayOf(".one", ".two")

    override fun onBind(intent: Intent?): IBinder? = null

    override fun onTaskRemoved(rootIntent: Intent?) {
        changeAppIcon()
        stopSelf()
    }

    fun changeAppIcon() {
        val sp = getSharedPreferences("appSettings", Context.MODE_PRIVATE)

        sp.getString("activeActivityAlias", ".one").let { aliasName ->
            if (!isAliasEnabled(aliasName)) {
                setAliasEnabled(aliasName)
            }
        }
    }

    private fun isAliasEnabled(aliasName: String): Boolean {
	    return packageManager.getComponentEnabledSetting(
		    ComponentName(
			    this,
			    "${BuildConfig.APPLICATION_ID}$aliasName"
		    )
	    ) == PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED
    }

	private fun setAliasEnabled(aliasName: String) {
		aliases.forEach {
			val action = if (it == aliasName)
				PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED
			else
				PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED
				
			packageManager.setComponentEnabledSetting(
				ComponentName(
					this,
					"${BuildConfig.APPLICATION_ID}$aliasName"
				),
				action,
				PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP
			)
		}
	}
}

3. Add service to AndroidManifest.xml

<service 
    android:name=".ChangeAppIconService"
    android:stopWithTask="false"
    />

4. Start ChangeAppIconService in MainActivity.onCreate

class MainActivity: Activity {

    ...

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
       ...

       startService(Intent(this, ChangeAppIconService::class.java))

       ...
    }

    ...

}

Applying the suggestions mentioned, I've faced the issue of app getting killed whenever default icon gets changed to new icon. So have implemented the code with some tweaks. Step 1). In file AndroidManifest.xml, create for default activity with android:enabled="true" & other alias with android:enabled="false". Your will not contain but append those in with android:enabled="true".

       <activity
        android:name=".activities.SplashActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:screenOrientation="portrait"
        android:theme="@style/SplashTheme">
       
    </activity>
    <!-- <activity-alias used to change app icon dynamically>   : default icon, set enabled true    -->
    <activity-alias
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:name=".SplashActivityAlias1" <!--put any random name started with dot-->
        android:enabled="true"
        android:targetActivity=".activities.SplashActivity"> <!--target activity class path will be same for all alias-->
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity-alias>
    <!-- <activity-alias used to change app icon dynamically>  : sale icon, set enabled false initially -->
    <activity-alias
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_store_marker"
        android:roundIcon="@drawable/ic_store_marker"
        android:name=".SplashActivityAlias" <!--put any random name started with dot-->
        android:enabled="false"
        android:targetActivity=".activities.SplashActivity"> <!--target activity class path will be same for all alias-->
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity-alias>

Step 2). Make a method that will be used to disable 1st activity-alias that contains default icon & enable 2nd alias that contains icon need to be changed.

/**
 * method to change the app icon dynamically
 *
 * @param context
 * @param isNewIcon  : true if new icon need to be set; false to set default 
 * icon
 */

public static void changeAppIconDynamically(Context context, boolean isNewIcon) {
    PackageManager pm = context.getApplicationContext().getPackageManager();
    if (isNewIcon) {
        pm.setComponentEnabledSetting(
                new ComponentName(context,
                        "com.example.dummy.SplashActivityAlias1"), //com.example.dummy will be your package
                PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED,
                PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);

        pm.setComponentEnabledSetting(
                new ComponentName(context,
                        "com.example.dummy.SplashActivityAlias"),
                PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED,
                PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
    } else {
        pm.setComponentEnabledSetting(
                new ComponentName(context,
                        "com.example.dummy.SplashActivityAlias1"),
                PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_ENABLED,
                PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);

        pm.setComponentEnabledSetting(
                new ComponentName(context,
                        "com.example.dummy.SplashActivityAlias"),
                PackageManager.COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED,
                PackageManager.DONT_KILL_APP);
    }
}

Step 3). Now call this method depending on your requirement, say on button click or date specific or occasion specific conditions, simply like -

// Switch app icon to new icon
    GeneralUtils.changeAppIconDynamically(EditProfileActivity.this, true);
// Switch app icon to default icon
            GeneralUtils.changeAppIconDynamically(EditProfileActivity.this, false);

Hope this will help those who face the issue of app getting killed on icon change. Happy Coding :)

To get the solution by Markus working I needed the first Intent so be:

Intent myLauncherIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
			myLauncherIntent.setClassName(this,  this.getClass().getName());
    		myLauncherIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);