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A Cozy Birthday Treat: My First Sleepydaze Phone Theme
April always feels a little softer to me. Maybe it’s because it’s my birthday month, or maybe it’s just an excuse I happily use to treat myself to something small but meaningful. This year I decided to get a phone theme from Sleepydaze which I have been eying for some time.
About Sleepydaze
If you’ve never come across Sleepydaze before, they're an independent digital creator brand that designs aesthetic themes for iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices. The brand is based in Canada and has been creating themes for a few years, building a strong following among users who love cozy, curated setups. Besides phone (and iPad) themes, there are also themes for e-readers and digital planners.
My Theme Pick: Autumn Apple
After browsing the adorably sweet themes, I finally chose the Autumn Apple Theme for S$11.01. The pricing feels reasonable and definitely something I would purchase again.
Download & Setup
After purchase, I received a download link via email. The next steps are to simply download, extract the zip file, and transfer via iCloud or Google Drive where you can download and access it on your device to proceed with the change.
You may see a .DS_Store file, which is safe to ignore or delete. This does not need to get copied over to iCloud or Google Drive.
For Apple devices, you save them to the File app and then you download them into your Photo Library.
Custom Icons Guide
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Tap the + button
- Tap Add Action
- Search for Nothing and select it (this will hide the banner that pops up when shortcuts are open)
- Search for Open App and select it
- Choose the app you want
- Tap the dropdown at the top and select Add to Home Screen
- Tap the icon preview
- Choose Choose Photo and select your Sleepydaze icon
- Rename the app (optional, but cleaner)
- Tap Add
How To Change Wallpapers & Lockscreen
- Open Settings
- Tap Wallpaper
- Choose Add New Wallpaper
- Select your Sleepydaze wallpaper
- Adjust and set for Lock Screen, Home Screen, or both
Widgets
Sleepydaze also introduces the Color Widgets app, which is where things get even more fun. It lets you add custom widgets like:
- Clock displays
- Calendar previews
- Photo widgets
- Battery indicators
You can match these widgets to your theme so everything feels cohesive.
Things to Note
As pretty as everything looks, there are a few trade-offs. The biggest one is notification badges.Because your icons are technically shortcuts and not the actual apps, iOS does not display those little red notification bubbles. This is intentional due to Apple’s security design.
Although it can feel a bit inconvenient at first, you either get used to it or use some work arounds:
- App Library: Swipe to the last page to see original apps with badges
- Notification Center: Swipe down to view all alerts
- Widgets: Use calendar or mail widgets for quick updates
- Dock Trick: Keep key apps (like Messages) in their original form in the dock
Final Thoughts
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| My customization vs Sleepydaze's sample |
Changing your phone theme is one of those things that sounds simple, but takes time and patience added each shortcut and placing each icon. You’re essentially rebuilding your home screen from scratch. But once it’s done, it feels… different and very satisfying. For me, this little birthday treat was completely worth it, and I already know this won’t be my last theme from Sleepydaze.
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