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How to Change My Home Screen on iPhone? A Deep Dive for the Discerning iOS User

So, you’re looking to revamp your iPhone home screen? Excellent! Customization is key to making your device truly yours, reflecting your style and optimizing your workflow. The good news is, Apple provides a wealth of tools and features to personalize your home screen. Let’s dive into a comprehensive guide.

The simple answer to “How to change my home screen on iPhone?” is this: You can change the appearance of your iPhone home screen by rearranging app icons, adding or removing widgets, creating custom app icons using Shortcuts, using Focus modes to create custom home screen layouts, and utilizing App Library to organize your apps. It’s a multi-faceted approach, and we’ll explore each facet in detail.

Mastering the Basics: Rearranging and Removing Apps

Before diving into the more advanced techniques, let’s ensure you’re comfortable with the fundamentals. After all, even the most seasoned artist needs to know how to hold a brush.

Moving App Icons

This is the cornerstone of home screen customization. Here’s the classic method:

Touch and hold any app icon on your home screen. After a moment, all the icons will begin to jiggle (or display a quick action menu – tap “Edit Home Screen” in this case).
Drag the app icon to its new desired location. You can move it to a different spot on the same page, onto a different home screen page, or even into the dock at the bottom of the screen.
When you’re satisfied, tap “Done” in the upper-right corner of the screen, or press the Home button (on older iPhones).

A faster method, introduced with iOS 14, is:

Touch and hold any app icon.
Select “Edit Home Screen” from the quick action menu.
Then, proceed with dragging the icons as described above.

Removing Apps from the Home Screen

Removing an app from your home screen doesn’t necessarily delete the app from your phone. There are two distinct options:

Remove from Home Screen: This option removes the app icon from your home screen but keeps the app installed on your device. You can still access it through the App Library, a feature introduced in iOS 14 that automatically organizes all your apps into categories. To do this, long-press the app icon, select “Remove App,” and then choose “Remove from Home Screen.”
Delete App: This completely uninstalls the app from your iPhone, freeing up storage space. Long-press the app icon, select “Remove App,” and then choose “Delete App.” Be warned: this is permanent unless you reinstall the app from the App Store.

Widgets: More Than Just Pretty Faces

Widgets are miniature, interactive previews of your apps, offering at-a-glance information and shortcuts directly on your home screen. They’re a fantastic way to personalize your iPhone and boost productivity.

Adding Widgets

Touch and hold any empty area on your home screen until the icons begin to jiggle.
Tap the “+” button in the upper-left corner of the screen. This opens the Widget Gallery.
Browse through the available widgets, either by app or category.
Select the widget you want to add, and choose the desired size (small, medium, or large).
Tap “Add Widget.” The widget will be placed on your home screen.
Drag the widget to your preferred location.
Tap “Done” in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Customizing Widgets

Many widgets are customizable, allowing you to tailor their information and appearance.

Touch and hold the widget you want to customize.
Select “Edit Widget.”
Modify the available options, such as displaying specific information or choosing a different theme.
Tap anywhere outside the widget to save your changes.

Widget Stacks

Widget stacks allow you to combine multiple widgets into a single space, which you can then swipe through. This is a great way to maximize space and keep your home screen clutter-free.

Touch and hold an empty area on your home screen.
Tap the “+” button.
Add the widgets you want to include in your stack to the screen.
Drag one widget on top of another to create a stack. iPhone will automatically suggest Smart Stacks, which rotate widgets based on usage patterns.
Rearrange the order of the widgets in the stack by touching and holding the stack, selecting “Edit Stack,” and then dragging the widgets into your preferred order.

Unleash Your Creativity: Custom App Icons with Shortcuts

The Shortcuts app provides a powerful, albeit slightly involved, method for creating custom app icons. This is perfect for users who want complete control over the aesthetic of their home screen.

Open the Shortcuts app.
Tap the “+” button in the upper-right corner to create a new shortcut.
Tap “Add Action.”
In the search bar, type “Open App.” Select the “Open App” action.
Tap “App” and choose the app you want to create a custom icon for.
Tap the ellipsis (“…”) in the upper-right corner.
Give the shortcut a name (this will appear below the icon).
Tap “Add to Home Screen.”
Tap the icon next to the shortcut name.
Choose “Take Photo,” “Choose Photo,” or “Choose File” to select your custom icon image.
Adjust the image as needed.
Tap “Add.”

The shortcut will now appear on your home screen with your custom icon. Note: When you tap the custom icon, it will briefly open the Shortcuts app before opening the actual app. This is a limitation of this method.

Focus Modes: Contextual Home Screens

Focus modes, introduced in iOS 15, allow you to create custom home screen layouts based on your current activity or context. For example, you can create a “Work” Focus that only displays work-related apps, or a “Personal” Focus that shows social media and entertainment apps.

Setting Up a Focus Mode

Open Settings and tap “Focus.”
Choose an existing Focus mode (like “Do Not Disturb,” “Personal,” or “Work”) or create a new one by tapping the “+” button.
Configure the Focus mode’s settings, including:
- People: Who can call or text you during this Focus.
- Apps: Which apps can send you notifications.
- Time Sensitive Notifications: Whether to allow urgent notifications.
- Home Screen: This is where you specify the custom home screen pages you want to display during this Focus. You can choose to show specific pages or hide notification badges.
- Lock Screen: Whether to dim the lock screen or show silenced notifications.

Customizing Home Screens for Focus Modes

Within each Focus mode, you can select which home screen pages should be visible. This allows you to create curated home screens tailored to specific activities.

In the Focus settings, tap “Home Screen.”
Enable “Custom Pages.”
Select the home screen pages you want to show when this Focus is active. You can also choose to hide notification badges to minimize distractions.

Leveraging the App Library

The App Library is a powerful tool for organizing your apps and decluttering your home screen. It automatically categorizes your apps into folders, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.

Hiding Apps from the Home Screen

As mentioned earlier, you can remove apps from your home screen without deleting them by choosing “Remove from Home Screen.” The apps will then only be accessible through the App Library.

Accessing the App Library

The App Library is located on the last page of your home screens. Swipe left until you reach it.

Searching the App Library

You can quickly find an app in the App Library by using the search bar at the top.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions to further enhance your understanding of iPhone home screen customization:

1. How do I change the wallpaper on my home screen and lock screen?

Open Settings, tap “Wallpaper,” and then tap “Choose a New Wallpaper.” You can select from Apple’s built-in wallpapers, your own photos, or dynamic wallpapers that change over time. You can set different wallpapers for your home screen and lock screen.

2. Can I change the size of app icons on my iPhone?

No, iOS does not natively allow you to change the size of app icons. However, some accessibility features, such as Zoom, can indirectly increase the apparent size of everything on the screen.

3. How do I create folders on my home screen?

To create a folder, touch and hold an app icon, drag it on top of another app icon. A folder will be automatically created. You can then add more apps to the folder by dragging them into it. You can also rename the folder.

4. How can I reset my home screen layout to the default?

Open Settings, tap “General,” tap “Transfer or Reset iPhone,” tap “Reset,” and then tap “Reset Home Screen Layout.” This will restore your home screen to its original state, with Apple’s default app arrangement.

5. Can I use third-party apps to customize my home screen?

Yes, there are numerous third-party apps available on the App Store that offer enhanced customization options for your home screen, such as custom widget creators and icon packs. However, be cautious when granting these apps access to your data and always read reviews before downloading.

6. How do I remove a widget from my home screen?

Touch and hold the widget you want to remove, then tap “Remove Widget.”

7. Why are my app icons jiggling even when I’m not trying to move them?

This usually indicates that an app is in the process of being installed or updated. Wait for the process to complete, and the icons should stop jiggling.

8. Can I customize the dock at the bottom of my home screen?

Yes, the dock can hold up to four apps (or folders). Simply drag apps into or out of the dock to customize it.

9. How do I stop apps from automatically adding themselves to my home screen when I download them?

Open Settings, tap “Home Screen,” and then under “Newly Downloaded Apps,” choose “App Library Only.” New apps will then only appear in the App Library and not on your home screen.

10. How do I use Smart Stacks?

To create a Smart Stack, stack several widgets on top of each other. iPhone will automatically suggest a Smart Stack based on your app usage. Smart Stacks intelligently rotate the widgets based on the time of day and your activity. To customize a Smart Stack, long press and select “Edit Stack”.

11. How do I hide entire home screen pages?

In the “jiggle mode” (when apps are jiggling), tap the page indicator (the row of dots at the bottom of the screen). This will open a screen where you can check or uncheck home screen pages to show or hide them.

12. Can I change the color or style of the clock widget?

The built-in clock widget offers limited customization options. Third-party widget apps often provide more options for customizing the appearance of clock widgets.

By mastering these techniques and exploring the available options, you can transform your iPhone home screen into a personalized and efficient hub that perfectly reflects your individual needs and style. Happy customizing!