After you unbox your new iPhone and go through the setup screens, you’ll want to start personalizing it. Not only will this help your iPhone stand out, but you can also make the layout more convenient by arranging apps and widgets based on your personal needs. Customizing the Home Screen can be fun and useful, so we will be detailing how to do it in this guide.
How to move apps on the iPhone Home Screen
First, start by organizing the apps. To do so, follow these steps:
- Start by cleaning the phone up by removing apps you no longer need or want. See our guide on uninstalling an app on your iPhone for instructions if you’re not sure how to do it.
- From the first page of your Home Screen (or on any page, for that matter), press and hold anywhere in the screen space until you see all the app icons start to wiggle. You’ll also see a minus (-) button at the top left of each one, which can be tapped to delete it quickly.
- Alternatively, you can long-press any app and select Edit Home Screenthen the icons will have the same wiggle and (-) on them.
- Once your icons are in this state, place your finger on an app icon and drag it to wherever you want it to go on the page.
- To move an app to another page, drag it to the edge of the screen either to the far right or far left and wait until the page slides. After about a second, the screen will flip to the next page, where you can position it accordingly.
- To move an app to the Dock on the bottom, which fits a maximum of four, repeat steps 2 or 3, then drag an app that’s currently there up to the main Home Screen.
- Then you’ll be able to drag the new one you want to go in its spot on the Dock.
How to create folders on the iPhone Home Screen
Folders are a neat way to group relevant apps on your Home Screen. Your iPhone app list will get unwieldy fast, so organizing will help you find what you need a lot easier.
- To group apps together in folders, follow step 2 from the section above, then drag one app icon on top of the other that you want to group. iOS will either intelligently name this folder, or one will pop up for you to name. You can also go into the folder and rename it anytime.
- To remove a folderpress and hold on to that folder and select Remove Folder.
- To remove an app from within a folderrepeat step 2 from the first section, open the folder, and then drag one of the apps anywhere outside the folder box.
- If there are only two apps, the folder will disappear altogether.
- If there are more than two apps, the app you choose will simply be removed from the folder and placed on its own.
How to move multiple apps at once on the iPhone Home Screen
Moving multiple apps at the same time can save you time and effort.
- You can move app icons in batchesmultiple at once. Follow step 2 or 3 from the first section.
- While the app icons are wiggling, select one of the apps you want to move and start moving it.
- At the same time, use a different finger and tap the other apps you want to move. They will stack on top of the first app, with a number appearing at the top left to indicate how many apps have been selected.
- Once you have selected them all, continue dragging them to where you want them.
- Release your finger, and the apps will appear where you want them to.
To further personalize your iPhone’s Home Screen, you can add first- and third-party widgets to view timely information quickly and interact with supported apps. To add widgets to your iPhone’s Home Screen, follow the detailed steps in the dedicated guide.
How to change the wallpaper on an iPhone
Changing your iPhone’s wallpaper is another way to personalize its Home Screen. This way, you’re not limiting your personal style to app and widget arrangement. Instead, you’re further reflecting your taste by customizing the background image, which completely impacts your Home Screen’s appearance. You can change the iPhone’s wallpaper in multiple, different ways, and we’ve listed the steps you need to follow in the guide we’ve linked.
How to change your icon size and color
Another way to customize your iPhone (introduced in iOS 18) is to change the size and/or color of your app icons. You can make the icons larger by removing the app names underneath. Once you get iOS 18, follow these steps:
- Long-press any app and select Edit Home Screen.
- On the top left, tap on Edit.
- Tap on Customize.
- Tap on Large on the bottom customization panel.
Additionally, you can apply color tinting to all of your icons to create a personal aesthetic.
The iPhone Home Screen is highly customizable
As you can see, you can personalize your iPhone’s Home Screen in so many ways. These include arranging apps, creating folders, adding widgets, and changing the wallpaper. You can even set up custom icon packs if you’d like to further customize the experience and show off a unique look. And, as long as you back up your current device, the exact same Home Screen layout should transfer to your iPhone when you restore the backup. This spares you from having to manually set it up every time you upgrade to a new iPhone.
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How to customize the Lock Screen on your iPhone or iPad
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