What "home screen" means and why you'd want to change it
Your home screen is the first page you see when you unlock your phone or turn on your computer. On a phone, it's where your app icons live. On a computer, it's your desktop background, taskbar layout, or the apps pinned to your start menu. Changing it means rearranging those icons, swapping the background image, moving where your most-used apps sit, or hiding apps you don't use often.
People change their home screen to save time reaching the apps they use most, to make their device feel more personal, or straightforward to organize things in a way that makes sense to them. The steps differ depending on whether you use an iPhone, Android phone, or Windows computer.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, you long-press the home screen itself (not an app) to enter edit mode, then drag apps to new positions or delete them from the home screen.
- On Android, the method varies by manufacturer—Samsung uses long-press and drag, while Google Pixel uses a home screen settings menu accessible by swiping up from the bottom.
- On Windows, you can pin apps to the taskbar by right-clicking them, or rearrange tiles on the Start menu by dragging them.
- Changing your home screen does not delete apps from your device—it only hides them or moves them to different locations.
- You can create multiple home screen pages on phones to organize apps by category without cluttering a single page.
How to rearrange apps on iPhone
On iPhone, start by unlocking your phone and looking at your home screen. Long-press (hold your finger down) on an empty area of the screen—not on an app icon itself, but on the blank space between them. After about a second, the screen will enter edit mode: the app icons will jiggle slightly, and you'll see a plus sign (+) in the top-left corner.
Once in edit mode, you can drag any app icon to a new position on the same page, or drag it to the edge of the screen to move it to a different home screen page. To remove an app from your home screen (without deleting it from your phone), hold the app icon and select "Remove App," then choose "Remove from Home Screen." The app stays on your phone and remains searchable—it just won't appear on your home screen anymore.
When you're done rearranging, press the back button or swipe down from the top of the screen to exit edit mode. Your changes save automatically.
How to rearrange apps on Android
Android home screen changes depend on which manufacturer made your phone. On Samsung devices, long-press an empty area of your home screen until a menu appears at the bottom. Tap "Home Screen Settings" or straightforward long-press an app icon and drag it to a new position. You can also drag apps to the edge to move them to another page, or drag them to a trash icon to remove them from the home screen.
On Google Pixel phones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open your app drawer, then long-press the app you want to move. Drag it to your home screen, or long-press an app already on your home screen and drag it to rearrange. To remove an app from the home screen, long-press it and select "Remove from Home Screen."
On other Android phones (LG, Motorola, OnePlus), the process is usually similar: long-press an app icon or an empty area, then drag to move or select an option to remove. If you're unsure, try long-pressing an app icon first—most Android phones respond to that gesture.
How to change your Windows desktop and taskbar
On Windows, your "home screen" is your desktop and taskbar. To pin your most-used apps to the taskbar (the bar at the bottom of your screen), right-click any app icon and select "Pin to taskbar." That app will now appear on your taskbar for quick access. To unpin it, right-click the icon again and select "Unpin from taskbar."
To rearrange apps already pinned to your taskbar, right-click the taskbar itself, select "Taskbar settings," and look for an option to customize the order. On some Windows versions, you can straightforward drag pinned icons left or right to reorder them directly on the taskbar.
To change your desktop background, right-click an empty area of your desktop and select "Personalize" or "Customize." Choose "Background" and pick a new image, color, or slideshow. You can also rearrange the Start menu by dragging tiles (app shortcuts) to new positions, or unpin tiles by right-clicking them and selecting "Unpin from Start."
Creating multiple home screen pages to organize apps
Both iPhone and Android let you create multiple home screen pages. On iPhone, while in edit mode (long-press an empty area), you'll see dots at the bottom representing each page. Swipe left to see the last page, then tap the plus sign to add a new page. Drag apps to this new page to organize them by category—for example, one page for social apps, another for productivity, another for games.
On Android, swiping right from your home screen usually shows you additional pages. To add a new page, long-press an empty area and look for an option to add a page, or straightforward drag an app to the far right edge of your current page to create a new one automatically. This keeps your main home screen clean while keeping less-used apps within reach.
Using folders to group similar apps
Both iPhone and Android support folders. On iPhone, drag one app icon onto another app icon (while in edit mode) to create a folder. A folder name will appear—you can accept it or type a custom name. Keep dragging apps into the folder to add more. On Android, the process is similar: long-press an app and drag it onto another app to create a folder, then add more apps by dragging them in.
Folders are useful when you have many apps in the same category. For example, you might create a folder called "Social" containing Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or a "Finance" folder with your banking and investment apps. This reduces clutter on your home screen while keeping related apps together.
What happens to apps when you remove them from your home screen
Removing an app from your home screen does not delete it from your device. The app remains installed and fully functional—you just won't see it on your home screen anymore. On iPhone, you can still find it by searching (swipe down and type the app name) or by opening the App Library (swipe to the rightmost home screen page). On Android, the app stays in your app drawer (accessible by swiping up or tapping the app grid icon).
If you want to actually delete an app from your phone, you'll need to take a separate step: on iPhone, long-press the app icon and select "Remove App," then choose "Delete App." On Android, long-press the app and select "Uninstall," or go to Settings > Apps and find the app there. Removing from the home screen is just hiding it; uninstalling removes it entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo changes I made to my home screen?
There is no "undo" button for home screen changes. However, you can manually move apps back to their original positions, or on iPhone you can reset your home screen layout by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout. This returns all apps to their default positions.
How do I move an app to a different home screen page?
On iPhone, enter edit mode, then drag the app to the edge of the screen until the next page appears, and drop it there. On Android, long-press the app and drag it to the edge of the screen, or drag it to a new page if your phone shows multiple pages side by side. Some Android phones let you drag an app to the far right to create a new page automatically.
What's the difference between removing an app and deleting it?
Removing an app from your home screen hides it but keeps it installed on your device. Deleting (or uninstalling) an app removes it entirely from your phone. You can always reinstall a deleted app later from your app store, but removing just cleans up your home screen.
Can I change the size of app icons on my home screen?
iPhone does not offer a built-in way to resize individual app icons on the home screen. Android varies by manufacturer—some phones let you pinch-zoom to adjust icon size, while others do not. Check your phone's display or home screen settings to see if this option is available.
How do I add widgets to my home screen?
On iPhone, enter edit mode and tap the plus sign in the top-left corner, then select an app to see its available widgets. On Android, long-press an empty area of your home screen and select "Widgets," then choose a widget and drag it to your home screen. Widgets show live information (weather, calendar, news) without opening the full app.