The quickest way to rearrange your home screen
To change what appears on your iPhone home screen, press and hold any app icon until a menu appears, then tap Edit Home Screen. From there you can drag icons to new positions, delete them from the home screen (without deleting the app itself), or organize them into folders. When you're done, tap Done in the top right corner.
If you want to move multiple apps at once, keep holding one icon after the menu appears—the screen will enter edit mode and all icons become movable. You can then drag any icon to a new spot, including to a different page of your home screen. Dragging an icon to the edge of the screen scrolls to the next page automatically.
To hide an entire page of apps instead of deleting individual ones, press and hold the home screen background (not an icon), swipe left to see all your pages, then tap the dots at the bottom. Uncheck the pages you want to hide. They stay on your phone but won't show on your home screen.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon and select Edit Home Screen to move, delete, or organize apps into folders.
- You can drag icons to different positions or to the edge of the screen to move them to another page.
- Deleting an app from your home screen does not remove it from your iPhone—it just hides it from view.
- Create folders by dragging one app onto another, then name the folder and add more apps to it.
- Hide entire pages of apps by pressing and holding the home screen background and unchecking pages you don't want to see.
Creating and organizing folders
Folders let you group related apps together and reduce clutter on your home screen. To create a folder, press and hold an app icon, tap Edit Home Screen, then drag one app directly onto another app. iOS automatically creates a folder and suggests a category name based on the app types—for example, dragging Mail onto Calendar might create a folder called "Productivity."
You can accept the suggested name or tap the name field and type your own. Once the folder exists, drag additional apps into it by holding them and dragging them onto the folder icon. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder in edit mode, press and hold the app, and drag it out onto the home screen.
Folders appear as a single icon on your home screen, so they're useful for keeping apps you use less often out of sight while keeping them accessible. You can have as many folders as you want, and you can organize them by category, frequency of use, or any system that makes sense to you.
Changing the appearance of your home screen
Beyond rearranging icons, you can change how your home screen looks by using Focus modes and Home Screen pages. A Focus is a custom view that shows only certain apps and allows only specific contacts to reach you. When you set up a Focus, your home screen can automatically switch to a custom page you've set up for that Focus.
To create a Focus, go to Settings > Focus, tap the plus icon, and choose a preset (Work, Personal, Sleep, Fitness, Gaming, or Reading) or create a custom one. After naming your Focus, you can customize which apps and contacts are allowed, then tap Customize Home Screen to choose which home screen page appears when that Focus is active.
This means you can have a work-focused home screen that shows only work apps, and a personal one that shows entertainment and social apps. Switching between them is as straightforward as opening Control Center and tapping your Focus name.
Using widgets and the lock screen
Widgets are small app windows that show live information without opening the full app. You can add widgets to your home screen by pressing and holding an empty area, tapping the plus icon, selecting an app, and choosing which widget size you want. Widgets take up space on your home screen but let you see information at a glance—weather, calendar events, reminders, or news headlines.
Your iPhone lock screen can also display widgets and app shortcuts. Press and hold your lock screen, tap the plus icon, and add widgets or shortcuts that appear above the time. This gives you quick access to information and actions without unlocking your phone.
Widgets and lock screen customization work together with your home screen layout to create a personalized experience. You might put a weather widget on your home screen and a calendar widget on your lock screen, for example.
Resetting your home screen to default
If you've made many changes and want to start fresh, you can reset your home screen layout. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset, then tap Reset Home Screen Layout. This returns all your apps to their original positions and removes any custom organization you've created.
This action does not delete any apps or data—it only resets the visual arrangement. All your apps remain on your phone and in your app library, which is the searchable collection of all your apps accessible by swiping left past your last home screen page.
Finding apps you've hidden or removed from the home screen
If you delete an app from your home screen or hide it, you can still find it in your App Library. Swipe left past your last home screen page to see the App Library, which automatically sorts apps into categories like Productivity, Entertainment, and Utilities. You can search for an app by swiping down and typing its name, or browse by category.
From the App Library, you can drag any app back to your home screen by pressing and holding it and selecting Add to Home Screen. You can also use Spotlight search—swipe down from the top of your home screen and type the app name to open it directly without adding it to your home screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move the app icons to the bottom of my home screen?
Yes. In edit mode, drag any icon to any position on the screen, including the bottom rows. You can also create a folder at the bottom and fill it with frequently used apps, which keeps them accessible without taking up individual spaces.
What happens if I delete an app from my home screen?
Deleting an app from your home screen removes it from view but does not remove it from your iPhone. The app remains in your App Library and can be found by searching or browsing categories. You can add it back to your home screen anytime.
Can I have different home screens for different times of day?
Yes, using Focus modes. Create a Focus for morning, work, evening, or any time period, then customize a home screen page for each one. When you set up that Focus, the corresponding home screen appears automatically.
How do I undo changes I made to my home screen?
There is no undo button for home screen changes. If you want to restore the original layout, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout. Otherwise, you'll need to manually rearrange apps back to where they were.
Can I lock my home screen so apps don't move accidentally?
Not with a lock feature, but you can avoid accidental moves by tapping Done after you finish editing. Once you exit edit mode, icons won't move until you press and hold again and re-enter edit mode.