The fastest 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. A small minus sign will appear in the corner of each app. Tap the minus sign on any app you want to remove from the home screen — it will move to your App Library instead, not delete from your phone. Tap Done when finished.
To add apps back to your home screen, press and hold an empty area, tap the plus button in the top left, find the app you want, and tap the plus sign next to it. You can also drag apps around while in edit mode by holding and dragging them to a new position. The home screen will shift other apps out of the way automatically.
This process works the same on iPhone 13 and newer. On older models (iPhone 12 and earlier), you press and hold an app, then choose Remove App or Edit Home Screen depending on your iOS version.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon, then tap Edit Home Screen to enter the mode where you can move or remove apps.
- Removing an app from your home screen does not delete it — the app stays in your App Library and you can add it back anytime.
- You can customize which apps appear on your first home screen and in what order by dragging them during edit mode.
- iOS 16 and newer let you customize your lock screen separately from your home screen using the same press-and-hold method.
Changing your home screen wallpaper and colors
To change the background image on your home screen, open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Add New Wallpaper. Choose from built-in collections like Nature, Flowers, or Abstract, or select a photo from your camera roll. Tap the image to preview how it will look, then tap Add at the bottom.
A menu will ask where you want to explore the wallpaper. Tap Home Screen to change only the home screen background, Lock Screen to change only the lock screen, or Both to use the same image for both. iOS will automatically adjust the brightness and color of app labels to match your wallpaper so they stay readable.
On iOS 16 and newer, you can also customize the color and style of the time and date on your lock screen. Open Settings > Wallpaper, tap your current lock screen wallpaper, then tap Customize. You can change the text color, add widgets, and adjust the font style.
Using app folders to organize your home screen
To group related apps into a folder, drag one app on top of another app during edit mode. iOS will automatically create a folder and suggest a category name like Productivity or Games. You can rename the folder by tapping the name field and typing a new name, or accept the suggestion by tapping outside the field.
Drag more apps into the folder by holding and dragging them over the folder icon. The folder will expand to show how many apps it contains. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder in edit mode, press and hold the app, then drag it out onto the home screen. Folders can hold up to nine apps per page, and you can swipe within a folder to see additional pages.
Folders are useful for keeping your first home screen clean while keeping frequently used apps within one tap. For example, you might create a folder called Finance for your banking and investment apps, or a folder called Travel for maps and booking apps.
Setting up multiple home screen pages
Your iPhone can hold multiple home screen pages. To see all your pages at once, pinch outward with two fingers on your home screen, or swipe left and right to move between pages one at a time. Each page can hold a different set of apps and a different wallpaper if you want.
To add a new page, pinch outward to see all pages, then tap the plus button that appears at the bottom. To remove a page, pinch outward, press and hold the page you want to delete, then tap Remove Page. Any apps on that page will move to your App Library.
You can also reorder your pages by pinching outward and dragging pages left or right. Many people keep their most-used apps on the first page and organize other pages by category — for example, one page for entertainment apps, another for productivity, and another for games.
Hiding pages and using the App Library
If you have pages you do not use often, you can hide them so they do not appear when you swipe. Pinch outward to see all pages, press and hold the page you want to hide, then tap Hide Page. The page will still exist and your apps will stay on it, but you will not see it when swiping through your home screen.
The App Library is a separate screen that automatically organizes all your apps by category — Social, Productivity, Health, Games, and so on. Swipe all the way to the right past your last home screen page to reach the App Library. You can search for an app by typing its name, or tap a category to see all apps in that group.
Many people remove less-used apps from their home screen pages and rely on the App Library to find them. This keeps your home screen focused on the apps you use daily. You can still open any app from the App Library just as quickly as from your home screen.
Customizing your lock screen with widgets and shortcuts
On iOS 16 and newer, you can add small widgets and shortcuts directly to your lock screen. Press and hold your lock screen wallpaper, then tap Customize. Tap the plus button at the bottom to add a widget — options include weather, calendar, reminders, fitness activity, and others depending on your installed apps.
Tap a widget to choose its size and style, then tap Add. You can add up to four widgets to your lock screen. Widgets on the lock screen show live information without unlocking your phone — for example, the weather widget shows the current temperature, and the calendar widget shows your next event.
You can also add shortcuts to your lock screen. A shortcut is a quick action like turning on the flashlight, starting a timer, or opening a specific app. Tap the plus button, scroll down to Shortcuts, choose the action you want, and tap Add. Lock screen shortcuts appear as icons you can tap without unlocking your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing an app from my home screen delete it from my iPhone?
No. Removing an app from your home screen only hides it from view. The app stays installed on your phone and appears in your App Library. You can add it back to your home screen anytime by opening the App Library, finding the app, and tapping the plus sign next to it.
Can I have different wallpapers on different home screen pages?
No. Your wallpaper applies to all home screen pages at once. However, you can change your lock screen wallpaper separately from your home screen wallpaper, so you can have two different images on your phone.
How do I get my home screen back to the default layout?
Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout. This will move all your apps back to their original positions and remove any folders you created. Your apps will not be deleted.
What is the difference between the home screen and the App Library?
Your home screen is where you choose which apps appear and in what order. The App Library is an automatic, organized view of all your apps sorted by category. You can hide apps from your home screen and still find them in the App Library.
Can I customize the size of app icons on my home screen?
No. All app icons on your home screen are the same size. However, you can create larger icons using the Shortcuts app to open apps with custom icons, or you can use widgets which come in different sizes and show live information.