The fastest way to rearrange your iPhone home screen
To change your home screen on an iPhone, 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 removing them from your phone), or create new pages by dragging an icon to the right edge. When you're done, press the back arrow or tap outside the menu to save your changes.
This method works on iPhone models running iOS 16 and newer. If you have an older iPhone, you'll use a slightly different process: press and hold an app, tap Edit Home Screen from the menu that appears, then drag icons around. The core steps are the same — hold, edit, drag, save.
You don't need to use the Settings app or any special tool. Everything happens directly on the home screen itself, and changes take effect when ready.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon, then tap Edit Home Screen to enter editing mode on any recent iPhone.
- Drag icons to new positions, or drag them to the right edge of the screen to create a new home screen page.
- Remove an app from your home screen by tapping the minus button that appears when you hold it — this keeps the app on your phone but hides it from the home screen.
- You can also change the appearance of your home screen by creating custom app icons or using widgets, which display live information without opening the app.
- Press the back arrow or tap outside the editing area when you're finished to lock in your changes.
How to move apps to different positions
Once you're in Edit Home Screen mode, moving an app is straightforward. Hold your finger on the icon you want to move, then drag it to the spot where you want it to go. Other icons will shift out of the way automatically. You can move apps within the same page or drag them to a different page by moving them toward the right edge of the screen.
If you want to move multiple apps at once, you can pick up one icon and then tap other icons while still holding the first one — this lets you move several apps together as a group. This is useful if you're reorganizing an entire section of your home screen.
Creating new home screen pages and organizing by category
Your iPhone can hold multiple home screen pages. To create a new page, drag any app to the right edge of the screen while in Edit Home Screen mode. A new blank page will appear, and the app will land on it. You can then add more apps to that page or leave it mostly empty if you prefer.
Many people organize their home screens by category — one page for productivity apps, another for entertainment, another for utilities. This makes it faster to find what you need. You can also hide entire pages by tapping the dots at the bottom of the screen (in Edit Home Screen mode) and unchecking the pages you don't want to see on your home screen, though the apps remain on your phone and accessible through Spotlight search or the App Library.
Removing apps from your home screen without deleting them
If you want to clean up your home screen but keep an app on your phone, press and hold the app icon and tap Remove App. A menu will appear asking whether you want to Remove from Home Screen or Remove App. Choose Remove from Home Screen to keep the app installed — it will move to your App Library, which you can access by swiping to the rightmost page of your home screen.
The App Library organizes your apps automatically by category, so you can still find them later without cluttering your home screen. If you change your mind, you can add the app back to your home screen by finding it in the App Library, pressing and holding it, and tapping Add to Home Screen.
Using widgets and custom app icons to personalize your home screen
Beyond moving and removing apps, you can change how your home screen looks by adding widgets — small windows that show information from an app without opening it. For example, a weather widget displays the current temperature, or a calendar widget shows your next appointment. To add a widget, press and hold an empty area of your home screen, tap the plus button in the bottom left, select an app, and choose which widget you want to add.
You can also customize the appearance of individual app icons using the Shortcuts app. This involves creating a shortcut that opens an app but displays a custom image instead of the app's original icon. This is more involved than moving apps, but it lets you create a home screen that looks completely different from the default layout. Many people use this to match a color scheme or create a themed home screen.
Locking your home screen to prevent accidental changes
If you've arranged your home screen the way you want it and don't want to accidentally move things around, you can lock it. Press and hold an empty area of your home screen, tap Edit Home Screen, then look for the lock icon (usually in the top left or bottom of the screen). Tap it to lock your home screen. Once locked, you won't be able to move or remove apps unless you unlock it again using the same method.
This is especially useful if you share your phone with someone else or if you tend to accidentally drag icons while scrolling. You can unlock it at any time by following the same steps.
Troubleshooting common home screen problems
If you can't enter Edit Home Screen mode, make sure you're pressing and holding long enough — it usually takes about a second for the menu to appear. If nothing happens, try restarting your iPhone by turning it off and back on, then try again.
If apps keep moving back to their original positions, your home screen may be locked. Check the lock icon in Edit Home Screen mode and unlock it if needed. If you're trying to add a widget and don't see the option, make sure the app you want supports widgets — not all apps have them. You can also check the App Store page for that app to see if widgets are listed as a feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rearrange my home screen on older iPhones?
Yes. On iPhones running iOS 15 and earlier, press and hold an app icon until a menu appears, then tap Edit Home Screen. The process is nearly identical to newer iPhones — you drag icons to move them and press the back arrow when done. The main difference is that some newer customization options like widgets may be more limited on older models.
What's the difference between removing an app from the home screen and deleting it?
Removing an app from the home screen keeps it on your phone but hides it from view — you can still find it in the App Library or by searching. Deleting an app removes it completely from your phone. To remove without deleting, tap Remove from Home Screen. To delete entirely, tap Remove App and then Delete App.
Can I have different home screen layouts on different pages?
Yes. Each page can have a completely different layout. You might have one page with large widgets, another with tightly packed app icons, and another with just a few frequently used apps. Organize each page however works best for you — there's no rule about consistency.
How do I add widgets to my home screen?
Press and hold an empty area of your home screen, tap the plus button in the bottom left corner, select the app whose widget you want, choose the widget size and style, then tap Add Widget. Widgets show live information like weather, calendar events, or news headlines without opening the app.
Why won't my apps move when I drag them?
Your home screen is probably locked. Press and hold an empty area, tap Edit Home Screen, and look for a lock icon. Tap it to unlock, then try moving your apps again. If that doesn't work, restart your iPhone and try once more.