The fastest way to rearrange your iPhone home screen
To change your 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 create new pages by dragging an icon to the right edge. When you are finished, tap Done in the top right corner.
This method works on iPhone running iOS 16 and later. If you have an older version, you can still rearrange apps by pressing and holding an icon until it enters edit mode, then dragging it to a new spot — but you will not see the Edit Home Screen button. The process is otherwise the same.
You can also add widgets, change your lock screen appearance, and organize apps into folders using the same long-press method. Each of these changes happens in real time, so you see the result when ready.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon, then tap Edit Home Screen to enter rearrangement mode on iOS 16 and later.
- Drag icons anywhere on the current page or to the right edge to create a new page without deleting the apps.
- Tap Done when finished, or press the back arrow to exit without saving changes.
- You can also customize your lock screen, add widgets, and create app folders using the same long-press method.
- Removing an app from the home screen does not delete it — you can still find it in the App Library or by searching.
How to move apps to different positions
Once you enter edit mode by pressing and holding an icon and tapping Edit Home Screen, each icon shows a small minus sign in the top left corner. Drag any icon to move it left, right, up, or down on the same page. The other icons shift out of the way automatically.
To move an app to a different page, drag it to the right edge of the screen. A new page will appear, and you can drop the icon there. You can also drag an icon from a later page back to an earlier one by dragging it to the left edge.
If you want to undo a move before tapping Done, straightforward drag the icon back to its original spot. Once you tap Done, all changes are saved and you exit edit mode.
Removing apps from your home screen without deleting them
In edit mode, tap the minus sign on any app icon. A menu will appear with two options: Remove from Home Screen or Remove App. Choose Remove from Home Screen to keep the app on your phone but hide it from the home screen. The app will move to your App Library, which you can access by swiping to the rightmost page.
If you choose Remove App, you will be asked whether to Remove from Home Screen Only or Delete App. Selecting Delete App removes it from your phone entirely, but you can reinstall it later from the App Store.
Most people prefer to remove apps from the home screen rather than delete them, since the App Library keeps them organized by category and you can still search for them by name.
Creating folders to organize your apps
Drag one app icon directly on top of another app icon while in edit mode. The two apps will automatically create a folder, and iOS will suggest a category name based on the app types. You can accept the suggestion or tap the name field to type your own folder name.
Once the folder exists, you can drag more apps into it by dragging them onto the folder icon. You can also drag apps out of a folder by opening it, pressing and holding an app inside, and dragging it to the home screen.
Folders help reduce clutter on your home screen. You can create as many as you need, and each folder can hold dozens of apps.
Adding widgets to your home screen
Press and hold an empty area of your home screen (not on an app icon) and tap the plus sign in the top left corner. A list of apps that offer widgets will appear. Select an app, choose which widget size you want, and tap Add Widget. The widget will appear on your home screen.
Widgets show live information without opening the app — for example, a weather widget shows the current temperature, or a calendar widget shows your next event. You can resize most widgets by pressing and holding them in edit mode and dragging the resize handle in the bottom right corner.
Not all apps offer widgets. If an app you use does not appear in the widget list, it may not support them yet.
Customizing your lock screen appearance
Press and hold your lock screen (the screen you see when you wake your phone) to enter lock screen edit mode. Tap Customize at the bottom. From here you can change the wallpaper, add widgets to the lock screen, and adjust the color and style of the clock and date display.
Lock screen widgets are smaller than home screen widgets and show only essential information. You can add up to four widgets to your lock screen by tapping the plus sign and selecting an app.
Changes to your lock screen save automatically when you tap outside the customization area or press the home button.
Resetting your home screen to default layout
If you want to start over, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset and tap Reset Home Screen Layout. This will return all apps to their original positions and remove any custom folders or page arrangements you created.
This action does not delete any apps or data — it only resets the visual layout. All your apps remain on your phone and in the App Library.
You can also manually rearrange everything back to how it was by moving apps one at a time, which gives you more control if you only want to change part of your layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have different home screen layouts on different pages?
Yes. Each page can have a completely different arrangement of apps and widgets. You can organize one page by category, another by frequency of use, and another with only widgets. Swipe between pages to see them all.
What happens if I delete an app by accident?
You can reinstall it from the App Store. Search for the app by name, tap the cloud icon with a down arrow, and it will read again. Your data inside the app may be restored if you signed in with an account.
Can I move the dock apps at the bottom of my screen?
Yes. Press and hold the dock area and tap Edit Home Screen. You can then drag dock apps to different positions or replace them with other apps. The dock holds up to six apps on most iPhones.
Do I need to be connected to Wi-Fi to rearrange my home screen?
No. Home screen changes happen entirely on your phone and do not require an internet connection. However, if you use iCloud to sync your settings across devices, changes may take a few minutes to appear on your other Apple devices.
Can I hide the App Library?
No, but you can prevent new apps from automatically adding themselves to your home screen. Go to Settings > App Store and turn off Offload Unused Apps and Add to Home Screen. New apps will then go directly to the App Library.