The fastest way to rearrange your home screen
To change your home screen on 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, or move them to other pages. When you're done, tap Done in the top right corner.
This method works on all recent iPhone models running iOS 16 or later. If you have an older iPhone, you may see slightly different options, but the basic process of holding an icon and dragging it remains the same.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon, then tap Edit Home Screen to enter editing mode where you can move, delete, or organize apps.
- You can create multiple home screen pages by dragging an app to the right edge of the screen, and swipe between pages to navigate.
- Deleting an app from your home screen does not remove it from your iPhone—it stays in the App Library and you can search for it anytime.
- You can customize the dock at the bottom of your screen by holding an icon and dragging it down to the dock area.
- iOS 16 and later let you create custom home screen pages with different app layouts, and you can hide entire pages if you want.
Step-by-step: moving and organizing apps
Start by pressing and holding any app icon on your home screen for about one second. A menu will pop up with several options. Tap the pencil icon or the words Edit Home Screen at the bottom of the menu.
Once you're in editing mode, all the app icons will start to jiggle slightly, and a small minus sign appears in the top left corner of each icon. Now you can drag any app to a new spot on the same page. straightforward touch and hold the app, then slide your finger to move it. Other apps will shift out of the way automatically.
To move an app to a different page, drag it toward the right edge of the screen. Your iPhone will automatically scroll to the next page, and you can drop the app there. You can also drag an app to the left edge to move it backward to an earlier page.
When you've arranged everything the way you want, tap Done in the top right corner. The jiggling will stop and your changes are saved.
Creating new home screen pages
You don't have to fit all your apps on one page. To create a new page, enter editing mode by holding an app and tapping Edit Home Screen. Then drag any app toward the right edge of the screen until a new blank page appears. Drop the app on that new page.
You can have as many pages as you want. Swipe left and right on your home screen to move between pages. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see small dots—one for each page. The white dot shows which page you're currently viewing.
If you want to hide a page entirely, enter editing mode and tap the dots at the bottom. A menu will show all your pages with checkmarks next to the ones that are visible. Uncheck any page you want to hide, and it will no longer appear when you swipe. The apps on that page are still on your iPhone—they just won't show on your home screen.
Customizing your dock
The dock is the row of apps at the very bottom of your screen that stays visible no matter which home screen page you're on. You can customize it the same way you customize your home screen.
Press and hold any app icon and tap Edit Home Screen. Now drag any app down to the dock area at the bottom. You can fit up to six apps in the dock on most iPhones. If the dock is full, drag an app out of the dock and onto a home screen page to make room.
The dock is useful for apps you use every day, since they're always one tap away no matter which page you're on.
Removing apps from your home screen
Deleting an app from your home screen is different from deleting it from your iPhone entirely. When you remove an app from the home screen, it stays on your phone in the App Library—you just won't see it on your home screen anymore.
To remove an app, enter editing mode by holding it and tapping Edit Home Screen. Then tap the minus sign in the top left corner of the app icon. A menu will ask if you want to Remove from Home Screen or Remove App. Choose Remove from Home Screen to keep the app on your iPhone but hide it from view.
You can always find the app later by swiping down from the top of your home screen to open search, then typing the app's name. Or open the App Library by swiping to the rightmost page of your home screen.
Using widgets and app stacks
Beyond moving regular app icons, you can also add widgets to your home screen. A widget shows live information from an app without opening it—like weather, calendar events, or news headlines.
To add a widget, press and hold an empty area of your home screen (not an app icon), then tap the plus sign in the top left corner. A menu will show all the apps that offer widgets. Select an app, choose the widget size and style you want, then tap Add Widget.
You can also create an app stack, which is a folder that holds multiple apps in one spot. Drag one app on top of another app, and they'll combine into a stack. Tap the stack to flip through the apps inside it, or swipe up and down to browse them quickly.
Troubleshooting common issues
If you press and hold an app but don't see the Edit Home Screen option, make sure you're not pressing on a folder. Folders have a different menu. Try pressing on a single app icon instead. If the option still doesn't appear, restart your iPhone and try again.
If your apps won't move or the jiggling stops unexpectedly, you may have accidentally tapped Done or tapped outside the editing area. Just press and hold an app again and tap Edit Home Screen to re-enter editing mode.
If you accidentally delete an app from your home screen and can't find it, don't worry. Open the App Library by swiping all the way to the right, or search for the app by swiping down and typing its name. You can drag it back to your home screen from either location.
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 on your iPhone and takes up the same storage space. You can find it anytime by searching for it or opening the App Library. To actually delete an app from your iPhone, you would need to take a different step.
Can I undo changes if I mess up my home screen?
There's no undo button, but you can always rearrange things again. Just press and hold an app, tap Edit Home Screen, and move icons back to where you want them. You can also reset your home screen to its default layout by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout, though this will erase all your customizations.
What's the difference between the home screen and the App Library?
Your home screen is what you see when you unlock your iPhone—the pages with app icons you've arranged. The App Library is an automatically organized collection of all your apps, sorted by category. You can hide home screen pages but still access all your apps through the App Library.
Can I have different home screens on different iPhones?
Your home screen layout is stored in iCloud if you have iCloud Backup turned on. When you set up a new iPhone with the same Apple ID, your home screen arrangement will transfer automatically. You can also manually set up a different layout on each iPhone if you prefer.
Why can't I move certain apps on my home screen?
Some system apps like Phone, Messages, and Settings cannot be removed from your home screen, though you can move them to different positions. If you're having trouble moving a specific app, make sure you're in editing mode (the icons should be jiggling) and try dragging it again.