Customize Your iPhone's Home Screen with These iOS 18 Tips

The formal release of Apple’s iOS 18 Introduced new methods for personalizing your iPhone’s home screen. Instead of having unneeded apps cluttering up space where they shouldn’t be, users can now fully manage how apps are arranged and tailor their home screens to suit individual preferences. From incorporating helpful widgets to rearranging applications or removing those rarely used, tweaking your iPhone home screen allows your device to reflect a bit more uniqueness. Below is an easy-to-follow guide covering all actions you might undertake to enhance both appearance and functionality of your iOS 18 home screen.

Ways to incorporate, modify, and delete widget elements

Widgets offer a handy overview of an app’s data or features, enabling swift access to info and minimizing the necessity to launch the app directly. Strategically placed widgets let you monitor the weather, review your schedule, or manage audio playback—all without initiating the application, thus sparing your thumbs some effort. Everyone appreciates efficient shortcuts, and with iOS 18, adjusting, modifying, or deleting these widgets becomes simpler than ever before, allowing for direct navigation to pertinent details.

To add a widget:

Tap and hold a blank space on your home screen until the application icons begin to wiggle.
Tap the Edit button located in the upper-left corner and choose Add Widget .
Swipe or look through for the widget you desire, then tap on it.
Slide left or right to select a size (a few provide alternative configurations).
Tap Add Widget to position it on your screen.
Move it to your desired location, then tap Done (top right).

To edit a widget:

Tap and hold the widget you wish to modify.
Tap Edit Widget (if available). If Edit Widget If it’s not available, you can scroll through the icons for various placement and layout choices.
Modify settings such as the calendar displayed or the location for the weather forecast. Keep in mind these preferences will vary uniquely across different apps' widgets.

To remove a widget:

Tap and hold the widget.
Tap Remove Widget , then confirm.

How to relocate applications and widgets on your homescreen

Rearranging your home screen apps and widgets has been made effortless with the extensive personalization updates in iOS 18. This straightforward yet handy feature allows you to tailor your iPhone's home screen, making it easier to keep your wallpaper free from cluttered app icons, ensuring your family members’ photos remain visible.

Tap and hold on any app to reveal a menu.
Select Edit Home Screen, You can relocate applications between pages simply by dragging them towards the side of the display.
Tap Done when you're finished.

You can place one application over another to automatically form a folder (for more details, see below).

Ways to personalize applications and widgets on your homescreen

Placing frequently used apps front and center is beneficial; however, achieving a specific design theme might be hampered by standard app icons disrupting the visual harmony. Fortunately, iOS 18 introduces enhanced customization options allowing you to adjust app icon hues as well as modify widget appearances for a cleaner look.

To customize your app icon colors:

Press and hold on the home screen and tap Edit at the top.
Choose Customize to change background colors (like dark, light or a custom color) or apply a different layout.

Keep in mind though that not every app icon has the capability to change colors. Should these methods prove ineffective, you might find yourself stuck with an unusual or stubborn app icon standing out prominently. When this happens, you have the option to conceal the app icon visually, yet retain easy accessibility through the app library.

Ways to secure or conceal an application

Security is a top priority, particularly when it comes to your smartphone. You might have certain apps you want to keep private and for your eyes only. If so, you’ll be happy to know that there are two ways in which you can prevent unwanted eyes on your apps. You can hide or lock an app behind a passcode or Face ID; this prevents unauthorized access and keeps your apps in a Hidden folder. Similarly, you can remove apps entirely from the home screen, still allowing you (and others if they have access) to view them in your App Library.

To lock an app:

Press and hold the application icon you wish to secure on your homescreen.
Select Require Face ID (or using Touch ID or Passcode).
Confirm your selection by pressing Require Face ID (or use Touch ID or enter your passcode).

To hide an app:

Press and hold the application icon you wish to secure on your homescreen.
Select Require Face ID (or using Touch ID or Passcode).
Verify your choice by clicking Confirm Require Face ID (or Fingerprint ID or Passcode)
Tap Conceal and Demand Face ID Verification (or use Touch ID or enter your passcode), then tap Hide App .

Ways to categorize your applications into folders

Folders serve as an excellent method to clean up your home screen and bundle related applications together. For those inclined towards maintaining orderliness, keeping your apps within folders can be quite beneficial.

To create a folder:

Drag one app icon over another, and iOS 18 will automatically create a folder with both.
Tap the name to rename the folder (e.g., “Social” or “Work”).
Drag in additional apps if you want.

To remove a folder:

Remove all applications from inside the folder, and it will vanish when it becomes empty.

Ways to uninstall or erase applications

The challenge is genuine when dealing with excessive apps, and occasionally a thorough cleanup is necessary. When your home screen requires some refreshing, you might consider removing an underused application from sight, or at least relocating it away from your main display.

To take off an application from the home screen (without removing it altogether):

Tap and hold the app icon.
Tap Remove App .
Select Remove from Home Screen .
When you want to use that app, navigate to the App Library (swipe left past your last home page) or swipe down from the top of your home screen to search for it.

To remove an application entirely:

Press and keep your tap on the application icon.
Tap Remove App .
Select Delete App , then confirm.

To download again an app that has been removed:

Open the App Store , look for the application and tap the download icon.

Here are some additional suggestions for customizing your home screen area:

Widgets Smart Stacks: With this feature, you have the ability to merge several widgets into a single stack that you can flip through. Simply place one widget over another of identical dimensions to achieve this.

App Library shortcuts: If you want a cleaner home screen, you can remove most apps and rely on the App Library (swipe all the way left) or the search tool to launch what you need.

Focus mode customization: Each Focus mode can have its own custom home screen. This is a useful tool for separating your work life from your personal life.