To edit your Apple Home Screen, you initiate a special "jiggle mode" that allows you to rearrange, delete, add, and customize apps and widgets. This process provides extensive control over your device's interface, allowing for a personalized and efficient layout.
Getting Started: Enter Home Screen Editing Mode
The fundamental step to modifying your Home Screen is to activate the editing mode:
- Touch and hold the Home Screen background (an empty area or an app icon).
- Continue holding until the app icons begin to jiggle. This indicates you are in editing mode.
Once in this mode, you'll see various options appear, including "Done" at the top right and often a "+" button at the top left for adding widgets.
Essential Home Screen Customizations
Once in jiggle mode, you gain access to several editing capabilities:
- Rearrange Apps and Widgets:
- Move: Drag an app icon or widget to a new position on the current screen, or drag it to the edge of the screen to move it to an adjacent Home Screen page.
- Create Folders: Drag one app icon on top of another to create a new folder. You can then name the folder and drag more apps into it.
- Delete Apps:
- Tap the "minus" (-) button that appears on the top-left corner of an app icon.
- Select "Delete App" to remove it from your device, or "Remove from Home Screen" to send it to the App Library without deleting it.
- Add Widgets:
- Tap the "+" button (or "Add Widgets") at the top-left corner of the screen.
- Browse or search for widgets, then choose their size and tap "Add Widget." Drag the new widget to your desired location on the Home Screen.
- Remove Widgets:
- Tap the "minus" (-) button on a widget.
- Select "Remove Widget" to delete it from your Home Screen.
Advanced Customization Options
For deeper visual customization, particularly with newer iOS versions, you can access additional settings after entering jiggle mode:
- While icons are jiggling, tap "Edit" at the top of the screen.
- Then, choose "Customize."
This action typically leads to options for personalizing your wallpaper and its associated elements. While some direct app icon customization (like changing color or tint) might be tied to specific iOS updates or require the use of the Shortcuts app for full control, Apple's interface allows for these possibilities:
| Customization Option | Description | Typical Location/Method |
|---|---|---|
| Change Color | Apply a dominant color tint to app icons or widgets. | "Customize" interface or Shortcuts app (for app icons) |
| Add a Tint | Introduce a subtle color overlay to icons and widgets for a unified look. | "Customize" interface or Shortcuts app |
| Make Larger/Smaller | Adjust the visual size of app icons or widgets. | Home Screen Layout settings or Widget options |
| Remove App Name | Hide the text label beneath app icons for a cleaner appearance. | Specific iOS versions or Shortcuts app |
Organizing App Pages and Layouts
Beyond individual app and widget manipulation, you can also manage your Home Screen pages:
- Hide Home Screen Pages:
- While in jiggle mode, tap the dots above the Dock (representing your Home Screen pages).
- Uncheck the circle beneath any page you wish to hide. This moves all apps on that page to the App Library.
- Change Wallpaper:
- Go to Settings > Wallpaper.
- Tap "Add New Wallpaper" or "Customize Current Wallpaper" to select a new image from your photos, a dynamic wallpaper, or a pre-set design. You can also customize the Home Screen wallpaper directly after setting a Lock Screen wallpaper.
For more detailed information on managing your Home Screen, refer to official Apple support resources:
