After you unbox your new iPhone and go through the setup screens, you'll want to start personalizing it. After all, iPhones generally look the same, and your custom layout is what will make yours stand out. That's why customizing the Home Screen may be essential for many users, and we will be detailing how to do it in this guide.

How to move apps on the iPhone Home Screen

First, start by organizing the apps. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Start by cleaning the phone up by removing apps you no longer need or want. See our guide on uninstalling an app on your iPhone for instructions if you're not sure how to do it.
  2. From the first page of your Home Screen (or any page, for that matter), press and hold anywhere on the screen until you see all the app icons start to wiggle. You'll also see a minus (-) button at the top left of each one, which can be used to remove it quickly.
  3. Alternatively, you can long-press any app and select Edit Home Screen.
  4. Place your finger on the app icon and drag it to where you want it to go on the page.
  5. To move an app to another page, drag it to the edge of the screen on either the right or left and wait. After about a second, the Home Screen will flip to the next page, where you can position it accordingly.
  6. To move an app to the Dock on the bottom, which fits a maximum of four, repeat steps 2 or 3, then drag an app that's currently there to the main Home Screen.
  7. Then drag the new one you want to go in its spot to the Dock.

How to create folders on the iPhone Home Screen

Folders are a neat way to group relevant apps on your Home Screen. Your iPhone app list will get unwieldy fast, so organizing will help you find what you need a lot easier.

  1. To place apps in folders, follow step 2 from the section above, then drag one app icon on top of the other you want to group. iOS will either intelligently name this folder, or one will pop up for you to name. (You can also go into the folder and rename it anytime).
  2. To remove a folder, press and hold on to that folder and select Remove Folder.
  3. To remove an app from that folder, repeat step 2 from the first section, open the folder, and then drag one of the apps anywhere outside the folder box.
    • If there are only two apps, the folder will disappear altogether.
    • If there are more than two apps, the app you chose will simply be removed from the folder and placed on its own.

How to move multiple apps at once on the iPhone Home Screen

Moving multiple apps at the same time can save you time and effort.

  1. You can move app icons in batches, with multiple at once. Follow steps 2 or 3 from the first section.
  2. While the app icons are wiggling, select one of the apps you want to move and start moving it.
  3. At the same time, use a different finger and tap the other apps you want to move. They will stack on top of the first app, with a number appearing at the top left to indicate how many apps have been selected.
  4. Once you have selected them all, continue dragging them to where you want them.
  5. Release your finger, and the apps will appear where you want them to.

How to add widgets to the Home Screen

The iPhone 15's display on a marble tabletop.

To further personalize your iPhone's Home Screen, you can add first- and third-party widgets to view timely information quickly and interact with supported apps. To add widgets to your iPhone's Home Screen, follow the detailed steps in the dedicated guide.

How to change the wallpaper on an iPhone

An iPhone 15 Pro Max held in a hand showing the wallpaper selector.

Changing your iPhone's wallpaper is another way to personalize its Home Screen. This way, you're not limiting your personal style to app and widget arrangement. Instead, you're further reflecting your taste by customizing the background image, which completely impacts your Home Screen's appearance. You can change the iPhone's wallpaper in multiple, different ways, and we've listed the steps you need to follow in the guide we've linked to.

The iPhone Home Screen is highly customizable

As you can see, you can personalize your iPhone's Home Screen in so many ways. These include arranging the apps, creating folders, adding widgets, and changing the wallpaper. You can even set up custom icon packs if you'd like to further customize the experience and show off a unique look. And, as long as you back up your current device, the exact same Home Screen layout should transfer to your iPhone when you restore the backup. This spares you from having to manually set it up every time you upgrade to a new iPhone.