GV

GeezerVison

The World Wide Web, restored to 800 pixels of glory.

Home|About|Gaming cabinet|Archives|How it works|Starter sites

On this site

  • iMore
  • US
  • RSS
  • iPhone
  • Macs
  • MacBook
  • MacBook Air
  • MacBook Pro
  • Mac Mini
  • iMac
  • macOs
  • iPad
  • iPad Air
  • iPad Mini

This view

  • Original page
  • New address

GeezerVison is showing www.imore.com — Home screen on iPhone: Ultimate guide

This content was produced prior to the launch of iMore Labs. Find out more about Labs.
iOS 13 Home screen
iOS 13 Home screen (Image credit: iMore)
Jump To:
  • Navigate the Home screen
  • Navigation options for iPad
  • Customize the Home screen
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

There are many ways to use your iPhone and iPad. You can add a trackpad keyboard to your iPad and use it as a computer. Or now, you can add some widgets to your iPhone and customize it to your liking. In both cases, you need to have the right Home screen. Knowing where everything is stored, creating your own folders, and even having the right wallpaper can change the way you use and work with your iPhone and iPad.

You might think you know everything about the Home screen, but there's much more to learn. There's Siri, the Today View, and the Control Center. Especially now, with all the new features that iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 brought to the table, there's never been more things to try out. If you want to master your Home screen on iPhone or iPad, here's everything you need to know!

How to navigate the Home screen on iPhone and iPad

12.9-inch iPad Pro

12.9-inch iPad Pro (Image credit: Joseph Keller / iMore)

The Home screen on iPhone and iPad isn't meant to be a destination — a place to store widgets or spend time. It's meant to be a portal to all your apps, both built-in and downloaded from the App Store. Whether you get to those apps by browsing your Home screen pages, by searching with Spotlight, by jumping straight to actions with 3D Touch or Haptic Touch, or by calling up Siri, the Home screen is where it all begins.

  • Understanding how to navigate your Home screen on iPhone and iPad
  • How to get to the Home screen
  • How to switch Home screens
  • How to launch apps from the Home screen
  • How to see quick actions with 3D Touch or Haptic Touch on the Home screen
  • How to quickly switch to open apps from Home screen
  • How to quickly access Spotlight search
  • How to quickly access the Today View widgets from Home screen
  • How to quickly access Notification Center from the Home screen
  • How to quickly access Control Center from the Home screen
  • How to quickly access Siri from the Home screen
  • How to quickly access 'Continuity' apps from the Home screen

Navigation options for iPad

iPad also has some unique navigation options all its own, but keep in mind that iPadOS 14 lacks some things you get in iOS 14, such as Home Screen Widgets.

  • Multitasking compatibility
  • How to use picture-in-picture multitasking
  • How to use slide-over multitasking
  • How to use split screen multitasking
  • How to use Safari split screen multitasking

How to customize the Home screen on iPhone and iPad

How to download iOS 12 public beta 1 to your iPhone or iPad

iPhone Home screen (Image credit: iMore)

Even though you don't spend a lot of time on the Home screen for iPhone and iPad, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take some time to make it your own, including switching up the wallpaper. You can also organize it up to make your apps easier to find, either by moving them around or by creating and putting them into folders.

  • How to use widgets on your iPhone Home screen
  • Best Home Screen Customization apps for iPhone and iPad
  • How to make custom Home page icons for iPhone
  • How to change the wallpaper on your Home screen
  • How to rearrange your apps on iPhone and iPad
  • How to move apps between pages
  • How to move apps to a new Page
  • How to delete apps from your Home screen
  • How to create a folder for apps on your Home screen
  • How to add apps to folders on your Home screen
  • How to remove apps from a folder on your Home screen
  • How to delete a folder from your Home screen
  • How to restore your Home screen to the default layout

Any Home screen questions?

If you have any trouble using your Home screen on iPhone or iPad, or you need more help, drop your questions in the comments below!

Updated October 2020: Updated for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

iOS

HomeKit

○ iOS 14 Review
○ What's new in iOS 14
○ Updating your iPhone ultimate guide
○ iOS Help Guide
○ iOS Discussion

Sergio Velasquez
Sergio Velasquez
Latest in iOS
A person repairing an iPhone
iOS 18 iOS 18 features a new tool to help repair your iPhone
 
 
Glowtime 2024
iOS 18 iOS 18 release date confirmed — Apple Intelligence is closer than you think
 
 
iOS 18 Color tint Home Screen customization
iOS 18 These are the best iPhone apps getting a major iOS 18 update so far
 
 
United Airlines Live Activities
iOS iOS 18 may actually make Live Activities less useful
 
 
ChatGPT on Mac showing breakfast query
iOS 18 Apple reportedly in early talks of investing in OpenAI — just before ChatGPT comes to Siri in iOS 18
 
 
Apple Sports app on iPhone 15 Pro Max
iOS 18 The Apple Sports app will soon offer real-time updates via Live Activities on iPhones running iOS 18
 
 
Latest in How to
iPhone 16 Event Invite It's Glowtime
Apple How to watch the iPhone 16 Glowtime reveal event - tune in for iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max
 
 
macOS Sequoia
Apple Macos Here's how to use Window Tiling on macOS Sequoia
 
 
iPhone 14 with Messages app on home screen
iOS Here's how to add some flair to your messages with new iOS 18 text effects
 
 
watchOS 11
Apple Watch How to pause activity streaks in watchOS 11
 
 
Apple Intelligence Siri on iPhone 15 Pro Max
iOS How to type to Siri on iOS 18 and why it's made me use it more
 
 
Control Center iOS 18
iOS Control Center has been supercharged in iOS 18 — here’s how to get the most from it
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Time to power down for good.
    1
    One more thing… Goodbye from iMore
  2. 2
    Tapo TC73 pan/tilt AI camera is a vision of perfection
  3. 3
    Aqara Smart Video Doorbell G4 review: fast notifications, needs more height
  4. 4
    iFi GO blu review: The best Bluetooth mobile DAC right now
  5. 5
    Jony Ive’s OpenAI hardware device could be his next world-changing design
You are visitor 01402503 — GeezerVison does not store the pages you look up.
Best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.7 or Internet Explorer 6 at 800×600. No cookies required.