What you can change on your home screen
Your home screen is the first thing you see when you unlock your device. On most phones and computers, you can rearrange the icons, remove apps you don't use, add widgets that show live information, and change the background image. The exact steps depend on whether you use iPhone, Android, or Windows, but the goal is the same: arrange your screen so the apps and information you use most are easiest to reach.
Changing your home screen does not affect how your device works or what data is stored. It is purely visual — you are deciding what appears where. This matters for privacy because you can hide apps you do not want visible, move banking or health apps to a less obvious spot, or remove shortcuts to services you have stopped using.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, press and hold an empty area of the home screen, tap the plus button, and choose which apps or widgets to add.
- On Android, long-press the home screen, tap Widgets, and drag the widget you want onto your screen.
- You can remove an app icon from your home screen without deleting the app itself — it stays in your app drawer or app library.
- Changing your background image is separate from rearranging icons and works differently on each platform.
- Widgets show live information like weather or calendar events without opening the full app, and you control which ones appear.
How to rearrange icons on iPhone
On iPhone, press and hold any app icon until a menu appears. Tap "Edit Home Screen" at the bottom of the menu. The icons will start to jiggle, which means you can now drag them to new positions. Drag an icon to move it left, right, or to a different row. To move an icon to a different page, drag it to the edge of the screen and hold it there until the next page appears, then drop it.
To remove an icon from your home screen without deleting the app, press and hold the icon and tap "Remove App." Choose "Remove from Home Screen" — this keeps the app on your iPhone but moves it to the App Library, where you can still find it by searching. If you choose "Delete App," the app is removed from your device entirely.
When you are finished moving icons, press the home button or swipe up from the bottom to exit edit mode. The icons will stop jiggling and lock into place.
How to rearrange icons on Android
On Android, the process varies slightly depending on your phone manufacturer and which launcher you use, but the basic method is the same. Long-press any app icon until a menu appears. Tap "Edit home screen" or "Customize." The icons will now be movable. Drag an icon to a new position on the current page, or drag it to the edge to move it to another page.
To remove an icon from your home screen, long-press it and look for an option that says "Remove from home screen" or a trash icon. Tap that option. The app remains on your phone in your app drawer — you have only removed the shortcut from the home screen. If you want to delete the app entirely, long-press it and tap "Uninstall," then confirm.
Some Android phones let you create folders on your home screen. Long-press an icon, drag it onto another icon, and they will combine into a folder. You can then drag more icons into that folder to organize related apps together.
How to add and remove widgets
Widgets are small windows that show live information — weather, calendar events, news headlines, or your to-do list — without opening the full app. On iPhone, press and hold an empty area of your home screen, tap the plus button in the bottom left, search for or scroll to the app you want a widget from, and tap it. Choose the widget size and design you prefer, then tap "Add Widget." It will appear on your home screen.
On Android, long-press an empty area of your home screen and tap "Widgets." Scroll through the list, long-press the widget you want, and drag it onto your home screen. Position it where you want it and release. Some widgets let you customize what information they show — for example, a calendar widget might let you choose which calendar to display.
To remove a widget, press and hold it until a menu appears. On iPhone, tap "Remove Widget" and confirm. On Android, tap "Remove" or drag the widget to a trash icon if one appears. Removing a widget does not delete the app — it only removes the widget from your home screen.
How to change your background image
On iPhone, open Settings, tap "Wallpaper," then tap "Add New Wallpaper." You can choose from Apple's built-in collections, use a photo from your camera roll, or search for a specific style. Select the image, choose how it should look on your lock screen and home screen, and tap "Set." You can set different images for your lock screen and home screen, or use the same image for both.
On Android, long-press an empty area of your home screen and tap "Wallpapers" or "Wallpaper." You will see options to choose from your phone's built-in wallpapers or your own photos. Select an image, preview it, and tap "Set Wallpaper" or "explore." Some Android phones let you set different wallpapers for your lock screen and home screen separately.
On Windows, right-click an empty area of your desktop and select "Personalize." Click "Background" on the left, then choose a background type — solid color, picture, or slideshow. If you choose "Picture," browse to select an image from your computer. Click "Choose photo" and navigate to the file you want.
What happens when you move or hide apps
Moving an app icon or removing it from your home screen does not change how the app works or what permissions it has. It is only a visual change. The app still runs in the background if you have given it permission to do so, and it still stores data the way it always has.
Hiding an app from your home screen can make your device feel less cluttered and can prevent accidental taps. However, if you want to truly prevent an app from running or accessing your data, you need to go to your device settings and disable the app or change its permissions — straightforward removing the icon from your home screen is not enough. For more information on controlling app permissions, refer to the guide on locking down your device settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo changes if I move something by mistake?
Yes. On iPhone, you can press and hold the home screen again and move icons back to where they were. On Android, the same applies — long-press and drag to reposition. There is no "undo" button, but you can always move things back manually. If you deleted an app by mistake, you can reinstall it from the App Store or Google Play Store.
What is the difference between removing an app and removing it from the home screen?
Removing an app icon from your home screen only hides the shortcut — the app stays on your phone and you can still find it by searching or in your app drawer. Deleting or uninstalling an app removes it from your phone entirely. You can always reinstall it later from your app store.
Can I have different home screens on my phone?
Yes. Both iPhone and Android let you swipe left and right to move between multiple home screen pages. You can organize apps across different pages — for example, keeping work apps on one page and games on another. On iPhone, you can also hide entire pages by pressing and holding the home screen, tapping the dots at the bottom, and unchecking the pages you do not want to see.
Do widgets use more battery than regular app icons?
Widgets that update frequently — like weather or stock tickers — can use slightly more battery than static icons because they refresh their information regularly. If battery life is a concern, you can remove widgets you do not check often or choose widgets that update less frequently. The difference is usually small unless you have many widgets updating at once.
Can I lock my home screen so icons do not move by accident?
On iPhone, you cannot lock the home screen directly, but you can enable Guided Access in Settings under Accessibility to restrict what can be changed. On Android, some launchers and phones offer a "Lock Home Screen" option in settings — check your phone's home screen settings menu. If your phone does not have this option, you can use a third-party launcher that includes this feature.