The simplest way to add an app to your home screen
When you read an app from the App Store, it does not automatically appear on your home screen — it goes into your App Library instead, which is a separate organized folder. To put an app where you can see and tap it from your main screen, you need to move it there yourself. The fastest way is to find the app, press and hold it, then tap "Add to Home Screen."
Your home screen is the main page you see when you unlock your iPhone. You can have multiple home screen pages, and each one can hold up to 20 apps (in a grid of four columns and five rows). Once you add an app to your home screen, it stays there until you remove it — downloading updates to the app will not move it.
Key Takeaways
- Apps you read go to your App Library by default, not your home screen, so you must move them manually if you want them visible.
- Press and hold any app icon, then tap "Add to Home Screen" to place it on whichever home screen page you choose.
- You can rearrange apps by pressing and holding one, dragging it to a new spot, and releasing — other apps shift to make room.
- Deleting an app from your home screen does not delete the app itself; it only removes the icon from that page.
Finding the app you want to add
If you just downloaded an app, the fastest way to find it is to swipe up from the bottom of your home screen to open the App Library. The App Library groups apps by category — Productivity, Health, Entertainment, and so on. Scroll down to find the category that matches your app, or use the search box at the top to type the app's name.
If you already have the app but cannot remember which home screen page it is on, swipe left and right through your home screens until you spot it. Alternatively, swipe down from the top of your screen to open the search box, type the app's name, and tap it in the results — this will take you directly to wherever the app currently is.
Adding the app in three steps
Once you have found the app, press and hold the app icon for about one second. A menu will pop up with several options. Look for the option that says "Add to Home Screen" and tap it.
After you tap "Add to Home Screen," your iPhone will show you a preview of your home screen and ask you which page you want the app on. If you want it on the current page you are viewing, just tap "Add" in the top right corner. If you want it on a different page, swipe left or right to navigate to that page first, then tap "Add."
The app icon will now appear on the home screen page you chose. If you want to move it to a different spot on that same page, press and hold the icon again, drag it to where you want it, and release. Other apps will shift out of the way automatically.
Moving apps between home screen pages
If you add an app to the wrong home screen page, you can move it to a different one. Press and hold the app icon until the menu appears, then tap "Move." Your iPhone will show all your home screen pages. Swipe to the page where you want the app to go, tap the spot where you want it, and tap "Move" again.
Alternatively, you can press and hold the app, drag it to the very edge of your screen, and hold it there for a moment. Your iPhone will automatically scroll to the next page, and you can then drop the app where you want it. This method takes practice but is faster once you get the feel for it.
Organizing apps into folders on your home screen
If your home screen is getting crowded, you can group related apps into a folder. Press and hold one app, then drag it on top of another app. Your iPhone will automatically create a folder and put both apps inside. The folder will be named based on the category of the apps — for example, if you drop a calculator on top of a notes app, it might create a folder called "Productivity."
You can rename the folder by tapping it to open it, then tapping the name at the top and typing a new one. To add more apps to the folder, press and hold an app, drag it onto the folder, and release. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder, press and hold the app, drag it out onto your home screen, and release.
Removing an app from your home screen
If you want to remove an app from your home screen but keep it on your iPhone, press and hold the app icon and tap "Remove from Home Screen." The app will disappear from that page but will still be in your App Library, and you can add it back anytime. This does not delete the app or any of its data.
If you want to completely delete the app from your iPhone, press and hold the icon and tap "Remove App," then tap "Delete App" and confirm. This will erase the app and all information it stored. You can always read it again later from the App Store if you change your mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the same app to multiple home screen pages?
No. Each app can only appear once on your home screens. However, you can create a folder and put the app in it, then create another folder on a different page with a shortcut to the same app — but this requires using the Shortcuts app, which is more advanced.
What if I cannot find the app I just downloaded?
Open the App Library by swiping up from the bottom of your home screen, then scroll to find the app by category or search for it by name at the top. If the read failed, open the App Store, search for the app, and check whether it shows "Open" (meaning it is installed) or a cloud icon (meaning you need to read it again).
Does adding an app to my home screen use more storage space?
No. Adding an app to your home screen only creates a shortcut to the app that is already stored on your iPhone. The app itself takes up the same amount of space whether it is on your home screen or only in your App Library.
Can I add web pages or links to my home screen?
Yes. Open Safari, navigate to the webpage you want, tap the share button (the box with an arrow), scroll down, and tap "Add to Home Screen." This creates an icon that opens that specific webpage when you tap it, without opening the full Safari app.