Your iPhone home screen is boring. Here’s how to customize your apps and widgets

Since the release of Apple’s iOS 14 in 2020, you have had the ability to customize your iPhone home screen. So instead of using the boring default design that everyone has, you can create home screen themes filled with your own unique app icons and widgets.

When paired with a custom wallpaper, custom themes can create quite an aesthetic effect. Also, with Focus mode you can design completely unique home screens for different places or times of day.

Setting up these custom app widgets and icons requires two iPhone apps: a lesser-known native app and a free third-party app in the App Store. Read on to learn how to customize your home screen.

To learn more, find out how optimize the performance of your iPhone and seven ways to Android-ify your iPhone.

How to Change Your App Icons on Your iPhone

Apps that live on the home screen have their own logos, but you can use a native iOS feature to change the look of any app icon:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone (it’s already pre-installed).
2. Tap the plus icon in the upper right corner.
3. Select Add action.
4. In the search bar, type Open app and select the Open app stock.
5. Then press Application and select the app you want to customize.
6. Then tap the down-facing arrow next to Open app at top.
7. In the menu, press Add to home screen.
8. Where it says Home screen name and icon, rename the shortcut as desired.
9. Next, go to your web browser of choice and find a new icon image. You can search for something like “Facebook icon aesthetic”. When you find an image you like, save it to your photos.
10. Return to the Shortcuts app and tap the icon under the name and home screen icon. Select Choose a picture and tap the image you just saved. You can zoom in or zoom out on the image. Faucet Picking out.
11. Finally, hit To add.

You now have a personalized app on your phone (it’s actually a bookmark). You can remove the original app from your home screen, but you can easily find it in your app library.

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Customize Widgets on Your iPhone Home Screen

Apps aren’t the only ones that can be customized. With the help of this third-party app, you can also add some flavor to your widgets:

1. Download the Widgetsmith app on your iPhone.
2. In the app, select the size of the widget you want to customize – your options are small, medium and large.
3. Tap the widget to customize it. You can change the font and colors. Go back when you’re done and press to safeguard.
4. Go to your home screen, hold and tap anywhere on the screen.
5. Once you’re in edit mode, tap the plus icon in the top left corner and search for Widgetsmith. Tap the icon.
6. Select the size of the widget you want to add to your home screen and press Add widget.
7. You can change the widget by tapping on the app and selecting Edit Widget. That’s all! Your home screen now has icons of different sizes for a personalized look.

You can create widgets for certain features and applications, including photos, time, date, weather (paid), health, battery, calendar, reminders, tides (paid), and astronomy.