To move apps on iPhone, touch and hold an empty spot on the Home Screen until the apps jiggle, then drag an app where you want it. You can put apps anywhere on the page, including the top, bottom or sides, or drag them to another page. Tap the background when you’re done. To start over, reset the layout in Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
This guide covers moving one app, moving several at once, using the Dock and other pages, the App Library, rearranging pages, and resetting the Home Screen. The steps come from Apple’s Move apps and widgets on the iPhone Home Screen guide (iOS 27) and its Organize the Home Screen and App Library article.
How to Move an App
- Go to the Home Screen.
- Touch and hold the background until the apps start to jiggle.
- Drag the app to a new spot, including the top, bottom or side of the screen.
- To move it to another page, drag it to the right edge of the screen and wait a moment for the next page to appear.
- Tap the background, or press the Home button on an iPhone that has one, when you’re done.
Result: the app stays where you dropped it. Apple notes that each Home Screen page can have its own layout, and the dots at the bottom show how many pages you have. If the icons are hard to see, see how to make apps bigger on iPhone.
Start from the app instead
There is a second way in: touch and hold the app icon, choose Edit Home Screen from the menu, drag the icon, then tap Done.
Move several apps at once
You can start dragging one app with one finger, then tap other app icons with another finger to stack them, and move the whole group to a new spot or page together.
Move apps into or out of the Dock
While the icons are jiggling you can drag an app down into the Dock, or drag a Dock app up onto the Home Screen. It also notes that dragging an app past your last page creates a new page, and moving every app off a page removes it.
Use the App Library to Clear the Home Screen
You don’t have to keep every app on a Home Screen page. Apple’s steps:
- Remove from Home Screen: touch and hold the app, tap Remove App, then tap Remove from Home Screen. The app stays installed in the App Library.
- Bring it back: in the App Library (swipe left past your last page), touch and hold the app, swipe left while holding it, place it on the Home Screen, then tap Done.
- Choose where new apps go: open Settings > Home Screen & App Library and pick Add to Home Screen or App Library Only.
Rearrange, Hide or Remove Whole Pages
- Touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen.
- Tap the dots near the bottom of the screen.
- Touch and hold a page to drag it to a new position, or tap the circle under a page to hide it.
- Tap Done.
Result: your pages appear in the new order, and hidden pages stay out of the way until you turn them back on. Apple says that if you remove a page instead, its apps still appear in the App Library.
Find and Unhide a Missing iPhone App
For an app removed only from the Home Screen, swipe left past the last page to App Library, tap its search field and enter the app’s name. Touch and hold the found icon, then choose Add to Home Screen if offered, or drag it onto your desired Home Screen page and finish with Done or the background. Check that it opens there. The same basic App Library route works on an iPhone 12, 15 or 16 with compatible software; the model name alone does not identify the installed iOS layout. To restore an entire hidden page, enter Home Screen edit mode, tap the page dots, check the circle under the missing page and finish. These actions restore icons without reinstalling the apps.
For an app deliberately hidden using the authenticated feature introduced in iOS 18, ordinary search may not find it. Open App Library > Hidden at the bottom and authenticate. Touch and hold the intended app, choose Don’t Require Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode as offered, and authenticate again. Apple’s app-hiding guide says the app returns near the top of App Library. Then add or drag it to the Home Screen using the preceding steps and check that it opens. This removes the app’s hidden/locked requirement; opening it once from Hidden alone does not unhide it. Older iOS lacks this Hidden folder, and family or managed-device restrictions can limit availability.
A hidden App Store purchase is different. In App Store, tap your photo or account button, tap your name on the account page and authenticate if asked, then open Hidden Purchases and choose Unhide for the app. Apple’s purchase-list guide explains that an already deleted app must then be redownloaded; Unhide does not reinstall it automatically. Use the same Apple Account and confirm the app remains available and compatible. A cloud symbol can instead indicate an offloaded app: tapping it redownloads the app while retained data can remain. Deleting, offloading, hiding an icon and hiding a purchase have different effects.
If the app still seems absent, swipe down on the Home Screen to search its name, check App Library and iPhone Storage, and inspect any Screen Time app or age-rating restriction you are authorized to change. Search visibility can also be controlled per app under its Siri/Search settings, whose location varies by iOS; changing that does not unhide an authenticated Hidden app. For deleted apps, search the App Store for the official publisher and redownload if available. Review Settings > Apps > App Store > Offload Unused Apps on the newer layout, or the older App Store settings, if automatic offloading keeps recurring. Keep a needed app installed and check that the restored icon opens it; reinstalling does not guarantee recovery of deleted local data.
How to Reset the Home Screen Layout
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General, then tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset, tap Reset Home Screen Layout, then tap Reset Home Screen.
Result: per Apple, any folders you created are removed, and apps you downloaded are arranged alphabetically after the apps that came with your iPhone. This is a one-time reset, not a setting that keeps apps in alphabetical order.
Move an App Out of a Folder or Reset an Older iPhone
To move Contacts or another app out of a folder, open the folder, touch and hold the app, and choose Edit Home Screen if that menu appears. Once the icons jiggle, drag the app outside the folder onto the Home Screen; hold it near the screen edge if you need another page. Tap Done, tap the background, or press the Home button as appropriate for your version. Check that the icon is now outside the folder. This moves the app without uninstalling it.
On older iOS versions that do not show Transfer or Reset iPhone, open Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout, then confirm Reset Home Screen. This is the older route documented in our original iPhone 5 and iPhone 7 tutorials. It removes your folder organization and returns the app layout to its default order, with downloaded apps afterward alphabetically; it does not delete the apps or their files. Choose the Home Screen option specifically, rather than Reset All Settings or Erase All Content and Settings.
Customize Wallpaper, Folders, Widgets and App Icons
For wallpaper, open Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper, choose a photo or another available design, adjust it and tap Add. Choose Set as Wallpaper Pair for both screens, or Customize Home Screen for a separate photo, color or blur. Check the Home Screen afterward. Apple explains these wallpaper choices. Changing the background does not rearrange your apps.
To make a folder, hold an empty area until the apps jiggle, then drag one app onto another and add the other intended apps. Finish with Done. To rename it, hold the folder, choose Rename, enter its name and finish. Open it to check its contents. To undo the folder grouping, enter edit mode and drag its apps back to the Home Screen; an empty folder disappears. Apple documents folder organization. The App Library keeps its own organization.
For a widget, hold the Home Screen background until the apps jiggle, then use Edit > Add Widget. Search or browse for the app, choose an available size, tap Add Widget, position it and tap Done. On an older layout, the plus button opens the gallery directly. Hold an added widget > Edit Widget when available to choose its information; hold it > Remove Widget to undo the addition. Check the displayed information. Apple’s widget guide covers the current controls.
To change built-in icon appearance on supported current software, enter Home Screen edit mode and choose Edit > Customize, then choose an offered size, Dark, Auto, Clear or Tinted appearance. Inspect the result; larger icons can hide app names. Apple describes these appearance options. Return to Customize to restore your preferred style. Older software may not offer these controls.
For an individual custom-photo launcher, open Shortcuts, tap +, name the shortcut, and use Add Action or the action search to find Open App. Add it, tap its App field and select the intended installed app. Finish and run it to confirm it opens that app. Then open the shortcut’s edit/details controls > Add to Home Screen. In Home Screen Name and Icon, tap the icon > Choose Photo, select your image, set the label and tap Add. Apple explains creating shortcuts and adding a custom Home Screen icon. Tap the new launcher to check it. This adds a shortcut; it does not replace the installed app’s icon or reproduce its notification badge. Keep the original app installed.
Create and Rename a Folder on an Older iPhone 5
In the historical iPhone 5/iOS 7 layout, touch and hold an app until the icons jiggle, then drag it onto another app to create a folder. Open the folder while editing, tap its name, use the small x beside the name to clear it if needed, and type the label you want. That text-field x is different from the app-deletion x on an icon. Press the Home button to finish, then reopen the folder and check its name and apps. Add more apps by dragging them into the folder in edit mode, or drag them out to undo the grouping; an empty folder disappears. Current iPhones also offer the Rename menu described above, following Apple’s folder instructions. A Home Screen folder organizes icons without uninstalling the apps or combining their data.
Move Apps and Make Folders on iPad
On iPad, touch and hold the Home Screen background until its icons jiggle, or use an app’s Edit Home Screen menu when offered. Drag an app to its new position; hold it near the right edge to move it to another page. Drag one app onto another to make a folder, add the intended apps and edit the folder’s name. Finish with Done, or the Home button on an older layout, then open the app and folder to check the arrangement. Apple documents the iPad move controls. Drag an app back out in edit mode to reverse folder grouping. This changes Home Screen organization rather than app data or installation. iPad does not have the iPhone’s historical 3D Touch feature, so pressing harder is unnecessary; wait for edit mode or choose its menu command.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing an app from the Home Screen delete it?
No. Remove from Home Screen only moves it to the App Library. To uninstall it, choose Delete App instead.
Can I move apps with VoiceOver?
Yes. Select the app, double-tap and hold until you hear three rising tones, drag to the new spot, release, and then select Done.
More iPhone Guides
Can’t find an app to move? App Library sorts every installed app into categories. See how to browse for apps by category on an iPhone.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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