How to Customize Your iPhone Home Screen for iPhone 16 Pro Max, 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Plus, 16

Your iPhone 16 is more than just a phone—it’s your personal assistant, camera, gaming device, and connection to friends. But if your home screen is cluttered with apps you never use, it can feel overwhelming. The good news? With iOS 18, you can turn your iPhone into a clean, organized, and stylish tool that works exactly how you want.

In this guide, we’ll walk through 16 easy tips to delete unnecessary apps, add cool widgets, customize shortcuts, and design a home screen that’s both practical and fun. Whether you have the iPhone 16 Pro Max, 16 Pro, 16 Plus, or standard iPhone 16, these steps will work for you!

Getting Started: Why Customize Your Home Screen?

Before we dive in, let’s talk about why you should customize your iPhone:

1. Save Time: Fewer taps to find your favorite apps.
2. Reduce Stress: No more hunting for icons in a mess.
3. Express Yourself: Show off your style with wallpapers, widgets, and colors.
4. Battery Life: Organized setups can help your iPhone run smoother.

Ready? Let’s make your iPhone 16 truly yours!

Step 1: Delete Unused Apps

Why This Matters: Your iPhone comes with apps like Stocks, Apple TV, or Tips that you might never open. Deleting them frees up space and reduces clutter.

How to Do It:

1. Press and hold any app icon on your home screen until all icons start to jiggle.
2. Tap the − (minus) sign on apps you don’t want.
3. Confirm by tapping Delete.

Note: Some apps (like Settings or App Store) can’t be deleted, but you can hide them later.

Pro Tip: If you accidentally delete an app, you can reinstall it from the App Store later.

Step 2: Turn Off Notifications (Temporarily)

Why This Matters: Notifications from apps like Mail or TikTok can distract you from homework or time with friends. Start fresh by silencing them all first!

How to Do It:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. For each app, toggle off Allow Notifications.

Pro Tip: Later, turn notifications back on only for apps you need (like Messages or your calendar).

Step 3: Clean Up Your Home Screen

Why This Matters: Too many apps on your home screen make it hard to find what you need quickly. Let’s simplify!

How to Do It:

1. Enter Jiggle Mode by pressing and holding any app icon.
2. Drag apps you rarely use to the App Library (the page all the way to the right).
3. To delete extra home screen pages:
   • Swipe left or right to find a blank page.
   • Tap the − (minus) sign above the page dots.

Pro Tip: Keep just one home screen page for your most-used apps.

Step 4: Hide the Search Bar

Why This Matters: The search bar at the bottom of your screen takes up space, but you can search by swiping down instead!

How to Do It:

1. Go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library.
2. Under Search, toggle off Show on Home Screen.

Step 5: Customize Your Lock Screen Shortcuts

Why This Matters: The lock screen lets you open apps without unlocking your phone. Replace the default camera shortcut with apps you actually use!

How to Do It:

1. Go to Settings > Wallpaper & Lock Screen.
2. Tap Customize under your current wallpaper.
3. Tap the Camera or Flashlight shortcut at the bottom.
4. Choose a new app (like Lightroom for photos or Spotify for music).

Pro Tip: Use the Shortcuts app to create custom actions (like opening TikTok directly).

Step 6: Master the Camera Control Button

Why This Matters: The iPhone 16’s new Camera Control Button (on the side) lets you take photos or videos faster than ever.

How to Use It:

• Quick Press: Open the camera.
• Long Press: Start recording a video.

Customize It:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
2. Tap Camera Control Button.
3. Assign it to open a different app (like Snapchat or Final Cut Camera).

Step 7: Set a Custom Wallpaper

Why This Matters: A fresh wallpaper makes your iPhone feel brand new and shows off your personality.

How to Do It:

1. Download a wallpaper pack (like Crimson Symmetry – search online for free options!).
2. Go to Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper.
3. Choose your image and adjust the zoom or color filters.

Pro Tip: Use a dark wallpaper to save battery life on OLED screens (iPhone 16 Pro models).

Step 8: Add Widgets to Your Home Screen

Why This Matters: Widgets show live info like weather, calendar events, or music controls without opening apps.

How to Do It:

1. Enter Jiggle Mode (press and hold an app icon).
2. Tap the + (plus) sign in the top-left corner.
3. Browse widgets like Weather, Calendar, or YouTube Music and tap Add Widget.

Stack Widgets to Save Space:

• Drag one widget on top of another to create a stack.
• Swipe up/down to switch between widgets.

Pro Tip: Use the Battery Widget to check your AirPods or Apple Watch charge.

Step 9: Build a Smart Control Center

Why This Matters: The Control Center is your shortcut hub for brightness, volume, screen recording, and more.

How to Customize It:

1. Go to Settings > Control Center.
2. Tap + to add controls like Dark Mode or Screen Recording.
3. Drag and drop icons to arrange them for easy one-handed use.

Example Layout:

• Top Row: Brightness slider, Volume slider, Focus modes.
• Middle Row: Screen recording, Dark Mode, Calculator.
• Bottom Row: Shortcuts to your favorite apps.

Step 10: Organize Your Dock

Why This Matters: The dock is always visible at the bottom of your screen—fill it with apps you use every day!

How to Do It:

1. Drag up to 4 apps to the dock.
2. Example setup:
   • Phone (for calls)
   • Chrome (for browsing)
   • Settings (for quick adjustments)
   • A Social Media Folder (to hide distracting apps)

Pro Tip: Use folders to group similar apps (like Games or School Tools).

Step 11: Silence Social Media Notifications

Why This Matters: Constant alerts from TikTok or Instagram can interrupt homework or family time.

How to Do It:

1. Create a folder named “Socials” and drag apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok into it.
2. Go to Settings > Notifications.
3. Tap each app in the folder and toggle off Allow Notifications.

Pro Tip: Leave the red notification bubbles on so you can check apps when you want.

Step 12: Add a Large Calendar & Weather Widget

Why This Matters: See your schedule and the weather forecast without opening multiple apps.

How to Do It:

1. Download the Insight Widget (search the App Store).
2. Tap Edit Widget to customize:
   • Add quick-action buttons (like Notes or Spotify).
   • Adjust the calendar view to show your class schedule.

Pro Tip: Use a transparent widget to blend it with your wallpaper!

Step 13: Install a Calculator Widget

Why This Matters: The iPhone still doesn’t have a built-in calculator app on the home screen, but you can add one!

How to Do It:

1. Download MD Calculator from the App Store.
2. Add its widget to your home screen.
3. Match the widget’s color to your wallpaper for a seamless look.

Step 14: Track Battery Life with Device Monitor 2

Why This Matters: Keep an eye on your iPhone’s battery health and storage space.

How to Do It:

1. Download Device Monitor 2 from the App Store.
2. Add its widget to your home screen.
3. Check stats like Battery Percentage, Storage Space, and Memory Usage.

Pro Tip: If your battery drains fast, use this widget to spot apps using too much power.

Step 15: Customize the Action Button

Why This Matters: The Action Button (replacing the mute switch) can launch your favorite app or shortcut.

How to Do It:

1. Go to Settings > Action Button.
2. Choose Shortcut and pick a task like:
   • Open Files to access homework.
   • Start a Workout in Apple Fitness.
   • Launch Spotify to play music.

Step 16: Stay Focused with Silent Socials

Why This Matters: Social media is fun, but it shouldn’t distract you 24/7.

How to Do It:

1. Silence notifications for apps like Instagram or TikTok (see Step 11).
2. Use Focus Modes (Settings > Focus) to block socials during school hours.

Pro Tip: Enable Downtime to limit app use after bedtime.

FAQ: Customizing Your iPhone 16 Home Screen

Q1: How do I reset my home screen if I don’t like my changes?
A: Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout. This will restore your apps to their default positions, but it won’t delete any apps or data.

Q2: Can I delete Apple’s default apps like Settings or App Store?
A: No, Apple doesn’t allow deleting core apps like Settings or App Store. However, you can hide them by dragging them into a folder and placing it on your last home screen page or in the App Library.

Q3: Do widgets slow down my iPhone or drain the battery?
A: Most widgets (like Weather or Calendar) use minimal battery. Avoid too many live-updating widgets (e.g., News or Social Media feeds) to save battery. The Device Monitor 2 widget can help track battery usage!

Q4: How do I use third-party apps like MD Calculator or Insight Widget?
A: Download them from the App Store, then add their widgets via Jiggle Mode (press and hold an app icon > tap +). For custom icons, use the Shortcuts app (search YouTube for tutorials).

Q5: What if I accidentally delete an app I need?
A: No worries! Reinstall it from the App Store. Tap the App Store icon, search for the app, and tap the download button (⛅️ with an arrow). Your data will still be there if you reinstall.

Final Touches: Make It Uniquely Yours!

Now that your home screen is clean and functional, add personal flair:

1. Animated Wallpapers

• iOS 18 supports Live Photos as wallpapers. Try a video of your pet or favorite song!

2. Emoji Folders

• Rename folders with emojis like 📚 (for school apps) or 🎮 (for games).

3. Custom App Icons

• Use the Shortcuts app to replace boring icons with your own designs.

I wrote an article all about 23 Tips and Tricks for iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max: Unlock the Full Potential of Your Device that I encourage you to read!