Home screen on iPhone: Ultimate guide

iOS 13 Home screen
iOS 13 Home screen (Image credit: iMore)

There are many ways to use your iPhone and iPad. You can add a trackpad keyboard to your iPad and use it as a computer. Or now, you can add some widgets to your iPhone and customize it to your liking. In both cases, you need to have the right Home screen. Knowing where everything is stored, creating your own folders, and even having the right wallpaper can change the way you use and work with your iPhone and iPad.

You might think you know everything about the Home screen, but there's much more to learn. There's Siri, the Today View, and the Control Center. Especially now, with all the new features that iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 brought to the table, there's never been more things to try out. If you want to master your Home screen on iPhone or iPad, here's everything you need to know!

How to navigate the Home screen on iPhone and iPad

12.9-inch iPad Pro (Image credit: Joseph Keller / iMore)

The Home screen on iPhone and iPad isn't meant to be a destination — a place to store widgets or spend time. It's meant to be a portal to all your apps, both built-in and downloaded from the App Store. Whether you get to those apps by browsing your Home screen pages, by searching with Spotlight, by jumping straight to actions with 3D Touch or Haptic Touch, or by calling up Siri, the Home screen is where it all begins.

Navigation options for iPad

iPad also has some unique navigation options all its own, but keep in mind that iPadOS 14 lacks some things you get in iOS 14, such as Home Screen Widgets.

How to customize the Home screen on iPhone and iPad

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iPhone Home screen (Image credit: iMore)

Even though you don't spend a lot of time on the Home screen for iPhone and iPad, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take some time to make it your own, including switching up the wallpaper. You can also organize it up to make your apps easier to find, either by moving them around or by creating and putting them into folders.

Any Home screen questions?

If you have any trouble using your Home screen on iPhone or iPad, or you need more help, drop your questions in the comments below!

Updated October 2020: Updated for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

Sergio Velasquez