How To: Hide Home Screen Apps on Your iPhone for Less Wallpaper Clutter

Hide Home Screen Apps on Your iPhone for Less Wallpaper Clutter

Despite what some in the tech-world would like you to believe, iOS isn't totally locked down, free from user customization. Take your home screen, for example. Not only can you change your app icons and move them wherever you'd like, you can actually choose to hide them all. If you have a wallpaper that's just begging to be shown off, this trick is for you.

Now, technically, there are a couple ways to pull this feat off. You could take advantage of the same method that lets you completely change the app layout on your home screen. However, that takes up a lot of time and leaves your home screen full of unnecessary hidden icons.

Instead, try this: Move to the first page on your home screen by clicking the Home button or, on an iPhone X, XS, XS Max, or XR, swiping up from the bottom of the display. Next, activate the home screen editor by long-pressing on any app on the home screen. Then, just move all apps at least one page over. Once done, click the Home button or, on newer iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the display or tap "Done" to cement your new layout.

You won't be able to replicate this for multiple pages. If you try, Apple will simply delete the new blank page, leaving just the initial blank page you made above. Still, one blank page is better than none.

If you have a lot of apps on your home screen, moving them one by one is probably a pain, but it doesn't have to be like that. Instead, you can create this blank page almost instantly by moving all app icons at once. Just note that you will not be able to move folders this way, so you'll need to still move folders one by one.

Just updated your iPhone? You'll find new emoji, enhanced security, podcast transcripts, Apple Cash virtual numbers, and other useful features. There are even new additions hidden within Safari. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 17.4 update.

Cover image, screenshot, and GIF by Jake Peterson/Gadget Hacks

1 Comment

or you could buy an android which has been able to do that for 4 years...

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