iOS 18: how to customise the home screen to your taste

In the past, Apple didn’t let you leave empty spaces between app icons on the home screen. With iOS 18 this is different. You can also give the app logos a new look and customise them to match your wallpaper, for example. (Yes, Android users, I can see you’re yawning.)

Freely place apps and widgets

To move apps or widgets, press and hold the background image of the home screen for a short moment. So that step’s the same as it’s always been to rearrange your app icons. However, the difference with iOS 18 is that you can now position icons as you wish within the four-column grid. It no longer has to be one next to the other.

New look for app icons

To revamp your app icons, again, long press the background image. As soon as the app icons jiggle, click on «Edit» at the top left and select «Customise». Several options will appear at the bottom of the touchscreen.

First, you can set the size of the app icons. However, you can only choose between small and large. If you go for large, the labels disappear.

Further down, you’ll see four colour options: «Light», «Dark», «Automatic» and «Tinted». «Bright» is the classic view. «Dark» turns a white app icon background black and the background image darker. If you select «Automatic», the background image retains its brightness and the app icons turn black. If you click on «Tinted», a colour and intensity scale appear. You use it to set the colour of the now two-tone app logos. Using the eyedropper icon above the sliders to select a colour from the background image.