Yesterday’s release of iOS 18 brought a number of new improvements and enhancements to the iOS Home screen. The update includes some subtle changes, but it also includes a fundamental shift in the iOS design paradigm that has existed since the iPhone was introduced.
New iOS 18 Wallpapers
As with every major new iOS release, iOS 18 includes new release-specific wallpapers. Apple is including new dynamic wallpapers that change throughout the day. For those who prefer a more static approach, there are four color styles: yellow, pink, sky blue, or purple.
Video: iOS 18 Key Features – Home Screen
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Flexible app and widget placement
For the first time in iOS history, you can place app icons and widgets anywhere on the home screen grid. You can space them out or strategically place them in different areas to showcase the wallpaper underneath. Android users have enjoyed this feature for years, and die-hard Google fans will be quick to highlight it in the comments section of YouTube videos. 😆
Resize widget
iOS has long supported different widget sizes, but until now, it wasn’t possible to resize widgets already placed on the home screen. With the release of iOS 18, Apple is giving users not one, but two ways to customize the size of widgets in their posts.
The first way to resize a widget is to use the drag handle that appears at the bottom right of the widget in edit mode. If there are other size options available for that widget type, you can use the drag handle to increase or decrease the widget size.
You can also resize a widget by long-pressing and tapping on one of the glyphs representing each available widget size. This long-press gesture has another benefit: you can resize the widget to the size of the app icon.
Customize your home screen
When you tap the Edit button in the upper left corner of the Home screen in Edit mode, you’ll see a new ‘Customize’ option. Selecting this option will bring up a new Home screen customization panel dedicated to changing the appearance of your Home screen app icons and your Home screen wallpaper.
There you will find options to switch between light and dark icons and change the background color. Both first-party and third-party apps downloaded from the App Store can display dark app icons, but app developers must ensure that the feature is enabled.
There’s also a dedicated icon tint option with hue and saturation sliders. Using the tint will affect all your home screen app icons at once, giving them a uniform color. For those who want to complement their home screen wallpaper, there’s a handy eyedropper tool to sample the colors you want to use for your icon tint.
In addition to the customizations mentioned above, there are buttons to switch between small app icons and widgets and widgets to large app icons and widgets. When using large icons, the app icon names are hidden to accommodate the extra size, making for a cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing setup.
Lock and hide individual apps
Finally, iOS 18 lets users lock individual apps with Face ID or a passcode. To lock an app, long-press on the app icon and select Require Face ID. Once Face ID is authenticated, the app will be locked and will require authentication each time it is launched. Locked apps won’t appear in notification previews or Spotlight search results, and not all apps, such as Settings and Maps, can be locked.
In addition to app locking, iOS 18 also lets users hide individual apps to secure them. Hidden apps work similarly to locked apps, but they are stored in a new Hidden category in the iOS App Library. To hide an app, tap its icon and Face ID is required → Hide and request Face ID. You can only hide apps downloaded from the App Store.
To reveal an app in a hidden App Library category, tap the category, then authenticate with Face ID. Hidden apps won’t receive notifications, calls, or important alerts, but you’ll still be able to tell they exist in places like Settings.
9to5Mac’s view
The Home screen in iOS 18 opens up iPhone to more customization options than ever before, allowing users to highly personalize their devices. Combined with iOS Shortcuts and popular third-party apps like Widgetsmith, users can now create iOS Home screens that are more unique than ever. While some users may be hesitant to consider the customization possibilities as overblown, I welcome it and think that this feature is long overdue.
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