How to Customize Your iOS 14 Home Screen — Everything You Need to Know, Right Here

Published on 9/22/2020 at 3:10 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Tara Block

If you've been obsessing over all the aesthetically pleasing iPhone home screens in your Instagram and TikTok feeds since the release of Apple's iOS 14, we're here to help you create your own dream phone backdrop. All you need are a few free apps, some creativity, and, well, possibly a few hours of free time, depending on how complicated you want to get with your design. If you're ready to renovate your home screen with custom app icons, widgets, and a personalized aesthetic, roll up your sleeves and keep reading!

How to Add a Widget to Your Home Screen

Make sure you've updated your iPhone to iOS 14. Hold down your finger anywhere on your screen (or on an app and select "Edit Home Screen") until the apps wiggle.
Tap the + icon in the top left corner.
Select the Apple or third-party widget you'd like, pick a size (small square, medium horizontal rectangle, or large square), and tap Add Widget to add it to your home screen.
Move your widget to the location you want it on the home screen and then select Done in the top right corner to set it in place.

How to Add a Smart Stack to Your Home Screen

Hold down your finger anywhere on your screen (or on an app and select "Edit Home Screen") until the apps wiggle.
Tap the + icon in the top left corner.
Select the Smart Stack widget, pick a size (small square, medium horizontal rectangle, or large square), and tap Add Widget to add it to your home screen.
Move your widget to the location you want on the home screen and then select Done in the top right corner to set it in place.
You can also create your own Smart Stack widget by dragging up to 10 other Apple or third-party widgets of the same size on top of each other.
To remove apps from Smart Stack, press down on home screen until apps wiggle and tap Smart Stack, swipe from right on any app you want to remove and select Delete. You can also hold your finger down on Smart Stack and select Edit Stack.

How to Create Your Own Widgets With the Widgetsmith App

Download the free Widgetsmith app from the App Store.
Select small, medium, or large widget.
Select free options like time, date, photo, text, calendar, reminders, activity, and astronomy. Options like tides and weather come with paid version.
Select your font, letter color, and background color.
Tap the automated name (i.e. Small #1) at the top to rename the widget, and then hit Save and exit app.
Hold down your finger anywhere on your screen (or on an app and select "Edit Home Screen") until the apps wiggle.
Tap the + icon in the top left corner.
Search and select Widgetsmith, pick the size of the widget you created, and tap Add Widget to add it to your home screen.
If you have multiple widgets of the same size, tap it and select the version you want (this is when renaming comes in handy).
Move your widget to the location you want on the home screen and then select Done in the top right corner to set it in place.

How to Create Your Own Widgets With the Color Widgets App

Download the free Color Widgets app from the App Store.
Select the style of widget you'd like to use, and choose Edit Widget.
Select the light, colored, or dark background; then select color theme, font, and background photo (either what they provide or your own photo).
Select Set Widget. This will now show up at the top as Active Widget. You can tap on it and choose between 12hr Time or 24hr Time and Show Battery or Hide Battery.
Exit app.
Hold down your finger anywhere on your screen (or on an app and select "Edit Home Screen") until the apps wiggle.
Tap the + icon in the top left corner.
Search and select Color Widgets, pick the size you want to use, and tap Add Widget to add it to your home screen.
Move your widget to the location you want on the home screen and then select Done in the top right corner to set it in place.

How to Customize Your App Icons With the Shortcuts App

Open the Shortcuts app and select Create Shortcut.
Select Add Action.
Type "open app" into the search bar and select it when it appears.
From the new screen, select Choose.
Type in the name of the app that you want to change the image for.
Select the three dots in the top righthand corner.
Type in the name of the app you selected and click Add to Home Screen.
Edit the name of the app (or remove it altogether if you don't want a name listed below the image) and tap the image beside the new name.
Choose a photo previously saved to your phone to replace the old icon.
Select Add in the top right-hand corner.
Your new icon should now be clickable from your home screen. You may want to move the original app into a folder.

Get the full step-by-step guide to customizing apps (with pics) here.

How to Get Your Home Screen Aesthetic

Search for graphics and photos around a theme or color scheme from your personal photos and on Pinterest, Instagram, and Google Images. If you want to go with a seasonal look, check out these Halloween aesthetic inspo pictures.
You can use the free Procreate Pocket app to create artistic (or solid color) backgrounds and icon images for your home screen.
The free and easy-to-use Canva app is great for designing social graphics, icons, and wallpapers.
I used the A Design Kit app to design all the graphics you see here. It's a user-friendly app that I personally love for creating artistic designs that combine art and text.
Check out more iOS 14 home-screen aesthetic ideas here.