Apple has steadily expanded dwelling display screen customization on the iPhone over the previous few years, and iOS 26 continues that development with extra visible management over app icons. Constructing on the adjustments launched in iOS 18, the newest replace enables you to resize icons, take away app labels, apply system-wide coloration tints and make icons translucent utilizing Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language.
Most of those choices reside in a single place: the Customise menu, which seems after getting into edit mode on the house display screen. Whereas iOS nonetheless doesn’t enable complete freeform icon placement or third-party icon packs with out shortcuts, the instruments Apple offers are actually versatile sufficient to dramatically change how an iPhone seems to be and feels. This information walks by way of customise app icons and layouts utilizing the choices accessible in iOS 26, with a give attention to icon measurement, coloration, look and association.
The way to customise your iPhone dwelling display screen
All dwelling display screen customization begins the identical method.
Contact and maintain an empty space of the Dwelling Display screen background till the apps start to jiggle.
Faucet Edit within the high left nook, then choose Customise from the menu.
A customization panel seems alongside the underside of the display screen. Adjustments made right here apply throughout all dwelling display screen pages without delay, slightly than on a per-page foundation.
From the Customise menu, you’ll be able to:
Change look (e.g., Darkish)
Make icons translucent with a transparent look
Add a coloration tint to icons and widgets
The way to make app icons bigger and take away labels
One of many easiest adjustments in iOS 26 can be one of the vital visually impactful. From the Customise menu, faucet the icon displaying two app squares of various sizes. This switches the house display screen to Giant App Icons mode.
When giant icons are enabled, app labels disappear totally and the icons themselves develop to fill extra of the grid. This creates a cleaner look and makes apps simpler to faucet, significantly on iPhone fashions with bigger screens. The tradeoff is that fewer icons match on every display screen and spacing between rows turns into extra pronounced.
To revert to plain icons with labels, repeat the steps and faucet the identical button once more.
The way to change the looks of app icons
iOS 26 provides 4 icon look types: Default, Darkish, Clear and Tinted. These choices can be found from the highest row of the Customise panel. From the Customise panel, you’ll be able to faucet the solar icon throughout all choices within the high left-hand nook to toggle wallpaper dimming. This typically makes app icons and labels simpler to learn.
The Default possibility retains icons wanting because the builders meant, with no system-wide coloration or transparency utilized.
Choosing Darkish applies a darker background to supported app icons and widgets. Apple’s personal apps absolutely assist this mode, and a few third-party apps do as nicely, although many retain their unique colours. When Darkish is enabled, iOS may dim the wallpaper barely, which can assist scale back energy utilization on OLED shows.
The Clear possibility permits translucency throughout all apps on the Dwelling Display screen. This removes all coloration however retains app labels. The layered, frosted-glass impact adjustments relying on the background picture. Clear icons will be paired with Mild, Darkish or Auto types utilizing the choices alongside the underside of the Customise panel.
Tinted mode permits all supported app icons and widgets to tackle a single coloration scheme. After choosing Tinted, coloration and saturation sliders seem on the backside of the display screen. Adjusting these adjustments the hue utilized throughout icons, making a uniform look that may vary from refined pastels to high-contrast monochrome themes.
In order for you a selected coloration out of your iPhone’s wallpaper, choose the eyedropper software, then faucet and maintain whereas dragging the cursor throughout the display screen till you land in your chosen coloration. Just like the Clear possibility, you’ll be capable to choose from Mild, Darkish or Auto when adjusting the Tinted settings.
The Auto possibility permits icons to change between gentle and darkish appearances primarily based on system-wide gentle or darkish mode.
The way to prepare apps across the dwelling display screen
App placement works the identical method it did earlier than iOS 26, however the visible adjustments launched by bigger icons and spacing make format selections extra noticeable.
Apps will be rearranged by accessing an empty area on the Dwelling Display screen, then tapping and holding till the apps begin jiggling. From right here you’ll be able to drag icons to new positions. The grid stays fastened, which means icons can’t overlap or be positioned freely, however there may be extra flexibility in how empty area is used.
Icons will be clustered towards the underside of the display screen, aligned to at least one aspect or organized to border a wallpaper. With giant icons enabled, the hole between the dock and the primary row of apps turns into extra pronounced, however it can’t be full of extra icons.
Adjustments apply throughout all dwelling display screen pages, so reorganizing one web page doesn’t have an effect on icon measurement or look on one other.
What iOS 26 nonetheless doesn’t enable
Regardless of expanded customization, some long-standing limitations stay. iOS 26 doesn’t assist per-app icon coloration choice, customized icon packs with out shortcuts or freeform icon placement outdoors the grid. Icon look settings apply globally, not per web page or per app.
Widgets, lock display screen customization and focus mode filters add extra layers of personalization, however these instruments sit outdoors the scope of the house display screen Edit menu.
iOS 26 provides iPhone customers extra management over the look of their dwelling display screen than ever earlier than, even when Apple’s method stays structured. By combining icon resizing, look modes and cautious app association, it’s doable to create a format that feels cleaner, extra private and simpler to make use of with out counting on workarounds.
