How to Add Apps to Home Screen: iPhone App Library Guide

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Learn how to add app back to home screen on iPhone
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The App Library on your iPhone is great for keeping your apps organized and preventing clutter on your home screen. But, depending on your settings, new apps might be downloading straight to your App Library, which can make them harder to find. So, how do you move them back? This wikiHow article teaches you how to add apps to the iPhone home screen, move them, and change where your newly downloaded apps appear.

Adding Apps to Home Screen on iPhone

To add apps to your iPhone home screen, swipe all the way left to open the App Library. Tap and drag an app onto the home screen. To change where an app downloads, open Settings and select Home Screen & App Library . Then, select Add to Home Screen or App Library Only .

Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Adding Apps from the App Library

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  1. Swipe left on your Home Screen until you see a bunch of apps categorized by their functions.
  2. You can browse the categories or you can tap the search bar to search for your app.
    • If you don't see the app, or you accidentally deleted a built-in app, you can easily redownload it from the App Store. Just search up the app name, and then tap the cloud icon to download it again. [1]
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  3. If you have sounds and haptics enabled, you will hear a pop as it “breaks loose” from its place on the screen.
  4. 4
    Drag and drop the app you want to move. Drag the app to the left to move it from the library to one of your home screens. Don't release your finger from the screen until the app is located where you want it. You’ll see the app and widget icons on the screen jiggling.
  5. 5
    Tap Done or the Home button (if you have one). This will stop the apps and widgets jiggling. You can also tap any blank area on the screen to get out of edit mode and stop the apps from jiggling.
    • On older versions of iOS, you can long-press the app until a menu opens, and then tap Add to Home Screen .
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Moving Apps on the Home Screen

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  1. The icon will enlarge and a menu will open, and you’ll hear a pop if you have sounds and haptics enabled. You can now move the app icon by holding and dragging it. https://support.apple.com/en-us/108307
  2. Once you start dragging the icon, you’ll see the other apps and widgets on the screen start to jiggle. Don't release your finger from the screen until the app is located where you want it.
  3. This will stop the apps and widgets jiggling. You can also tap any blank area on the home screen.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Hiding Home Screen Pages

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  1. 1
    Navigate to your Home Screen. You can do this by swiping up from an open app, or by pressing the Home button (if you have one).
    • If you have a lot of Home Screen pages, you can choose to hide them temporarily.
  2. 2
    Tap and hold the Home Screen wallpaper. The icons will begin to shake.
  3. 3
    Tap the dots at the bottom of the screen. The current Home Screen will shrink to thumbnail size.
    • If you have more than one Home Screen, you'll see them all here.
  4. 4
    Tap the checkmark icon to remove it. This will hide the selected page(s).
  5. 5
    Tap Done twice. This will save your changes. If you have an iPhone with a Home button, you'll press the Home button instead.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Reordering Home Screen Pages

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  1. 1
    Navigate to your Home Screen. You can do this by swiping up from an open app, or by pressing the Home button (if you have one).
  2. 2
    Tap and hold the Home Screen wallpaper. The icons will begin to shake.
  3. 3
    Tap the dots at the bottom of the screen. The current Home Screen will shrink to thumbnail size.
    • If you have more than one Home Screen, you'll see them all here.
  4. 4
    Tap and drag a Home Screen to a new location. When it's in the right position, release it.
  5. 5
    Tap Done twice. This will save your changes. If you have an iPhone with a Home button, you'll press the Home button instead.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Changing Where Apps Download

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  1. This app icon features some gears on a light grey background. [2]
  2. 2
    Tap Home Screen & App Library . You'll see this in the third grouping of menu items next to an icon of a Home screen. [3]
  3. If you don't want to use the App Library, select Add to Home Screen . With this option, newly downloaded apps will still appear in your App Library, but they’ll also show up on your Home Screen. If you want apps to go into the App Library without appearing on your Home Screen, select App Library Only.
    • If you have Add to Home Screen selected, any apps that you download from the App Store will appear in the first available slot on a Home Screen. [4]
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Finding the App Library

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  1. 1
    Navigate to your Home Screen. You can do this by swiping up from an open app, or by pressing the Home button (if you have one).
  2. 2
    Swipe left to find the App Library. If you have more than one page on your Home Screen, you'll need to swipe all the way past those. The App Library will be at the very end.
    • You should see a search bar at the top along with tiles holding all your apps.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/118582
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/108324
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/108324
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/108324

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the App Library.
      2. Find the app you want to add to the Home Screen.
      3. Touch and hold the app icon.
      4. Tap Add to Home Screen .

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