Considering how often I interact with my iPhone home screen, it’s essential for me to keep it organized and clutter-free. Over time, I’ve developed a few strategies that help me tame app overload and create a more streamlined experience.

1

Removing Unwanted Apps and Home Screen Pages

One way I keep my iPhone home screen clutter-free is to regularly remove apps I no longer use. It’s easy to accumulate apps over time, whether I downloaded a new fitness app with good intentions or a game I played for a week and then forgot about. If an app no longer serves a purpose, I delete it.

I’ve also found that having multiple pages filled with apps makes navigation frustrating. So, I try to consolidate everything into two to three well-organized pages.

Apple makes it simple to manage home screen pages on your iPhone. By long-pressing the home screen and tapping the page dots at the bottom, I can see all my pages at once. If a page is filled with apps I don’t use often, I hide or remove it altogether.

2

Stop Adding New Apps to Home Screen

By default, the iPhone adds all newly downloaded apps to the home screen. I’ve found that this becomes a problem with apps I don’t want to delete but also don’t use daily.

Having my iPhone home screen filled with these apps makes it harder to find the ones I use frequently. To save myself the trouble of manually removing these apps from the home screen, I’ve set my iPhone to stop adding new apps there automatically.

To do this, navigate to Settings > Home Screen and select App Library Only under “Newly Downloaded Apps.” Now, whenever you download a new app, it goes straight to the App Library, keeping your home screen neat.

3

Organizing Lesser-Used Apps Into Folders

I like to keep most of my apps organized into folders. I don’t need every app staring at me when I unlock my phone, so I group similar apps together and tuck them away on secondary pages.

For example, I have a Utilities folder for apps like Compass, Voice Memos, and Calculator—things I use occasionally but don’t need instant access to. Another folder holds all my casual games, which I can open for a quick break.

These apps don’t need to be front and center, but having them organized in one place means I don’t have to search for them or swipe back and forth between pages while looking for something.

I love using widgets on my iPhone to check my calendar, notes, and reminders at a glance. They’re incredibly handy for staying on top of my day. However, I’ve learned that having too many widgets leads to a cluttered home screen.

Instead of adding every widget in its full size, I adjust its dimensions or create smart stacks to better suit the layout of my screen. This way, I can fit more information into a compact space without overwhelming the screen with too much at once.

For me, it’s all about finding the right balance between functionality and esthetics.

5

Hiding App Labels and Notification Badges

Finally, I like to keep app labels hidden on my iPhone. I do this by long-pressing the home screen, tapping Edit, selecting Customize, and choosing the Large option.

I prefer this look because it lets me focus solely on the app icons, which I’ve carefully chosen and organized.

Alongside hiding labels, I also keep notification badges turned off. Those red dots with the numbers can be distracting and often add unnecessary clutter. I find they break the flow of my home screen and create a subtle sense of urgency.

Hiding app labels and notification badges helps me maintain a zen-like experience on my iPhone, keeping it functional yet visually peaceful.

Creating a clutter-free iPhone home screen isn’t difficult, but it does take some time to get things organized. Still, developing your own strategies can be extremely worthwhile in making your digital experience even smoother.