David Bridges
For years, one of many advantages of selecting Android over iOS was that you possibly can transfer away from the inflexible grid of app icons you had used in your iPhone house screens: Handsets with Google’s cellular working system on board allow you to mess around with completely different layouts, drop in interactive widgets, and even revamp the entire interface with a launcher.
See iPhone 16 at Finest Purchase
See iPhone 16 Professional at Finest Purchase
The customization hole has been closing just lately, and it’s smaller than ever with the discharge of iOS 18. The brand new software program rolling out now to tens of millions of iPhones provides to the prevailing customization choices to carry you much more management over how the interface seems—and there are three separate areas to look into.
Customise the house screens
You’re going to be spending a whole lot of time taking a look at your property screens, so it is sensible to get them wanting the best way you need them to. Latest variations of iOS have seen the introduction of house display screen widgets and the choice to cover a few of your property display screen from view (with the App Library holding every part you’ve obtained put in), however iOS 18 takes house display screen customizations even additional.
Now you can depart gaps wherever you want within the house display screen grid—no workarounds or third-party apps are required. Lengthy press on a house display screen shortcut till all of the icons begin shaking, and you may take away an app shortcut by tapping the – (minus) icon and selecting Take away from Residence Display. You possibly can then drag icons round to depart gaps, and iOS gained’t routinely fill them.
For those who’ve obtained a wallpaper you just like the look of, you would possibly need to hold all of your app icons down on the backside or up on the high of the display screen. You may as well tweak the colours of those icons and alter how they adapt as you turn between mild and darkish modes. Use a protracted press on any app shortcut to get all of the app tiles transferring, then faucet Edit (high left) and Customise.
You’ve obtained 4 choices: icons which might be all the time in mild mode, all the time in darkish mode, all the time following the sunshine or darkish mode system setting, or that use a particular shade tint set by you (faucet Tinted to carry up the colour picker). Above these choices, you’ll be able to change between the Small and Giant choices to vary the dimensions of the icons, too.
Customise the Management Heart
The Management Heart continues to grow to be extra helpful with every passing model of iOS, and iOS 18 isn’t any completely different. For those who open the Management Panel within the regular approach, with a swipe down from the highest proper nook of the display screen, you’ll see there at the moment are 4 screens by default, and you may swipe up and down via them.
These screens are Favorites, Music, Residence, and Connectivity, and you may customise any of them by tapping the + (plus) icon within the high proper nook. On the Favorites display screen, for instance, you’ll be able to drag controls round, use the handles on the edges to vary the dimensions of the management widgets and faucet the – (minus) icons to take away controls. Faucet Add a Management on the backside so as to add one thing new.
The opposite screens work in the identical approach, with some slight variations (you’ll be able to’t edit particular person entries on the Connectivity web page, for instance). On the Music display screen, the widget is full display screen by default, however you’ll be able to shrink it down and match in additional controls alongside it if you wish to—every display screen has an Add a Management choice.
There are small icons down the correct of the show exhibiting which display screen you’re presently on, and on the backside of this column, you’ll see a small dot—faucet on this to create a brand new Management Heart display screen, which you’ll configure as you want. Lastly, through Management Heart in Settings, you’ll be able to set whether or not or not Management Heart is accessible while you’re inside apps (in addition to on the house display screen).
Customise the lock display screen
Apple gave the iPhone lock display screen an actual overhaul with iOS 16 again in 2022, and whereas the adjustments aren’t fairly as dramatic in iOS 18, there’s nonetheless one tweak value mentioning: For the primary time, you’ll be able to change the flashlight and digital camera shortcuts on the lock display screen or take away them altogether.
With the lock display screen seen, faucet and maintain someplace on it, then select Customise and Lock Display. The acquainted choices for dropping widgets into the lock display screen present up, and you may faucet on the time and date to vary the format of those parts as effectively. The buttons for turning the depth impact on and off and switching between mild mode and darkish mode are additionally right here.
The change is down on the backside: You possibly can faucet the – (minus) button subsequent to both the flashlight or digital camera shortcut to take away it from its default place. You possibly can depart the spot clean or faucet the + (plus) button to place one thing else as a replacement. While you’re achieved along with your modifying, faucet Executed to save lots of your adjustments.
On the subject of changing the flashlight and digital camera buttons, you’ve obtained a wealth of choices: You possibly can drop in shortcuts for a stopwatch or a timer, to file a voice memo or to open Apple Pockets, to leap to the Calculator, to activate the iPhone hotspot, and rather more in addition to. Choose Open App, and the shortcut can level to any app you want.
See iPhone 16 at Finest Purchase
See iPhone 16 Professional at Finest Purchase
