iOS 18 Home Screen: Place Apps Anywhere and Dark Mode for Icons

Apple announced iOS 18 today with two notable changes for the Home Screen: the ability to place app icons anywhere, and a dark tint option for app icons.

iOS 18 Home Screen
iPhone users can now place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen, although they still must conform to an invisible grid. In other words, Apple now allows blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons, which can reveal more of the wallpaper.

App icons can now have a dark or tinted appearance, with many color options available. Icons can be manually set to appear in dark or light mode, or they can automatically switch based on whether Dark Mode is turned on or off on the iPhone.

MacRumors was first to report about the ability to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen, and the darker tint option, prior to WWDC.

Read our iOS 18 announcement coverage for more details about the update, which is now available in beta for members of the Apple Developer Program.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

Top Rated Comments

vertsix Avatar
22 months ago
Every additional OS update there is less and less of a reason to use Android...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SlightWince Avatar
22 months ago
As a long time Android Nexus and Pixel owner, as silly as it might seem, being able to move icons in any number (within the available space) and anywhere on the screen in IOS might finally be reason I switch to an iPhone. But it is laughable that it has taken this long to get that functionality.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ronno Avatar
22 months ago
Welcome to Android 2010
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
biracialfamily91 Avatar
22 months ago
The more customization you give me the more satisfied I am. I’m just sad it took so long to get these features.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Fan 2008 Avatar
22 months ago
The color customization is pretty awesome.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dulcimer Avatar
22 months ago
I’m probably going to be too lazy to bother with any of this lol
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)