iOS 14 introduces Home Screen widgets and the App Library, the biggest improvements since iOS 7’s move to a flat visual style or perhaps since iOS 4’s addition of folders. Now, another change is coming – Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the upcoming iOS 18 will make the home screen “more customizable.”
There will be some changes, but a new feature will allow you to leave gaps in the icon grid. The icons themselves will still snap to the grid, but you’ll be able to leave blank spots or even entire rows and/or columns.
There should be other changes to the home screen as well, but these are being kept under wraps. Apple will release new iOS versions at WWDC (June).
Home screen widgets • App library • Customizable lock screen • Standby
Here’s a quick review of iOS releases over the past few years. iOS 16 focuses on lock screen personalization, with the ability to customize fonts and colors and add lock screen widgets. iOS 17 introduces Standby Mode, which turns the iPhone into a smart display when it’s in landscape mode, while also bringing interactivity to widgets.
Of course, there’s a lot more to these releases, these are just the changes most relevant to the look and feel of the operating system. iOS 18 will also bring new features that have nothing to do with the home screen – Gurman’s previous post noted RCS support and Siri’s generative AI. The look of the user interface may also change, with elements inspired by visionOS.
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