How to Change Your Home Screen on Any Device
Your home screen is the first thing you see every time you unlock your phone, tablet, or computer. Knowing how to change it — whether you want a new wallpaper, a different layout, or a completely fresh look — depends heavily on which device and operating system you're using. The good news: every major platform supports home screen customization. The specifics, though, vary quite a bit.
What "Changing Your Home Screen" Actually Means
The phrase covers several different things depending on what you're trying to do:
- Wallpaper — the background image behind your icons
- App layout — how icons are arranged, grouped, or hidden
- Widgets — live information blocks showing weather, calendar, battery, etc.
- Launcher or theme — the entire visual system governing how your home screen looks and behaves
- Lock screen vs. home screen — these are often separate customizable surfaces
Understanding which of these you want to change is the first step, because the method differs for each one.
Changing Your Home Screen on Android 📱
Android is the most flexible of the major mobile platforms. Google's open ecosystem means you have options ranging from simple tweaks to complete overhauls.
Wallpaper and Basic Layout
On most Android devices, long-pressing on an empty area of the home screen opens a customization menu. From there you can:
- Tap Wallpapers to choose a new background from your gallery or built-in options
- Tap Widgets to add live information blocks to your screen
- Rearrange icons by dragging them to new positions
- Create folders by dragging one icon on top of another
Launchers
One of Android's biggest differentiators is launcher support. A launcher is essentially a replacement home screen app. Installing a third-party launcher from the Play Store (Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, and others are widely used) lets you change icon shapes, grid sizes, swipe gestures, and the overall visual style — without rooting your device.
When you install a launcher, Android will ask which one to use as your default. You can switch between launchers at any time through Settings → Apps → Default Apps.
Manufacturer Differences
Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and other Android manufacturers ship their own custom interfaces (One UI, OxygenOS, MIUI, etc.). The customization steps are largely the same, but menu labels and available options can differ. Some skins offer their own theme stores with icon packs and color schemes.
Changing Your Home Screen on iPhone and iPad
iOS is more controlled than Android but has expanded significantly in recent years, especially since iOS 14, which introduced widgets on the home screen and the App Library.
Wallpaper
Go to Settings → Wallpaper → Add New Wallpaper. You can choose from Apple's built-in options, your photo library, or set different images for the lock screen and home screen separately. iOS 16 and later allow lock screen customization with fonts, widgets, and depth effects — separate from the home screen background.
App Layout and Widgets
Long-press anywhere on the home screen to enter jiggle mode. In this mode you can:
- Drag apps to new positions or onto other apps to create folders
- Tap the + button in the top corner to add widgets
- Tap the three dots on a widget to resize or configure it
App Library and Hidden Pages
Swiping all the way right on your home screen opens the App Library, which automatically organizes all your apps. You can also hide entire home screen pages by long-pressing, tapping the page dots at the bottom, and unchecking pages you don't want visible.
Shortcuts for Custom Icons 🎨
Some users use the Shortcuts app to create custom icon appearances. This involves creating a shortcut that opens the target app, then assigning a custom image to it. The result looks like a custom icon on your home screen, though tapping it briefly opens the Shortcuts app before launching the target app — a minor but noticeable delay.
Changing the Home Screen on Windows and macOS
On desktop operating systems, "home screen" typically refers to the desktop background and the arrangement of shortcuts or widgets.
| Platform | Wallpaper Path | Widget Support | Layout Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Settings → Personalization → Background | Yes (Widgets panel) | Desktop icons, taskbar pinning |
| Windows 10 | Settings → Personalization → Background | Limited (Live Tiles in Start) | Desktop icons, taskbar pinning |
| macOS | System Settings → Wallpaper | Yes (Notification Center widgets) | Desktop stacks, Dock customization |
On both platforms, right-clicking the desktop gives quick access to wallpaper and display settings.
Key Variables That Shape Your Options
Not every customization option is available on every setup. Several factors determine what's actually possible for you:
- OS version — iOS 14+ unlocked widgets; older versions don't have them. Android widget depth varies by manufacturer skin and Android version.
- Device age and storage — Older devices may not support the latest OS versions, which gates certain features.
- Manufacturer skin — Android devices from different brands have different built-in customization tools. Samsung's Good Lock app, for example, offers deep customization beyond standard Android.
- Technical comfort level — Installing a launcher on Android is straightforward for most users, but configuring it fully takes more time. Custom Shortcuts icons on iOS requires several steps and has functional trade-offs.
- Third-party app permissions — Some widgets need location, calendar, or notification access to function. Whether those trade-offs make sense depends on your privacy preferences.
The Spectrum of Customization
At one end, you have users who change their wallpaper and call it done. At the other end are people who install custom launchers, use icon pack apps, build widget-heavy layouts, and redesign every visual detail of their interface.
Most people land somewhere in between — tweaking the layout so their most-used apps are easier to reach, adding a weather or calendar widget to the home screen, and setting a wallpaper that makes the phone feel like theirs.
The right level of customization isn't universal. A power user who lives in their phone might find a launcher with gesture navigation genuinely time-saving. Someone who rarely touches their home screen settings may find the same setup more trouble than it's worth.
What's achievable — and what's worth doing — comes down to your specific device, the OS version it runs, and how much time you want to invest in the setup.