Add any website as an icon on your iPhone home screen in three steps
You can turn any website into an icon that sits on your iPhone home screen, just like an app. When you tap it, Safari opens directly to that page. This works for any website — news sites, weather forecasts, email, banking portals, or tools you use every day.
The process takes less than a minute and works on all iPhones running iOS 15 or later. You do not need to download anything or create an account. The website itself does not need to do anything special; any site works.
Key Takeaways
- Open the website in Safari, tap the share button (the square with an arrow), and select "Add to Home Screen" from the menu.
- You can rename the icon to anything you want — the website's name does not have to stay.
- The icon appears on your home screen immediately and opens Safari to that exact page every time you tap it.
- Removing the icon from your home screen does not delete the website or affect your browsing history.
Step-by-step: adding a website to your home screen
Open Safari and navigate to the website you want to add. Once the page has fully loaded, look at the bottom of your screen for the share button — it looks like a square with an arrow pointing out of it. Tap it.
A menu will slide up from the bottom showing different options. Scroll down until you see "Add to Home Screen" and tap it. On some iPhones, you may need to scroll within this menu to find it.
A dialog box will appear showing a preview of how the icon will look. At the top, you will see the website's name in a text field. You can change this to anything you want — many people shorten long names or use a single word. Tap "Add" in the top right corner, and the icon appears on your home screen immediately.
Renaming and organizing your website icons
When you add a website to your home screen, it uses the website's official name by default. You can change this name to anything shorter or more personal. During the add process, simply delete the text in the name field and type what you want instead.
If you want to rename an icon after you have already added it, press and hold the icon on your home screen until a menu appears. Tap "Edit Home Screen," then tap the icon again and select "Edit." You can now change the name and tap "Done."
Website icons work like regular app icons — you can move them around, put them in folders, or organize them however you want. Long-press and drag to move them, or drag one onto another to create a folder.
What happens when you tap a website icon
Tapping a website icon opens Safari and takes you directly to the page you saved. If you are already in Safari, it may switch to a different Safari window or tab instead of opening a new one, depending on your iPhone settings.
The icon does not create a separate browser or isolated experience — it is just a shortcut to that page in Safari. Your bookmarks, history, and cookies all work the same way. If you log out of a website in Safari, you will be logged out when you tap the icon too.
Removing website icons from your home screen
To remove a website icon, press and hold it until a menu appears. Tap "Remove" and then choose "Remove from Home Screen." The icon disappears, but nothing else changes — your Safari history, bookmarks, and the website itself are unaffected.
You can add the same website back to your home screen anytime by following the same steps. There is no limit to how many website icons you can create.
Website icons versus web apps
Some websites offer a different experience when you add them to your home screen. These are called progressive web apps (PWAs), and they can work more like native apps — they may work offline, send notifications, or run without showing the Safari address bar.
When you add a PWA to your home screen, iOS may ask if you want to add it as a web app instead of a regular shortcut. If you see this option, choosing "Add" will give you that enhanced experience. Regular websites will always open in Safari as normal shortcuts.
Not all websites support this feature. If a website does not offer it, adding it to your home screen still works perfectly — it just opens in Safari the normal way.
Troubleshooting: when the share button does not show "Add to Home Screen"
If you do not see "Add to Home Screen" in the share menu, make sure you are using Safari, not another browser like Chrome or Firefox. Other browsers do not support this feature on iPhone. Switch to Safari and try again.
If you are in Safari and still do not see the option, try scrolling down in the share menu — it may be below the visible options. If it still does not appear, restart Safari or restart your iPhone and try once more.
On very old iPhones running iOS 14 or earlier, this feature may not be available. Check your iPhone settings to see which iOS version you have. If you need to update, go to Settings, tap General, then Software Update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a website to my home screen if I do not have an account?
Yes. You can add any website to your home screen whether you have an account or not. If the site requires you to log in, you will need to log in each time you tap the icon — unless you stay logged in within Safari itself.
Will the website icon work if I do not have internet?
No, unless the website is a progressive web app that supports offline use. Most websites need an internet connection. If you tap the icon without internet, Safari will show an error message.
Can I add a specific page within a website, or only the home page?
You can add any page. Navigate to the exact page you want — a specific article, your email inbox, a calculator tool — and add that page to your home screen. The icon will open directly to that page every time.
Do website icons take up storage space on my iPhone?
No. Website icons are just shortcuts that point to Safari. They use almost no storage. The website itself is not downloaded or stored on your phone.
Can I change the icon image for a website?
Not directly through iOS. The icon uses the image the website provides. Some websites let you customize this in their settings, but most do not. You can only change the name of the icon, not its appearance.