https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/24/ios-18-home-screen-app-icon-customization/

iPhone users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18.

For example, we expect that the update will introduce the ability to create
blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons.

It is already possible to customize the Home Screen and create blank app
icons with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, but Apple's own
personalization options will be more convenient and official.

Enrico Papaloma <enrico@papaloma.net> wrote:
> https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/24/ios-18-home-screen-app-icon-customization/
>
> iPhone users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18.
>
> For example, we expect that the update will introduce the ability to create
> blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons.
>
> It is already possible to customize the Home Screen and create blank app
> icons with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, but Apple's own
> personalization options will be more convenient and official.
>

iOS is becoming more and more like Android!

On 2024-03-25, badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
> Enrico Papaloma <enrico@papaloma.net> wrote:
>> https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/24/ios-18-home-screen-app-icon-customization/
>>
>> iPhone users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18.
>>
>> For example, we expect that the update will introduce the ability to create
>> blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons.
>>
>> It is already possible to customize the Home Screen and create blank app
>> icons with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, but Apple's own
>> personalization options will be more convenient and official.
>
> iOS is becoming more and more like Android!

Yes, now you can arrange your desktop in the shape of a Christmas tree!
Rejoice! 🤡

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Jolly Roger wrote:

>On 2024-03-25, badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Enrico Papaloma <enrico@papaloma.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/24/ios-18-home-screen-app-icon-c
>>>ustomization/ iPhone users will be able to arrange icons more
>>>freely on iOS 18.
>>> For example, we expect that the update will introduce the
>>>ability to create blank spaces, rows, and columns between app
>>>icons.
>>> It is already possible to customize the Home Screen and create
>>>blank app icons with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, but
>>>Apple's own personalization options will be more convenient and
>>>official.
>>
>> iOS is becoming more and more like Android!
>
>Yes, now you can arrange your desktop in the shape of a Christmas
>tree! Rejoice! 🤡

Personally I have no need for this new feature. I would like the
maximum efficiency in space. That's why most of my iOS icons are in
folders on the main page. I hate sideways swiping. If they would
provide a means to scroll down for additional pages rather than
sideways I would like that.

On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 15:40:14 -0000 (UTC), badgolferman wrote:

>>On 2024-03-25, badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Enrico Papaloma <enrico@papaloma.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/24/ios-18-home-screen-app-icon-c
>>>>ustomization/ iPhone users will be able to arrange icons more
>>>>freely on iOS 18.
>>>> For example, we expect that the update will introduce the
>>>>ability to create blank spaces, rows, and columns between app
>>>>icons.
>>>> It is already possible to customize the Home Screen and create
>>>>blank app icons with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, but
>>>>Apple's own personalization options will be more convenient and
>>>>official.
>>>
>>> iOS is becoming more and more like Android!
>>
>>Yes, now you can arrange your desktop in the shape of a Christmas
>>tree! Rejoice!
>
> Personally I have no need for this new feature.

What Jolly Roger said is classic religious iIgnorance where an app launcher
does many useful things, only one of which is put app icons where you want.

> I would like the
> maximum efficiency in space.

Any good app launcher will allow you any grid you like, including the
ability to set the icon-to-icon distance, which can be negative, such that
they can overlap (basically you can set the screen any way you want to).

> That's why most of my iOS icons are in
> folders on the main page. I hate sideways swiping.

Any good app launcher will allow as many icons as you want on a single page
(if that's what you want) where you can also set the page size and whether
or not you want a dock, and what you want (or don't want) in that dock.

> If they would
> provide a means to scroll down for additional pages rather than
> sideways I would like that.

Any good app launcher allows that.

On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:25:33 -0000 (UTC), badgolferman wrote:

> Enrico Papaloma <enrico@papaloma.net> wrote:
>> https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/24/ios-18-home-screen-app-icon-customization/
>>
>> iPhone users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18.
>>
>> For example, we expect that the update will introduce the ability to create
>> blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons.
>>
>> It is already possible to customize the Home Screen and create blank app
>> icons with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, but Apple's own
>> personalization options will be more convenient and official.
>>
>
> iOS is becoming more and more like Android!

Your observation about iOS copying Android is apropos because it's not true
in the sense that Apple's trying to copy Android but that even iOS users
desire features launchers provide which everyone else has had for years.

An example is to be allowed the freedom to organize your homescreen the way
you want to organize it, not only the way that makes Apple's life easier.

Every other operating system allows the users to have as many app icons as
they want, for example, placed anywhere they want, using any names they
want, with any app icon image they want, on any grid they want (or no grid
at all) with the ability to change the launcher altogether if they want.

You can have a dock, or no dock. You can add a search bar, or no search
bar. You can create an app drawer, or no app drawer. You can delete any app
you want to delete, even if you're not rooted, or you can keep the apps.

You should be able to export the homescreen after you've set it up nicely.
And then you should be able to lock the homescreen (if you like) so the app
icons stay in the folders and docks that you may or may not have set up.

When you set up a new device (or repopulate the original device after a
factory reset), you should be able to import the homescreen so that your
new device (or newly reset device or even your other devices) can have that
same carefully organized homescreen set up that you have designed for you.