Long-press the Home Screen, tap Customize, and you can change your icon style (default, dark, clear, or tinted), icon size, and widgets in one place. That core workflow carried over from iOS 26, and iOS 27, released on September 14, 2026, adds a Liquid Glass slider that moves the look from ultraclear to fully tinted. If you came here looking for iOS 18 tricks, the instructions below are updated for the current software.
This guide covers the Home Screen layout, icon styles, widgets (including custom ones with a third-party app), the lock screen features new in iOS 27, and which rumored features are still unconfirmed.
Which iOS Version Are You On?
The sheet this article started from asked about iOS 18, but Apple has since shipped two major releases. Macworld reports that Apple unveiled iOS 27 at its developer conference on June 8, 2026, released it on September 14, 2026, and shipped the first update, iOS 27.0.1, on September 28. Macworld lists support for the iPhone 11 and later, plus the iPhone SE (second generation) and later. Some Apple Intelligence and Siri features need newer hardware.
To check your version, open Settings, then General, then About. To update, go to Settings, then General, then Software Update, as MacRumors describes. If your iPhone cannot run iOS 27, most of the steps below still work on iOS 26.
Step 1: Open the Customize Panel
Press and hold an empty area of the Home Screen. TechCrunch’s guide to iOS 26 says to tap Customize, which opens the panel for icon appearance. From there you choose the following.
Background Mode
Pick a light, dark, or automatic appearance for the Home Screen.
Icon Size
Choose large or small icons. Large icons hide the labels and make the grid feel more spacious.
Icon Style
Choose default, dark, clear, or tinted. Tap the Home Screen when you are done to exit.
TechCrunch’s guide was written for iOS 26, so confirm the labels match on your device after updating.
Step 2: Choose an Icon Style
Default
Icons keep their original colors. This is the safest choice if you want the least change.
Dark
Icons use darker backgrounds, which suits a dark wallpaper.
Clear
Icons take on the glass look of Liquid Glass, with a see-through appearance that lets the wallpaper show through.
Tinted
Tinted icons use a single color. TechCrunch explains that you can use the eyedropper to pick a color from your wallpaper, then adjust the color and opacity sliders. That is the easiest way to make a matching, cohesive layout.
There is also a hardware-matching option. In jiggle mode, go to Edit, then Customize, then Tinted. Tap the iPhone button on the far left to match your device’s color, or the button to its right to match your case. TechCrunch notes that matching a case requires an official MagSafe case.
Step 3: Use the New Liquid Glass Slider in iOS 27
Macworld reports that iOS 27 adds a Liquid Glass slider that adjusts the look from ultraclear to fully tinted. MacRumors places it under Settings, then Appearance, then Liquid Glass, and describes it as system-wide instead of limited to the Lock Screen. It affects the clock, buttons, widgets, and notifications.
If you find the glass effect hard to read against a busy wallpaper, move the slider toward the tinted end. If you like the see-through look, move it toward the clear end. Try both with your actual wallpaper, since legibility changes with image.
Step 4: Set Your Wallpaper and Layout
Press and hold the Home Screen until the icons jiggle, then tap Edit, then Edit Wallpaper. TechCrunch notes you can also change wallpaper in the Settings app. To move icons, hold until they wiggle, then drag them into place. Icons still snap to an invisible grid, so you cannot place them anywhere on the screen.
Two layout habits make a Home Screen look intentional. Leave a row of empty space where the wallpaper’s subject sits, and group apps by color or by purpose in folders. A clean layout helps more than a heavy theme.
Step 5: Add and Arrange Widgets
Built-In Widgets
Enter jiggle mode, tap Edit, then Add Widget, and pick an app’s widget. TechCrunch notes built-in widgets have a glass look in iOS 26. Macworld says the Home Screen in iOS 27 supports extra-large widgets, which let you put more information on one page.
Custom Widgets With Widgy
For a design Apple’s widgets cannot produce, TechCrunch describes using the third-party app Widgy.
- Download the Widgy file to the Files app or iCloud Drive, and unzip it if needed.
- In Widgy, go to the Create tab, tap Import, and select the file.
- In the Manage tab, tap Set up Transparency and upload screenshots of your Home Screen wallpaper in light and dark mode.
- Set each widget’s position.
- Enter jiggle mode and tap Edit, then Add Widget, then Widgy to add it.
Downloaded widget files come from strangers, so import only from creators you trust, and review which data the widget asks to read.
Step 6: Customize the Lock Screen
For the basic steps, TechCrunch says to press and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize, and pick a photo. A Spatial Scene button on the right turns on a 3D effect, and another button sets up shuffling or other wallpaper options.
What iOS 27 Adds
MacRumors lists five Lock Screen features for iOS 27. The first is Extend Your Wallpaper, where Apple Intelligence generates extra image content around a photo’s edges so it fills the screen without aggressive cropping. The second is a compact clock mode, found in the Font and Color panel, which shrinks the time beside the date and widgets. The third is AI-generated wallpapers, where Image Playground creates a wallpaper from a text description and sets it directly. The fourth is the Liquid Glass opacity slider described above. The fifth is a redesigned Siri interface, with an animated orb in the Dynamic Island.
The article does not say which iPhone models support each feature. Macworld notes that some Apple Intelligence features need newer hardware, so some of these options may not appear on older phones.
What Is Still Only a Rumor
MacRumors reported on April 20, 2026, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, that iOS 27 would add Undo and Redo buttons to the Home Screen customization menu. Long-pressing the screen would show two arrows alongside Add Widget, Customize, Edit Wallpaper, and Edit Pages. That was a report, and Apple had not announced it. Nothing reviewed for this article confirms whether the feature shipped, so check your own iPhone before relying on it.
A pre-release PhoneArena guide said iOS 27 would drop support for the iPhone 11. Macworld’s later article, updated October 11, 2026, lists the iPhone 11 as supported, which supersedes the rumor.
Design Tips That Make a Layout Look Finished
Start With the Wallpaper
Choose the wallpaper first, then pick icon style and widget colors to match it. Tinted icons with the eyedropper do this automatically.
Limit Your Palette
Two or three colors look cohesive. More starts to look cluttered.
Keep Utility on the First Page
Put the apps you open daily on page one, and push the rest to later pages or the App Library.
Match the Lock Screen and Home Screen
Using the same photo or a coordinated pair makes the phone feel designed. The compact clock mode in iOS 27 helps keep the Lock Screen uncluttered.
Test in Light and Dark Mode
Widgy’s setup asks for wallpaper screenshots in both modes for a reason. A layout can look good in one mode and be unreadable in the other.
Check Legibility Outdoors
A glass or clear icon that looks sharp indoors can wash out in sunlight. If text is hard to read, move the slider toward tinted.
Common Problems
The Customize Button Is Missing
You may be on an older iOS version. Update in Settings, General, Software Update, or use the jiggle-mode Edit menu on older versions.
A Feature Does Not Appear
Some AI-based options depend on hardware. Macworld notes some Apple Intelligence and Siri features need newer iPhones.
Widgets Look Misaligned
Redo the transparency setup in Widgy using fresh screenshots of the current wallpaper.
Three Layouts You Can Copy
The Minimal Look
Choose a plain dark or light wallpaper, set the icon style to dark or default, and use large icons so the labels disappear. Add one extra-large widget on the first page and keep the rest of the page empty. Move the slider in Settings toward the tinted end for crisp icons.
The Matched-Color Look
Choose a wallpaper with a dominant color. Set icons to tinted, use the eyedropper to pick that color, then adjust the color and opacity sliders until the icons read clearly. Group apps by function in folders so the page stays tidy.
The Glass Look
Pick a colorful photo as the wallpaper, set icons to clear, and move the slider toward ultraclear. Use built-in widgets, which have the glass appearance. This look depends on the wallpaper, so try several before settling.
Keeping Your Setup When You Update
Customization settings usually persist through updates, but it is wise to take a screenshot of your Home Screen pages before updating. If something resets, you have a reference to rebuild from. Back up your iPhone before any major version change, and keep Widgy files saved in Files or iCloud Drive so you can import them again.
Quick Reference: Where Each Setting Lives
Customize panel for icon style, size, and background: press and hold the Home Screen, then tap Customize. Widgets: jiggle mode, then Edit, then Add Widget. Wallpaper: jiggle mode, then Edit, then Edit Wallpaper, or the Settings app. Tinted match to device or case color: jiggle mode, then Edit, then Customize, then Tinted. Liquid Glass slider: Settings, then Appearance, then Liquid Glass. Lock Screen: press and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize. Software update: Settings, then General, then Software Update.
These paths come from the TechCrunch guide for iOS 26 and the MacRumors and Macworld reports on iOS 27, so confirm them on your own device after updating.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my iPhone icon style?
Press and hold the Home Screen, tap Customize, and choose default, dark, clear, or tinted. For tinted icons, use the eyedropper to pick a color from your wallpaper.
What is new in iOS 27 for customization?
Macworld and MacRumors report a Liquid Glass slider under Settings, Appearance, extra-large Home Screen widgets, a compact Lock Screen clock, Extend Your Wallpaper, and AI-generated wallpapers.
Does iOS 27 support the iPhone 11?
Yes, according to Macworld, which lists the iPhone 11 and later and the iPhone SE (second generation) and later as supported.
Are there Undo and Redo buttons for the Home Screen?
A Bloomberg report said they were coming in iOS 27, but no source reviewed confirms it shipped. Check your own device.
Can I make custom widgets on iPhone?
Yes. TechCrunch describes using the third-party Widgy app: import a widget file, set up transparency with wallpaper screenshots, and add it through the widget menu.
References and Sources
Macworld, “iOS 27 is here”: https://www.macworld.com/article/2986799/ios-27-features-compatiblity-siri-ai-updates.html
MacRumors, “iOS 27 Brings These Five New Features to Your iPhone Lock Screen”: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/15/ios-27-five-new-features-iphone-lock-screen/
MacRumors, “iOS 27 to Change How You Customize Your iPhone Home Screen”: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/20/ios-27-customize-your-iphone-home-screen/
TechCrunch, “How to customize your iPhone Home Screen for iOS 26’s Liquid Glass”: https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/how-to-customize-your-iphone-home-screen-for-ios-26s-liquid-glass/
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