iOS 18: Hide App Names on Your iPhone Home Screen

[Populus]

I think this is going to be my go-to whenever I update to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 my devices. Not only the icons get bigger but also the widgets, which I find pretty useful. And getting rid of the labels is great but this setting shouldn’t imply making icons bigger, but being a separate toggle.

 

[platinumaqua]

This is something I would use if app developers doesn't randomly change their icons for one reason or another

 

[JoeMaj]

I prefer the look of the larger icons without labels, the screen looks just right to me. I'm sure they did lots of internal testing and decided they needed to enlarge the icons or there would to much empty space between them. An option to remove labels and optionally enlarge the icons would be nice but don't take away the enlarged icons.

 

[JosephAW]

Haven’t read the article yet, question is does it give you an extra row of icons?

 

[MacAddict1978]

Whoa? Which Android? Symbian and Windows CE have been there even before some android started as a project. They also had home screens. Just think about it.

I'll give you Symbian.... but....

Windows CE? Are you kidding me? That was a "desktop" and please don't call it anything else. It literally replicated the Windows desktop - start button and all.

Also, Symbian did not have this feature so.... back to OP's point, Android has had this almost since version 1 (stressing almost). As well as custom icons, skins, resizing options.... IOS is getting it's 2010 on these days.

 

[Razorpit]

My home screen is such a disaster. Rarely do I ever launch an app from it's icon. I almost exclusively pull down, type the application name in and launch it from there. I miss the days when you use to be able to use iTunes to help arrange apps.

 

[CrysisDeu]

And the corner radius no longer matches up

 

[The Apple Bitch]

*someone on Beta program please request.

Sir, yes sir 🫡. It has been requested.

 

[Skyscraperfan]

Maybe Apple does not allow more icons on the screen, because Apple wants you to buy a foldable phone next year, if you want more icons on a screen.

 

[Zwhaler]

So what? Was it launched prior to Symbian and Windows CE?

Of course not, and I don’t understand your point. Symbian and Windows CE aren’t directly comparable to iPhone since Android came out and lasting through to today. To your credit it isn’t the first time Apple has “borrowed” features of a user interface.

 

[tcatsninfan]

I really like this option. I've been using custom icons and removed app names already, but I'm glad that Apple is offering this.

As others have said:

1. Removing app names should be independent from making the icons bigger
2. Apple needs to add a direct way of changing app icons instead of having to use Shortcuts

It's true that making the icons bigger looks a little bit weird, but I think it's less weird than having so much empty space between icons (if you're someone like me who uses custom app icons and already had the app names removed).

 

[tcatsninfan]

My home screen is such a disaster. Rarely do I ever launch an app from it's icon. I almost exclusively pull down, type the application name in and launch it from there. I miss the days when you use to be able to use iTunes to help arrange apps.

That seems like a lot of extra work, swiping down and typing in app names each time, especially when you could have your top 24 most-used apps on your first home screen.

You know that you can long press on the home screen and rearrange apps, right?

 

[svish]

Good to have this option. But don't think I will be using this.

 

[jvcoorey]

are you hinting that a MacRumors app finally launching? 😉
…or is that a web app…

 

[Razorpit]

That seems like a lot of extra work, swiping down and typing in app names each time, especially when you could have your top 24 most-used apps on your first home screen.

You know that you can long press on the home screen and rearrange apps, right?

I keep a few core apps on the main screen, but all other screens are a mess. Yes I know about the long press and rearranging that way but it's almost like playing a side scroller video game. I especially love when trying to drop an app in to a particular folder and the folder keeps jumping from one side to another. Like it's reverse polarity or something. 🙃

Man, I miss iTunes...

 

[macabrumorsab]

So what? Was it launched prior to Symbian and Windows CE?

It is irrelevant what those systems were doing. Apple have mainly been copying from One UI and its Good Lock for years. IOS 18 offers the biggest adoption of Samsung features yet. Apple don't look into dead systems which they don't have to compete with.