Blank home screen on iPad or iPhone

Do you want an app-free blank home screen on your iPhone or iPad? Love a minimal look or just want to look at that beautiful wallpaper picture on your fantastic OLED screen? Or is your iPhone or iPad showing a blank/black screen like it’s not turned on?  Follow these steps and learn how to create an empty Homescreen on your iDevice today.

By default, your iPad or iPhone screens have the app icons that you installed or that came with your device. If you like simplicity and would like to see your wallpaper clearly, try this tip to create a blank home screen like the screen below. This tip helps you create an empty/blank home screen. Do not worry; applying this advice doesn’t remove any of your apps and will not change the order or arrangement of your app icons.

Getting a Blank or Black Home Screen?

Well, that’s an entirely different problem. For this issue, check out our article on troubleshooting blank or black iPhone or iPad screens.

If this problem occurred after an update to the latest iOS software and your screen is black and won’t turn on or do anything, connect your device to iTunes. It may take some time, but usually, your iPhone’s screen eventually returns.

A forced restart often helps, especially when connecting to iTunes is not a possibility.

No Time for Reading?

Check out of video tips for dealing with black and blank screens or times when your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch won’t turn on.

Bad News for Folks Using iOS 11 Who Want a Blank & Empty Home Screen

It appears that the methods outlined below do not work with iOS 11 and above. Darn it!

So for folks wanting a blank Home Screen for iOS 11/12, here are some alternatives:

• Swipe down your Notifications Screen and leave it on the screen when not interacting with your iPhone or another iDevice
• Remove all your widgets via the Edit button on the Widgets Screen. Then, swipe to the right to leave your iPhone on your empty widget page

There are four ways to create a blank home screen on iPad or iPhone Using iOS 10 and below

Method #1 Using iTunes 12.6.x or lower

You need a computer with iTunes version 12.6.x or less installed to be able to do this. If using iTunes 12.7 and above, Apple removed iTunes ability to manage your apps and home screens so move on to steps 2-4. 

Here is how to create a blank home screen with iTunes:

1. Connect your device to your computer with the USB cable and open iTunes
2. Click on your device name under the Devices menu

3. Choose the Apps menu where you see all of the apps installed on your device

4. Click on the [+] plus button. This action creates a new home screen page on your device. But for now, this page is the last page/screen.

5. Now drag the page you just created in the first place. Now Page 1 is a blank screen.

6. Click the Apply button so that these changes happen on your iPad or iPhone.

Now your first screen is blank. No app icons except the ones on the dock!

Method # 2 Leverage Folders

You do not need a computer for this method. This one requires you to create a folder. Here is how:

1. On your device, navigate to your Home Screen’s first screen and put all the apps on this first screen into a folder. To do this, tap on any app icon until it starts to jiggle, then drop that app onto another one by keeping your finger pressed down on the icon and moving it on the screen. This method creates a folder.
2. For folks using iOS 11, you can now make multiple-app selections by tapping one app, holding it and tapping each additional app to add it to that selection. To drag multiple apps, use a second finger to tap each additional app and add it to your app stack
3. Now using the same approach, place all of the apps into this folder. Press the home button or gesture bar to stop the apps from jiggling
4. Now move this folder to your second page. To do this, tap and hold on the folder until it starts to wiggle. Now move this to the edge of the screen, your folder goes to the second screen. Then press the home button. If you want, you may take all the apps out of the folder on the second screen, or you can keep it like that. Now your first page is blank/empty.

Method # 3 Create a New Home Screen

1. Create a new Home Screen page by pressing and dragging an icon from the last home screen to the right. This should automatically create another Home Screen Page
2. Navigate to your first Home Screen Page and select an app or folder, press and hold it then drag it to that rightmost Home Screen Page (the one you just set-up)
3. Move all of your first page apps and folders to this new location
   1. For folks using iOS 11, you can now make multiple-app selections by tapping one app, holding it and tapping each additional app to add it to that selection
   2. To drag multiple apps, use a second finger to tap each additional app and add it to your app stack
   3. Once done, with that second finger, swipe to that newly created home screen and move your apps over to it
4. After moving all the apps & folders, your first Home Screen should be blank, except for the apps on the Dock
   1. If you remove the apps from the Dock, they are deleted on all Home Screen Pages–essentially you’ll have an empty Dock
   2. You cannot change the look of the Dock–it remains a translucent bar at the bottom

Method # 4 The Faster Option to a Blank Home Screen

1. Navigate to your First Home Screen
2. Move all apps into a single folder
   1. Move any folders into that same single folder
   2. For folks using iOS 11, you can now make multiple-app selections by tapping one app, holding it and tapping each additional app to add it to that selection
   3. To drag multiple apps, use a second finger to tap each additional app and add it to your app stack
3. Press and hold that single folder and drag it all the way to the right
4. That folder moves into your Home Screen page 2 or creates a new Home Screen page
5. After moving, your first Home Screen should be blank, except for the apps on the Dock
   1. If you remove the apps from the Dock, they are deleted on all Home Screen Pages–essentially you’ll have an empty Dock
   2. You cannot change the look of the Dock–it remains a translucent bar at the bottom

This method is the down and dirty–it mashes all your apps together so if you value organization, this method is not for you.

And Don’t Forget to Change Your Wallpaper!

• Settings > Wallpaper > Choose a New Wallpaper > Select Wallpaper Picture
• Choose your Dynamic, Still or Live Wallpaper Image
• Select if you want this to display as a Still, Perspective, or Live Photo
  • Live Photo Option is not always available
• Tap Set > Select Lock Screen, Home Screen, or Both

Don’t want a blank home screen?

If you’re getting a blank first page on your Home Screen and don’t want it, it’s easy to delete! Either drag your apps and folders from a second page (or third etc.) to that first screen. Or, if using iTunes 12.6.x or lower, use iTunes app management and drag the blank page to the last position in iTunes and tap Apply, then sync to make the change on your iDevice.

Get back the Home screen default layout 

If you messed up or just don’t like the new look, it’s very simple to reset your screen’s layout back to factory defaults. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout > Reset Home Screen. That’s it!

Reader Tips 

• I created a blank icons on my Home Screen using the website iempty tooliphone–just follow the directions on the site. Then I could make my Home Screen blank to see the wallpaper! Worked on iOS 11 for me. P.S. There are other sites that do the same thing. I chose this one

SK( Managing Editor )

Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.

In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.