How to put icon on home page

If a frequently used website is saved as a bookmark, you need to open Safari, open the Bookmarks menu, locate the bookmark in the list, and tap the bookmark for the website to load. While this is not a difficult process, having an icon on the Home screen will automatically open the website with one tap of the icon. No need to go searching through a list of bookmarks.

To add a website icon on the Home screen, open Safari and navigate to the website. In this example, we will create a website icon for the iAnswerGuy website. (After all, shouldn’t everyone have the iAnswerGuy at their fingertips?)

When the page has finished loading, select the Share button at the bottom center of the iPhone screen. The Share button is shaped like a square with an arrow coming out of the top.

On the iPad, the Share button is located in the top bar.

A menu will appear providing several options for how you would like to share the web page. Scroll down and select the item labeled “Add to Home Screen”.

Another screen will appear where you can choose a name for the Home screen icon. Either keep the default name provided or type another name you prefer. When you are ready, tap the Add button in the top right corner to create the icon on the Home screen.

Position the Icon On-screen

The icon can be repositioned on the screen similar to any other app. Just tap and hold the icon until a small menu appears and select Edit Home Screen.  All the apps will start to wiggle. Now drag the icon to the location you want. The icon can even be inserted in the quick-launch bar at the bottom of the screen, so it can be easily accessed no matter what Home screen you are viewing. If the quick-launch bar already contains four icons, one must be removed before a new one can be added. Tap on the screen in an area without an app (or press the Home button if your device has one) to exit the configuration mode (stop the apps from wiggling).

The next time you want to visit the website, simply tap the icon and the website will appear.

Multiple Website Icons

If you add website icons for several different websites, you can create a folder to store everything in one place. Tap and hold one icon to enter the configuration mode and drag the icon on top of another icon. A folder will be created containing the two icons. Add additional icons by dragging them onto the folder. The folder can even be placed in the quick-launch bar at the bottom of the screen.

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One of the best ways to personalize your iPhone is to add custom icons and tiles of various shapes and sizes for apps, widgets, and folders, anywhere on your home screens. You can also swap in images you choose and design in place of standard icons. This feature has been available since iOS 14, and in the upcoming iOS 16, you'll be able to make your customized home screen change automatically based on your Focus mode, as well as customize the lock screen.

As an example of how far you can go with icon customization, one user on Twitter used MS Paint(Opens in a new window) to produce amusingly amateur-looking icons. The secret here is the Shortcuts app. Read on to find out how to create a unique iOS home screens with custom icons and widgets.

How to Create Custom Icons for Your iPhone

Open the Shortcuts app(Opens in a new window) on your iPhone and tap the plus sign (+) in the upper right corner of the screen, which takes you to the New Shortcut page.

Choose Add Action.

(Credit: PCMag)

Tap on the Scripting icon. (If you're tempted to click on Apps, you'll only see actions created by the app maker, such as starting a tweet, rather than just opening the app.)

Select Open App, then select the three-dot menu icon at the top right to show Details.

Choose Add to Home Screen. Tap the lower, smaller icon next to the name of your new shortcut. The default name is New Shortcut; tap the circled X to rename it.

(Credit: PCMag)

Here we get to the meat of the tip: The mini Edit Icon menu lets you choose a file, a photo from your camera roll, or snap a picture with the iPhone's camera to replace the icon.

Tap Add to Home Screen and select the icon next to your shortcut under Home Screen Name and Icon.

In the pop-up window that appears, select File, Photo, or Take Photo. You can crop an image to customize what will show, but happily, the image needn't be square or a specific size.

(Credit: PCMag)

Tap Add > Done.

You can see my new icons for Acrobat and AccuWeather. I used Windows 10's Paint 3D to create the mock Acrobat icon.

(Credit: PCMag)

Note that while it's fun to create custom icons, there are drawbacks. For one, when you tap the custom icon to open the app, you don't go directly to the app. Instead, the action first opens the Shortcuts app, which then shunts you to the app you want.

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Also, you lose any long-press menu options the official icon provides. For example, the WhatsApp icon offers starting a chat or taking a picture on a long tap. The only options you get when you long-press a custom icon are to delete it (it's called a Bookmark in this menu rather than an App) or edit the home page.

Custom icons are fun, but I'm far more excited by widgets on the home screens. Adding a widget to a home page is extremely simple.

Long-tap on the home page, then tap the plus sign (+) button at the top—it's on the left on some iPhone models and the right for others.

Select the widget you want. You can then scroll through whatever size and design choices are available by swiping to the right.

(Credit: PCMag)

To make a selection, press the big blue Add Widget bar along the bottom of the screen. You may have to allow privacy information the app widget requires. That's it! Enjoy your new widget.

For more on iOS customization and other tweaks, read Hidden iPhone Tips and Tricks to Make You an iOS Pro.

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