In iOS 18, currently in beta, Apple has broadened the customization options for the Home Screen on iPhone, and thanks to a new setting it is now possible to make app icons and widgets bigger by hiding their labels.

big icons home screen
With the setting enabled in iOS 18, the names of apps are removed from the grid, which increases the size of the icons and widgets on your Home Screen with the space saved. With larger icons, you still get a maximum of six icon rows with four icons each, the same that you're limited to when icon names are turned on.

If you're familiar enough with your favorite apps that you don't feel the need to see the names underneath the icons, then it's worth giving it a try. With the labels removed, the design of your app icons takes center stage, resulting in a cleaner look for your Home Screen. Note that this setting is universal, so you cannot have small icons on one app page and large icons on a different app page.

The following steps show you how it's done.

  1. Press on an empty space on your Home Screen to enter jiggle mode.
  2. Tap the Edit button in the top-left corner, then choose Customize.
  3. Tap the Large option in the customization panel.
  4. Tap on an empty space to hide the customization panel.

Home Screen
That's all there is to it. If you decide you want to see app labels again, simply repeat the steps, but choose the Small option in the customization panel instead. iOS 18 is currently in public beta and will be officially released to iPhone users in the fall.

Top Rated Comments

drinkingtea Avatar
10 months ago
I wish we could hide the labels without the icons going gigantic. Ugly.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
10 months ago
i want to keep icons the same size and remove names. when i increase the icon size it makes my iphone feel like a silly kids toy and a phone my grandparents would use!
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gatorvet96 Avatar
10 months ago
Keep icons the same size and remove the titles and we can get an extra row of icons on page. On my Max the icons look ridiculously large.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zwhaler Avatar
10 months ago
Finally after a dozen years, iPhone is catching up to Android in terms of basic home screen customization.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markgpearse Avatar
10 months ago
It not only removes app names :), but also removes folder names :(. I would like to remove app names only and keep the small size.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
axantas Avatar
10 months ago

As well as covering more of the picture in the background.

Seems like something they can tweak through the Beta process (i.e. keep icons same size but remove text).

*someone on Beta program please request.
The option is just "make icons bigger". "Remove description" it can not be chosen separately. And as markgpearse writes, it also removes folder names. This is a bit silly then. I will report this.

Request done:
- make it selectable by user / Icon size / text /
- do not hide folder names, if selected.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...