How Do I Change the Homepage on My iPhone?

By Randall Blackburn

Set a Safari browser shortcut as your Web homepage.
i Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images

Many iPhone 5 users are surprised to learn that the mobile version of the Safari Web browser does not support a set homepage without jailbreaking the device. You can, however, create a browser shortcut on your home screen that will open Safari to a designated page without any device modifications. Simply use the browser shortcut, instead of the Safari icon, to launch the Safari browser. If you are seeking instead to change your iPhone home screen layout, you can quickly customize this screen by reorganizing and deleting app icons without jailbreaking your phone.

Create Browser Shortcut

Step 1

Tap the “Safari” icon in the springboard screen to open the Web browser.

Step 2

Navigate to the Web page to set as your homepage.

Step 3

Tap the “Share” icon in the bottom toolbar to open the Share menu.

Step 4

Tap the “Add to Home Screen” icon. The Add to Home dialog box opens.

Step 5

Type a name for the shortcut in the input field, and then tap “Add.” The browser shortcut is saved to your home screen. When you tap the shortcut, Safari opens the designated page.

Rearrange Home Screen Icons

Step 1

Tap and hold an icon in the home screen. All icons begin to wiggle on the screen, and an “X” appears in the upper left corner of each icon image.

Step 2

Continue to hold the icon, and then drag the icon to a new location on the screen. As you move the icon around the screen, the other icons move to accommodate the new position. Release the icon to save it in its new location.

Step 3

Move an icon to an entirely different screen by dragging it right off the screen to the right. Again, release the icon to save it on the other screen.

Step 4

Repeat dragging, dropping and deleting icons to achieve your desired custom layout.

Step 5

Press the “Home” key to save the custom layout.

Return Home Screen to Default Layout

Step 1

Tap the gear icon in the iPhone springboard to open the Settings menu.

Step 2

Tap the “General” option, and then tap “Reset” to open the Reset Settings menu.

Step 3

Tap the “Reset Home Screen Layout” option to return your home screen to the default layout. A confirmation dialog box displays. Tap the red button labeled “Reset Home Screen.” The home screen returns to the default layout.

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