This article explains how to move apps from the App Library to the home screen on your iPhone, including how to find an app with Spotlight and then add it to your home screen.

What to Know

  • App Library > long press the app > tap Add to Home Screen. You can also search for apps from the App Library and add them to your home screen from the search results.

How Do I Put an App Back on My iPhone Home Screen?

If you used to have an app on your iPhone’s home screen, and it isn’t there anymore, it’s probably still accessible through the App Library. To put the app back on your home screen, you can either long press the app in your App Library and select the move to home screen option, or drag the app from your App Library to the home screen.

Here’s how to move an app from your App Library to the home screen:

  • From the home screen, swipe left until you reach the App Library.
  • You may only need to swipe once, but you will need to swipe several times if you have a lot of home screens. Don’t stop until you arrive at the App Library.
  • Locate and long press on the app you want to have on your home screen.
  • If you keep holding your finger on the app even longer, you will eventually be able to drag it to the home screen manually.
  • Tap Add to Home Screen.
  • The add to home screen option will not appear if the app is already on the home screen, even if it’s on a hidden home screen. Instead, you need to push and hold the app until the screen flips back to your home screen, then drop the app there.
  • The app will appear on your home screen.

How to Get an iPhone App Back That Isn’t in the App Library

The App Library groups your apps based on various categories, and it’s also designed to provide easy access to apps you use a lot. That means it won’t always display every app you have. If you want an app on your home screen, and you don’t see it in the App Library, then you can find it using the Spotlight search bar in the App Library.

From the home screen, swipe left until you reach the App Library.

You may only need to swipe once, but you will need to swipe several times if you have a lot of home screens. Don’t stop until you arrive at the App Library.

Locate and long press on the app you want to have on your home screen.

If you keep holding your finger on the app even longer, you will eventually be able to drag it to the home screen manually.

Tap Add to Home Screen.

The add to home screen option will not appear if the app is already on the home screen, even if it’s on a hidden home screen. Instead, you need to push and hold the app until the screen flips back to your home screen, then drop the app there.

The app will appear on your home screen.

Here’s how to find an iPhone app with Spotlight and add it to your home screen:

If an app doesn’t appear in your App Library, even when you search for it, that means it was deleted instead of just removed from your home screen. To get back a missing iPhone app: open the App Store, search for the app, and reinstall it.

  • Swipe left until you reach the App Library.
  • Tap the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen.
  • Type the name of the app you’re looking for.
  • Tap and hold the app icon when it appears in the search results
  • Continue holding the app icon.
  • Release the icon when you see the home screen in jiggle mode.
  • Tap any blank area on your home screen to place the app.

Swipe left until you reach the App Library.

Tap the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen.

Type the name of the app you’re looking for.

Tap and hold the app icon when it appears in the search results

Continue holding the app icon.

Release the icon when you see the home screen in jiggle mode.

Tap any blank area on your home screen to place the app.

  • How do I delete apps from the App Library?
  • You delete an app from the App Library the same way you remove any other app from your iPhone. From the App Library, search for the one you want to delete, and then tap and hold its icon until a menu appears. At the bottom, choose Delete App.
  • How do I get rid of the App Library?
  • The App Library is backed into iOS, so you can’t remove it from your phone. You can put things you download on your Home screen instead of the library by going to Settings > Home Screen and selecting Add to Home Screen under Newly Downloaded Apps.

You delete an app from the App Library the same way you remove any other app from your iPhone. From the App Library, search for the one you want to delete, and then tap and hold its icon until a menu appears. At the bottom, choose Delete App.

The App Library is backed into iOS, so you can’t remove it from your phone. You can put things you download on your Home screen instead of the library by going to Settings > Home Screen and selecting Add to Home Screen under Newly Downloaded Apps.

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