A decade of living with the familiar app grid on her iPhone had taken its toll on reviewer Allison Johnson. The cluttered home screen, filled with rows of icons vying for attention, had become oppressive. But with the introduction of iOS 18, Johnson saw an opportunity to hit reset and explore a more minimalist approach to her digital life.

The app grid, a staple of iPhone home screens since the device's inception, has long been a comfortable but ultimately limiting way to organize apps. Android users, on the other hand, have had the flexibility to customize their home screens with widgets and app drawers for years. iOS 14 took a step in this direction with the introduction of widgets and an app library, but it wasn't until iOS 18 that iPhone users were given the freedom to truly break free from the grid.

With iOS 18, users can now place apps and widgets anywhere on their home screen, change their colors, and add more functions to the Control Center. These features have enabled Johnson and others to rethink their home screen strategy, deleting unnecessary icons, arranging widgets, and adding controls to create a more peaceful and functional digital environment.

Johnson's own experiment in minimalism resulted in a home screen with just four apps in the dock and a handful of widgets spread across two pages. She affectionately calls this setup "Windows Phone 2.0." While it took some getting used to, Johnson reports that she doesn't miss the rows of icons at all, relying instead on Siri suggested apps and search to find what she needs.

Johnson isn't alone in her quest for a more streamlined digital life. Her colleagues, Wes Davis and Jay Peters, have also adopted innovative approaches to their home screens. Davis, a masterclass in functional iOS home screens, uses a combination of widgets, shortcuts, and grayscale icons to minimize visual clutter and reduce distractions. Peters, on the other hand, takes a more straightforward approach, limiting his home screen to just seven apps and relying on Spotlight search to find what he needs.

The benefits of this new approach are clear. By removing the constant presence of app icons, users can reduce distractions and create a more peaceful digital environment. As Johnson notes, "You don't have to wait for AI or the metaverse or whatever to make your digital life less annoying. There are tools in our hands already; you just need a little courage to leave your comfort zone behind."

The implications of this shift are significant. As users become more intentional about their home screen design, they may begin to rethink their relationship with their devices and the apps that populate them. With iOS 18, Apple has given users the tools to take control of their digital lives, and it will be interesting to see how this trend evolves in the future.

In the meantime, Johnson's experiment serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes, the simplest solutions can have the greatest impact. By breaking free from the app grid, iPhone users can create a more peaceful, functional, and personalized digital existence – and that's a revolution worth embracing.