How to set up a simple iPhone Home Screen for a parent

1. Decide what goes on page 1

• Pick the 8 to 12 apps they really use: usually Phone, Messages, Camera, Photos, FaceTime and one or two favourites.
• Put Phone and Messages in the Dock so they're on every page.
• Leave page 1 with some empty space. Fewer, bigger targets are easier to hit.
• Move everything else to a second page, into a folder, or off the Home Screen into the App Library.

2. Make things bigger and clearer

• Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size to make text larger, and turn on Bold Text.
• Settings > Display & Brightness > Display Zoom and choose Larger Text (on iPhones that offer it) to make icons and text bigger everywhere.
• Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text for even bigger text in apps that support it.

3. Consider Assistive Access

If the standard iPhone is too much, Apple's own Assistive Access (iOS 17 and later) replaces it with a simplified interface with large buttons and only the apps you choose. Set it up in Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access. It may be a better fit than any Home Screen layout.

4. Arrange the apps on the iPhone

1. Touch and hold an empty part of the Home Screen until the apps start to jiggle. You can also touch and hold any app and choose Edit Home Screen.
2. Drag an app to a new spot on the same page.
3. To move it to another page, drag it to the left or right edge of the screen and wait for the next page to slide in, then drop it.
4. To move several apps at once, start dragging one app, then tap other apps with a second finger to add them to the stack.
5. Tap Done in the top-right corner when you're finished.

Tip: tell them that apps you remove from the Home Screen aren't gone. They're in the App Library, one swipe past the last page.