iOS 14 App Library and Widget Customization
Android users are probably chuckling about this “new” feature, but Apple is slowly giving iOS users more home screen customization options. First up is App Library (above, right), which allows for a simplified at-a-glance look at apps, both A to Z and in custom blocks. On the left is a suggestion section, which uses on-device intelligence to show the apps your iPhone thinks you’ll want to access at any given time. On the right is a list of apps you recently downloaded for quick access. And below are customized groups of apps that you can configure how you please.
For those who want to mix it up and move away from Apple’s now-familiar rows of apps, iOS 14 will let you drag widgets and drop them next to your apps (above, left), and pick how big or small you’d like them to appear. A Smart Stack option will also display widgets based on the time of the day; news in the morning, meeting alerts during the day, and evening plans later on in the day, for example.
