iOS 27 Home Screen Ideas: 7 Setups Worth Copying

Q: Do these Home Screen setups need iOS 27?

Only some of them. The Extra Large widget and notification dots need iOS 27. Transparent widgets need iOS 26 or later. Dark icons, nested folders, contact tiles and website tiles work on iOS 18 and later.

Q: How many apps fit on one iOS 27 Home Screen page?

A WidgetLoft Extra Large widget holds up to 77 apps with small icons, 54 with medium icons, 40 with large icons and 24 with extra large icons. On iPad the wide Extra Large widget holds up to 72.

Quick answer: The best iOS 27 Home Screen ideas build on the new Extra Large widget, which fills a whole page. Pair it with an app launcher like WidgetLoft (formerly FolderMini) and you can fit up to 77 apps on one page, go fully dark, add glass widgets, or nest folders by routine.

iOS 27 arrived on September 14, 2026, and a fresh update is a great excuse to rethink your Home Screen. Here are seven setups worth copying.

What changed on the iOS 27 Home Screen

The big news is the Extra Large widget size. It covers a full Home Screen page (a 4×6 grid area), and Apple's own Calendar, Photos, Music and Weather support it, along with third-party apps. That means one widget per page, each page with a clear job. Our Extra Large widget guide covers the size in detail.

7 iOS 27 Home Screen ideas

The one-page launcher. Put a WidgetLoft Extra Large widget on your first page. With small icons it holds up to 77 apps, and each tile opens its app directly, with no Shortcuts app in between.
All-dark everything. Set Settings → Widget → "Dark Icon Appearance" to Dark or Automatic. Popular apps come with ready-made dark icons, Apple's apps use Apple's real dark icons, and apps you add by App Store search get a dark icon made right on the phone. A few icons stay light when they are already dark or too complex to recolor.
The glass look. In Edit Group, choose the "Transparent" material and set a photo wallpaper. The regular widget is fully see-through, while the "WidgetLoft · Liquid Glass" widget adds a frosted glass look.
Folders by routine. Tap "New Folder" inside a group to make Work, Travel and Fitness folders. On the widget a folder opens in place, with a back tile to go up one level.
The people row. Add contact tiles for the people you talk to most. Choose Call, Message, FaceTime or WhatsApp. Phone and FaceTime place the call directly; WhatsApp opens the conversation.
Web shortcuts in your browser. Add website tiles, then pick Chrome, Firefox, Brave or another browser under "Opening Websites". With a non-default browser, WidgetLoft opens for a moment first.
Notification dots. New on iOS 27: a Shortcuts automation can show a dot on the tiles of the apps you care about. It is a dot, not a count, and it clears when you open the app from the widget.

Tip: mix and match. Use the launcher on page one and Apple's Extra Large Calendar or Photos widget on page two.

Step-by-step: build your iOS 27 Home Screen

Update and install. Update to iOS 27 and install WidgetLoft. It is free to try.
Create a group. In the Groups tab, make a group and add apps by searching the App Store inside the app, or use Share → WidgetLoft on an App Store page.
Style it. In Edit Group, pick Colour (12 themes or Custom) or Transparent, and choose an icon size.
Add the Extra Large widget. Long-press an empty spot on the Home Screen, add a WidgetLoft widget in the Extra Large size and choose your group.
Finish it. Set your dark icon appearance, add contact or website tiles, and set up notification dots under Settings → "Notification Dots".

Which setup fits you

| Setup | Best for | | --- | --- | | One-page launcher | Fewer pages and less swiping | | All-dark icons | A calm look at night | | Glass widgets | Showing off your wallpaper | | Folders by routine | Many apps, grouped by context | | People row and web tiles | One tap to a person or a site |

WidgetLoft handles every idea on this list inside standard iOS widgets. Start with one setup and add the rest later. Free users get up to 6 groups and 21 library apps; WidgetLoft Pro lifts those limits and removes ads.

Common questions

Do these Home Screen setups need iOS 27? Only some. The Extra Large widget and notification dots need iOS 27, and transparent widgets need iOS 26 or later. Dark icons, nested folders, contact tiles and website tiles work on iOS 18 and later.

How many apps fit on one iOS 27 Home Screen page? Up to 77 with small icons in a WidgetLoft Extra Large widget, 54 with medium icons, 40 with large icons and 24 with extra large icons. On iPad the wide Extra Large widget holds up to 72.

Do notification dots show how many notifications I have? No. It is a dot, not a count. It clears when you open that app from the widget, and websites, Shortcuts tiles and contacts cannot have dots.

Ready to rebuild your Home Screen? Download WidgetLoft on the App Store and copy your favorite setup today.