How to fix blank icons for your iPhone home screen

Understanding and Fixing Blank Icons on Your iPhone Home Screen

Blank icons on your iPhone home screen can be frustrating and disrupt the aesthetic you want to achieve. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to fix and prevent these issues, ensuring your home screen looks exactly as you want it to.

Identifying the Issue

Before diving into the solutions, it's crucial to understand why blank icons might appear. These issues often arise due to customization attempts, storage problems, or software glitches. Here are some common reasons:

Customization Attempts: If you've tried to create custom or blank icons using third-party methods, these can sometimes leave behind blank icons.
Storage Issues: When your iPhone runs low on storage, it can cause icons to disappear or appear as blank spaces.
Software Glitches: Occasionally, software bugs can cause icons to malfunction or appear blank.

Method 1: Removing Blank Icons

If you have blank icons on your home screen, here’s how you can remove them:

Enter Edit Mode: Press and hold anywhere on the home screen until the icons start shaking.
Delete Blank Icons: Tap the minus (–) button on each blank icon and then tap "Delete" when prompted.
Reset Home Screen: If the issue persists, try resetting your home screen layout. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout.

Method 2: Clearing Storage Space

Low storage can cause various issues, including blank icons. Here’s how to free up space:

Check Storage: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see which apps and files are taking up the most space.
Delete Unnecessary Data: Remove large files, videos, and unused apps to free up at least 1GB of storage space.
Reboot Your iPhone: After clearing storage, reboot your iPhone by pressing and holding the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

Method 3: Using the Shortcuts App for Customization

If you want to create a clean home screen without using third-party apps, you can use the Shortcuts app to create blank spaces:

Open Shortcuts App: Go to the Shortcuts app and navigate to the "My Shortcuts" tab.
Create Blank Icons: Use the "Blank Icon Maker" shortcut to create blank icons. This shortcut allows you to select specific locations on your home screen where you want to place these blank icons.
Install Configuration Profile: After creating the blank icons, you will be prompted to install a configuration profile. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete this step.
Add Blank Icons to Home Screen: Once the profile is installed, go back to your home screen, enter edit mode, and add the blank icons to your desired locations.

Method 4: Creating a Blank Home Screen Page

If you want a completely blank home screen page, you can achieve this without using any third-party apps:

Create a New Home Screen Page: Enter edit mode on your home screen, scroll to the right, and add a new page.
Add a Temporary Icon: Add any icon to this new page.
Remove the Icon: Go to the all pages view by tapping the dots at the bottom, uncheck all other pages except the new one, and then remove the temporary icon from the new page.
Re-enable Other Pages: If needed, you can always re-enable the other home screen pages by going back to the all pages view and checking the boxes for those pages.

Preventing Future Issues

To avoid blank icons in the future, consider the following:

Regularly Clean Up Storage: Ensure you have enough free storage space to prevent software glitches.
Avoid Over-Customization: Be cautious when using third-party methods to customize your home screen, as these can sometimes lead to issues.
Keep Your iPhone Updated: Regularly update your iPhone to the latest software version, as updates often include bug fixes that can resolve such issues.

By following these steps, you can effectively fix and prevent blank icons on your iPhone home screen, ensuring it looks exactly how you want it to.