iOS 14: A breakdown of Apple’s new update that accidentally turned into a trend

Immediately after Apple announced that they would be releasing the iOS 14 update, the newest iPhone update, my TikTok For You page was flooded with everyone’s different home screen customizations, ranging anywhere from Pantone, to Club Penguin themes. People have either used the pre-made widgets that Apple provided, or added their own custom app covers and photos to match their aesthetic.

In September, Apple held its annual conference to announce their new products and features. While they announced a plethora of new technology such as new iPads and Apple Watches, the most anticipated was the free iOS 14 update, accessible to all iPhone users.

To customize your iPhone, there are a few steps you’ll need to take. First, update your phone to iOS 14. For customization you’ll need to download ‘Widgetsmith,’ free in the app store, and make sure that you still have ‘Shortcuts,’ which comes pre-installed on your phone.

Starting with ‘Widgetsmith,’ you can use this app to add custom widgets to your home screen. When scrolling through the app, my excitement levels rose, as the app exceeded my expectations, and the design-loving me was obsessed with all the custom calendars and clocks, as well as photo options and sizes.

Another new feature is the ability to change app names and covers. You can do this by going into ‘Shortcuts’ and clicking the plus button in the top right corner followed by ‘add action.’ Then, click on ‘scripting,’ ‘open app’ and the ‘choose’ button will let you pick which app you’d like to switch up. After choosing the app, clicking the three dots in the corner and pressing ‘add to home screen’ will allow you to name your shortcut and change the cover photo.

The tedious part of having app covers is that everytime you click on the app, it will redirect you to ‘Shortcuts’ before taking you to the app.

There are so many different ways to switch up your phone with the new update. Although people have different preferences and organizational methods, when it comes to widgets there’s an option for everyone. For me, I don’t like my phone to be too cluttered, so I moved a few of my apps that I don’t use very often into my app library. With fall approaching, I used browns, reds, oranges and pinks, along with some fall Pinterest photos to give my phone the Autumn spirit. Since I loved customizing my phone for the season, I’ll be changing up my home screen every chance I get 一 that is, when I’m not working on online school.