How to Change the Icons at the Bottom of My iPad Screen: A Step-by-Step Guide

personalise your iPad’s bottom icons with ease

Swapping out the icons at the bottom of your iPad can make it feel more like your own. It’s not just about making it look good — it also helps you get to your favourite apps quicker. If you’ve ever spent ages flicking through screens trying to find that one app, this little trick will change your life.

How to customise those Dock icons

First up, the area you’re editing is called the “dock”. It’s your quick-access spot for your most-used apps. When you personalise it, your iPad feels more intuitive — always a good thing. Why have a cluttered Home Screen when you can streamline it instead?

Enter Edit Mode by Holding an App

Start by tapping and holding an app icon on your Home Screen until all the icons start wiggleing. You’ll recognise it when they do their little dance. If that doesn’t work, you can also go via Settings > Home Screen > Use Start Screen in List View, but honestly, just holding the icon is easiest:

• Press and hold an app icon.
• Or tap an app and select Edit Home Screen.

While everything’s dancing about, you can move apps around and even create folders if you’re feeling a bit fancy.

Drag an App into the Dock

While still in wiggle mode, drag the app you want into the dock. If the dock’s full — only 15 slots, unfortunately — you’ll need to free up a space first:

• Drag an app out of the dock back to the Home Screen to make room.
• Don’t worry, removing it from the dock doesn’t delete it — it just rests on your Home Screen now.

Quick tip: To access the dock quickly while moving apps around, just swipe up from the bottom edge. Easy as!

Position and Lock in Your Changes

When you’ve got the app where you want it in the dock, just let go. You can keep fiddling with the order until it’s just right. When done, tap Done or swipe up (on newer iPads) to lock it in.

Saving Your Layout

Once out of edit mode — especially on models without a Home button — just swipe up from the bottom to exit. Your custom layout is now saved.

Want to reset everything to factory settings? Head to:

• Settings > Home Screen & Dock
• Here you can toggle options like Show Suggested and Recent Apps or reset the entire layout.

If you want to reset the dock specifically, you can also go through:

• Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout.

Dock Customisation Tips

Keep your dock tidy. It’s better to keep your most-used apps there than a bunch of unused icons. Feeling adventurous? You can create folders right in the dock — just drag apps onto each other. Also:

• Long-press an app icon to see options, and select “Remove App” if you want to swap it out.
• Remember: the dock only holds 15 items, so choose wisely!

Periodically, check out Settings > Home Screen > Multitasking & Dock to see if there are any tweaks to be made.

FAQs About Dock Management

Can I put folders in the dock?

Absolutely! Just drag one app over another to create a folder. You can also move existing folders from your Home Screen into the dock — dead easy.

How many apps can sit in the dock?

Up to 15 items, including folders. If it’s full and you want to add more, you’ll need to remove something first.

How do I remove an app from the dock?

Long-press the app until you see the option Remove from Dock. If that doesn’t do it, just drag the app out back onto the Home Screen.

Rearranging apps—does it delete anything?

Nope, rearranging just changes the order. All your apps stay on your iPad; they’re just in a different spot.

Can the same app appear on the Home Screen and in the dock?

Yes! Adding an app to the dock just creates a shortcut — it doesn’t delete or move the original.

Quick Recap

1. Hold an app icon until it wiggles.
2. Drag it into the dock.
3. Release to set it in place.
4. Tap Done or swipe up to save your layout.

Final Words on Dock Customisation

Personalising those bottom icons can really improve how you use your iPad. For even more customisation, check out the Shortcuts App or third-party widgets. Creating custom icons with the Shortcuts app lets you craft a look that’s just your style. Want to give it a try? Just:

• Open Shortcuts
• Tap Create Shortcut
• Select Add Action > Open App
• Choose your app, tap the icon at the top to customise, and add it to your Home Screen.

This way, you get a personalised look that fits your vibe while making your favourite apps super easy to access.