How to prevent apps from downloading to the Home screen in iOS 14

iOS 14 includes a new App Library section that organizes your apps on a single page for easier and faster access. This has been introduced to help you unclog your iPhone home screen. In addition, you have the option to stop (prevent) downloading of apps on the home screen. Instead, you can have them available only in the app library.

If you enable this feature, the apps will still be downloaded to your iPhone entirely (not as an app clip). However, their icon will not be automatically added to the first free location on the available pages of the home screen. You can use Spotlight search to display the app icon or search for it in the app library search box.
This helps you keep a lean version of the iPhone home screen.

How to store downloads of new apps in the app library only

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down to Homepage.
3. To select “Application library only” in the New app downloads screen section.
Point: You can also enable the display of notification badges in the app library. If you decide to hide all pages in the app and plan to use a light version of the Home screen, you might want to show badges in the app library.

Other iOS 14 Home Screen Changes

Along with the recently added app library, iPhone and iPad home screens benefit from many other new features:
– Standard and third-party Home screen widgets are now available in iOS 14 / iPadOS 14.
– hide home screen pages containing rarely used applications.

Do you plan to hide the app pages for easier access to the app library? Let us know using the comments section available below.

Related: Check out all the important new features of iOS 14 for iPhone and iPad!