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How do I delete custom Apple iPhone icons?

Saw your earlier note about creating custom Apple iPhone website icons and think it's very cool, but I'm wondering: how did you delete the icon you didn't want to keep?


Dave's Answer:

The latest version of Apple's iPhone operating system (1.1.3) indeed includes a terrific feature wherein you can now bookmark your favorite Web sites with custom icons showing up right on the home screen. It's one of the coolest additions to the phone since I bought it on day #2 of The iPhone Era, and I already have a half-dozen bookmarks on my home screen, including a link to Google Calendar rather than worrying about the iPhone calendar, Twitter, Meebo and, yes, my own site too.

All well and good, and the ability to move the icons around and rearrange things to best meet your own needs (including the icons on the navigational bar on the bottom of the screen) is also cool, but how do ya do it?

It's easy once you learn the trick: Simply put your finger on an icon and hold it in place for a few seconds. After about two seconds all the icons will be wiggling back and forth in a rather amusing way, and it'll look like this:

Apple iPhone: Customize Home Screen

To move icons around now, simply touch and drag them to where you want: everything else moves out of the way and zips around on the screen to make space as necessary.

As with Apple's dashboard widgets, iPhone icons that aren't part of the standard set gain a small black circle with a white "x" on the top left (you can see a few of them in the screen capture above). To delete one of these user-defined icons, simply tap on the "X":

Apple iPhone: Delete Home Screen Icon

Tap "Delete" and you've zapped it.



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Comments

Thank you thank you thank you..............I couldn't get rid of a repeat widget and followed your succinct directions. Presto!!!!!!!! Gone!!!! Once again I'm enchanted.

Posted by: Claudia Behr at January 24, 2008 11:51 AM

If you want to add iphone icons of your favorite websites to your iphone homescreen check out www.icons4iphone.com

Posted by: Mike Witherspoon at February 4, 2008 9:52 PM

I have a 1.0.2 iphone and cannot delete icon. Even after holding it for a few second it doesn't wiggled.

Posted by: Jay at February 12, 2008 10:11 PM

I tried your suggestion on how to remove the custom icons from the iphone home page and it worked perfectly :) Thank you!

Posted by: Karmen at February 17, 2008 2:06 AM

Cool! Good to know! Appreciate it!

Posted by: Jen at April 7, 2008 10:35 AM

when I hold them they are wiggling and I can move them, but there is no X to delete them!!!!

I got 1.1.3 can someone help me?

Posted by: jan at April 22, 2008 12:58 AM

Outstanding advice, my thanks

Posted by: William at April 23, 2008 6:36 AM

Jan, if you don't have the little "X" on the top left of the icon when they're all wiggling, it's because it represents a system feature and you can't delete it. For example, the Calculator.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at April 23, 2008 8:09 AM

I have a lot to say, but ...
Starbucks coffee cup I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!









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