Fix your iPhone's Home Screen

I never realized it before, but I’m a hoarder when it comes to my iPhone’s Home Screen. I’ve got multiple pages filled with app icons that I literally never swipe over to tap.

There’s a much better way. This week’s featured how-to shows you three easy tips for quickly and easily simplifying your Home Screen layout — and explains why you should do it today.

Let the decluttering begin!

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

Apple looks likely to win the AI wars without firing a shot.
On this week’s Cult of Mac podcast, we discuss how to claim your slice of Apple’s $250 million Siri payout.
Don’t miss our buying guides to the best budget computer speakers and Vision Pro accessories.
People come up with some fantastic ways to add an iPad to a Mac setup.
If you’ve been putting off buying a Mac, you might want to pull the trigger ASAP.
Speaking of buying stuff at the right time, we found loads of deals on Apple gear this week, including best-ever prices on AirPods Max 2, the hot new MacBook Neo, the latest M4 iPad Air and the beloved AirPods Pro 3.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

Feature story

My top 3 tips for making an iPhone Home Screen that doesn't suck

Creating a custom, minimalist iPhone Home Screen layout that works and looks better comes down to three easy tweaks.

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How-tos

How to block ads (and other distracting things) on iPhone for free

Safari's Hide Distracting Items feature lets you remove ads from your iPhone, along with other annoyances like cookie banners.

How I stopped Final Cut Pro from filling up my Mac’s storage

If you use Final Cut Pro, you know how much storage its video libraries can eat up. Here's how to free up storage space in Final Cut Pro.

How to hide your secret iPhone photos

Keep your secret or illicit pics out of your main Photos library with our guide on how to hide photos on iPhone.

How to connect Apple Watch to a Planet Fitness treadmill

You can easily connect Apple Watch to a gym treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine and other gym equipment for more accurate health data.

News

The best time to buy a Mac is right now

A global memory shortage could make Macs harder to get, and pricier, than before. You should consider buying now to save money.

How Apple solved the MacBook Neo shortage

MacBook Neo demand is "off the charts," says Apple. The Mac maker won't let itself run out of inventory, but a price hike might be coming.

Plus, more Apple rumors:

Cash in on Siri's stupidity [Cult of Mac podcast No. 19]

Apple's failure to deliver Siri's AI upgrade costs the company $250 million. Get your slice of the pie!

How Apple will win the AI war

Apple's AI strategy might be summed up as "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Here's how iPhone and Mac users will benefit.

Apple unveils new Pride Collection Sport Loop, watch face and wallpapers

The new Apple 2026 Pride Collection is out, including an Apple Watch Sport Loop band, a watch face and iPhone and iPad wallpapers.

Why Apple cannot unlock your deceased relative's iPhone

Learn why Apple absolutely cannot unlock an iPhone after its user dies, and how you can prevent access problems for your loved ones.

Deals

AirPods Max 2 hit new record low

The best deal yet on Apple’s AirPods Max 2 lets you save on the premium headphones, which bring big upgrades over the originals.

Plus, more deals on Apple gear:

Check your blood pressure, and sync data to your iPhone, with this $25 device

This $24.99 blood pressure monitor syncs to your phone, tracks trends, and gives you real health data at home. Save on iHealth Track.

Plus, more gear from Cult of Mac Deals:

This quick privacy fix tackles both active threats and old data leaks

Surfshark One+ with Incogni covers both real-time threats and removes your personal data from the internet—for $91.99 over 2 years.

Plus, more software and services from Cult of Mac Deals:

Reviews and recommendations

10 best computer speakers, from dirt cheap to $399

We rank our picks for top budget computer speakers, from best options under $150 to insanely great ones that cost a little more.

These are my top 8 must-have Vision Pro accessories

If you shelled out well over $3,499 for a Vision Pro, hopefully you have some money left over to buy some must-have headset accessories.

Setups

Try these brilliant ways to use an iPad in a Mac setup

As iPadOS grows more capable, users find smarter roles for their tablet. These great workstations show the best uses of iPad in Mac setups.