One Page iPhone

A minimal approach to using your phone.

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Do you ever feel overwhelmed by endless home screen pages filled with apps you barely use? That’s exactly why I created the One Page iPhone system.

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This approach strips away the digital clutter and brings an intentional simplicity to how you interact with your device. By confining everything to a single screen and leveraging smart organization techniques, you can transform your iPhone from a source of distraction into a tool for focused productivity.

How It Works

The system has several key components:

• Single home screen: Everything essential lives on one page
• Intentional app selection: Only your most-used apps earn a place on screen
• Widget stacks: Group similar widgets to save space
• Search-first approach: Use search instead of scrolling for less frequent apps
• Organized notifications: Keep notification apps in one place
• Today View: Quick access hub for occasional information

Setting It Up

Let’s walk through how to set up your own One Page iPhone system.

1. Clear Your Home Screen

First, remove all apps from your home screen:

1. Long-press on an empty area of your home screen until apps start jiggling
2. Tap the “minus” icon on each app and select “Remove from Home Screen” (this doesn’t delete the app)
3. Continue until your home screen is completely empty

Note: Your apps will still be available in the App Library (swipe all the way to the right).

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2. Add Essential Apps

Now, identify only the apps you genuinely use multiple times daily:

1. Think about which apps you open at least 3-5 times per day
2. Add only those back to your home screen by going to App Library, long-pressing the app, and dragging it to your home screen
3. Arrange them in a way that makes sense to your daily flow (placing them wherever feels most intuitive)

Keep this extremely selective. If you’re not sure if an app belongs, leave it off; you can always add it later if you find yourself searching for it frequently.

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3. Create Widget Stacks

Widget stacks allow you to group similar widgets together:

1. Add your first widget by long-pressing on the home screen and tapping the “+” button
2. Select a widget you want to add
3. Add a second related widget (for example, a Spotify widget followed by a YouTube or Audible widget)
4. Drag one widget on top of the other to create a stack

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Before creating stacks, identify categories of widgets that naturally go together based on your usage patterns. Maybe you listen to different types of media and could benefit from an audio stack, or perhaps you use multiple fitness or finance apps that could be grouped.

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You can swipe up or down on a stack to cycle through the widgets.

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4. Set Up Your Notification Center

A key part of this system is strictly managing which apps can demand your attention:

1. Create a folder by dragging one app onto another
2. Name it “Notifications” or something similar
3. Add only the essential apps that you actually need notifications from
4. Place this folder wherever it feels most accessible to you
5. Go to Settings > Notifications and turn off notifications for all other apps on your home screen

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This notification folder will be the only folder in your setup, reinforcing intentionality. I don’t allow notifications for most apps. Only the ones in my notification center folder are permitted to send alerts, while every other app on my screen gets no notification privileges. When I want to check notifications, I simply open this folder to see which apps have pending alerts.

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This approach dramatically reduces visual clutter and prevents unnecessary interruptions throughout the day.

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5. Customize Today View

The Today View (accessible by swiping left from your home screen) becomes your quick-reference dashboard:

1. Long-press on an empty area of the Today View
2. Tap “Edit”
3. Add widgets for information you need to check occasionally but not constantly
4. Consider adding your calendar, tasks, weather, or other reference widgets

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I personally use my Today View for task management and calendar visibility, which keeps this information accessible without cluttering my main screen.

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6. Embrace the Search Function

Train yourself to use search instead of scrolling through pages of apps:

1. Swipe down from the middle of your screen to open Search
2. Type the first few letters of the app you want to open
3. Tap the app when it appears

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At the end of the week, notice which apps you find yourself searching for repeatedly. If you search for an app multiple times daily, consider adding it to your home screen.

My Personal Experience

While I’ve long used my Focus Mode setup to limit distractions, this One Page iPhone approach offers a refreshing alternative for those seeking ultimate simplicity.

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What I appreciate about this minimal setup:

• Mental clarity: With fewer visual distractions, my brain feels less scattered when using my phone
• Intentional usage: I’m more deliberate about which apps I open
• Reduced scrolling: No more hunting through pages of apps
• Centralized notifications: Seeing all notifications in one place helps me batch-process them

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I still prefer my Focus Mode system for quickly switching between different contexts and keeping even fewer apps in each mode, but this One Page approach offers a beautiful simplicity for those wanting a less complicated setup. The notification system is particularly useful — I’ve found it dramatically reduces distractions while keeping important alerts accessible.

Is This Setup Right For You?

This system works especially well if you:

• Switch between different types of activities throughout your day
• Find yourself distracted by notifications
• Want to be more intentional with your phone use
• Prefer simple, uncluttered interfaces
• Often waste time looking for apps across multiple screens

Final Thoughts

The One Page iPhone setup isn’t about limitation but about intention. By thoughtfully curating what appears on your screen, you’re creating an environment that serves your needs rather than distracting from them.

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Try this system for a week and notice how it changes your relationship with your phone. You might be surprised at how much mental space you reclaim.

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