Home > Articles > Hardware > Upgrading & Repairing

Five Ways to Personalize Your iPhone or iPad with iOS 7

In this article, Jason R. Rich explains some of the ways you can personalize your iPhone or iPad, and make iOS 7 function in a way that caters to your needs and showcases your personality.
Like this article? We recommend

One of the great things about an iPhone or iPad that’s running iOS 7 is that there are numerous ways to personalize your device, allowing you to organize your apps, customize the look of the Home and Lock screens, select the sounds the smartphone or tablet generates, and determine how it keeps you up to date on alerts, alarms, and notifications that are generated by the apps you frequently use.

Regardless of how you primarily use your iOS mobile device, let’s take a look at five of the ways you can personalize it thanks to iOS 7.

#1 Organize Your App Icons into Folders

The ability to move app icons around on the Home Screen and place them into folders to better organize them is not new to iOS 7, but it continues to be an important way to personalize your smartphone or tablet.

To move app icons around on the Home Screen, access the Home Screen, and then place and hold your finger on any app icon for 2 to 3 seconds. When all the app icons begin to shake, place your finger on the icon you want to reposition, and then drag it with your finger to the wanted new location.

Keep in mind, in addition to the main Home Screen, the iPhone and iPad can display four supplementary Home Screens, each of which can display additional app icons. The latest iPhone 5 models, as well as the latest iPad and iPad mini models, can display up to 20 app icons on each Home Screen.

In addition, along the bottom of the Home Screen on the iPhone, four additional app icons can be displayed. On the iPad, up to six additional app icons can be displayed. You’ll notice that when you swipe your finger right to left or left to right to switch between Home Screens, the app icons displayed along the bottom row remain constant. Thus, you should place your most frequently used app icons here.

While you’re moving app icons around, you can delete any apps that do not come preinstalled with iOS 7. These app icons display an “X” in their upper-left corner. Tap this “X” to delete the app from your smartphone or tablet. You can always reinstall the app again later, for free. When you finish moving app icons around, press the Home button to save your changes.

To organize your app icons into folders, after pressing and holding down one app icon on the Home Screen, which causes the icons to shake, choose one app icon that you want to place into a folder, and drag it directly on top of another app icon that you also want to insert into the same folder. A new folder on your Home Screen will be created. There is no longer a limit to how many apps can be stored within a folder. When a new folder is created, iOS 7 recommends a folder name, but you can easily create your own folder name as the folder is created.

After a folder is created, drag and drop additional app icons into it at your discretion. To remove an app icon from a folder, either drag it out of the folder onto the Home Screen or delete it from your iOS mobile device altogether.

Folders are a convenient way to organize similar apps on your Home Screen, plus remove a lot of on-screen clutter. For example, you can create a separate folder for Photography apps, Travel apps, Games, and Personal Finance apps.

#2 Customize Your Home Screen and Lock Screen Wallpaper

In addition to organizing the apps that display on the Home Screens of your iPhone or iPad, you can select the wallpaper graphic displayed on both the Lock Screen and Home Screens. New to iOS 7 are animated (Dynamic) wallpapers, along with a brand new selection of colorful (Still) wallpaper images. You can, however, also select any digital photo stored within your smartphone or tablet and use that as your custom wallpaper.

To change the wallpaper used on your Lock Screen and Home Screens, launch Settings and then tap the Wallpapers & Brightness option. Next, tap on either of the image thumbnails displayed under the Choose Wallpaper heading of the Wallpapers & Brightness menu screen.

Select whether you want to display a Dynamic wallpaper or Still wallpaper by tapping either option displayed near the top of the Choose menu screen. Under the Photos heading, however, you also have the option to select any image stored within the Photos app of your iPhone or iPad.

If you tap either Dynamic or Stills, thumbnails representing the library of wallpaper graphics that are built into iOS 7 display. By tapping one of the Albums listed under the Photos heading, thumbnails representing the digital images stored within that album display.

Tap the thumbnail for the wallpaper graphic or digital image you want to use as your Lock Screen and Home Screen wallpaper. A full-screen preview that showcases the selected graphic displays. Near the bottom-right corner of this preview screen, tap either Set Lock Screen, Set Home Screen, or Set Both, depending on whether you want to use the selected graphic as your Lock Screen and Home Screen graphic.

After you make your selection, press the Home button to save your changes, which go into effect immediately. Keep in mind, if you opt to use your own digital image, on the Lock Screen and Home Screen, you can showcase a photo of your family, pets, a recent vacation, a company logo, or anything else that appeals to you.

#3 Determine Exactly What Information Notification Center Displays

As you begin using iOS 7, you’ll notice a wide range of improvements and changes, including a new look for the Notification Center screen (iPhone) or window (iPad). Depending on how you customize Notification Center from within Settings, you can see up to three tabs near the top center of the Notification Center screen/window: Today, All, and Missed.

Tap the Today tab to display the current date and weather forecast, as well as a summary of appointments and events stored within the Calendar app and items stored within the Reminders app that have an date-based alarm associated with them.

By tapping the All icon, you can view a summary of alerts, alarms, and notifications generated by compatible apps that Notification Center monitors. If you tap the Missed tab, a summary of app-specific alerts, alarms, and notifications that were generated while you were away from your iPhone or iPad display. On the iPhone, this could include missed incoming phone calls and alerts of new voicemail messages, as well as missed text messages, like FaceTime calls and alarms generated by the Calendar app, for example.

To customize what information Notification Center displays, launch Settings and tap the Notification Center option. Then, from the Notification Center menu, determine whether the All/Missed tabs will be displayed by turning on or off the Notifications View. Plus, you can determine whether the Today tab displays by turning on or off the Today view.

If you opt to turn on the Today view, from the Notification Center menu, you can determine what information displays within this screen/window by adjusting the virtual switches associated with the Today Summary, Calendar Day View, Reminders, and Tomorrow Summary options. On the iPhone, additional options offered under the Today View menu include Next Destination and Stocks.

By scrolling down on the Notification Center menu, you can notice two additional sections, labeled Include and Do Not Include. Any compatible apps listed under the Include heading are the ones that Notification Center continuously monitors and displays alerts, alarms, and notifications from.

Compatible apps displayed under the Do Not Include heading are those that are not currently monitored by the Notification Center (but that could be). Tap any app listing. Turn on the virtual switch associated with the Show In Notification Center option to include that app within the Include list of apps, or turn off this switch to include that app within the Do Not Include list.

Depending on the app, from the submenu screen you can see after tapping a specific app listing, you can turn on or off Badge App Icons and Alert Sounds, plus determine whether details about that app display on the Lock Screen. In some cases, you can also determine how many alerts or notifications can display for a specific app within the Notification Center screen/window, plus customize other settings to determine how your iPhone or iPad will get your attention when specific apps generate an alert, alarm, or notification.

#4 Personalize Your Ringtones and the Audio Alerts Your iPhone or iPad Generates

If you’re an iPhone user, you can customize the ringtone generated each time you receive an incoming call. You can also select custom ringtones for specific callers who have entries within your Contacts database. This is done by adjusting the Ringtone field when you create or edit an entry using the Contacts app.

In addition, on both the iPhone and iPad, you can set the ringtone for incoming FaceTime calls, text messages, and instant messages, plus select the sounds you hear when various apps generate alarms, alerts, and other audibles.

To customize ringtones and audible alarms and alerts, launch Settings and tap the Sounds option. Then, under the Sounds heading displayed within the Sounds menu, tap any of the listings related to Ringtones, alerts, or sounds that can be generated by your smartphone or tablet, or various apps running on it.

To personalize your Ringtone, for example, tap the Ringtone option. You can choose from several dozen preinstalled ringtones. However, by tapping the Store option, you can purchase additional ringtones from the iTunes Store for $1.29 each. Many of the ringtones available are audio clips from popular songs, movies, or TV show themes, or attention-getting sound effects.

As you look at the Sounds menu within Settings, tap each listing under the Sounds heading, one at a time, to personalize the sound or music you’ll hear when a particular event happens on your smartphone or tablet.

At the bottom of the this menu screen, look for the Keyboard Clicks option to turn on or off the audible clicks that can play each time you press a key on the iPhone or iPad’s virtual keyboard.

#5 Make Sure Your Device Leaves You Alone When You Need Peace and Quiet

Depending on which apps you frequently use and how you set up the Notification Center and the Sounds options on your iPhone or iPad, you can be alerted of new calls, notifications, and alarms on a consistent basis. However, if there times when you just want to be left alone but ultimately don’t want to miss anything important by powering down your iOS mobile device, consider activating the Do Not Disturb feature.

When Do Not Disturb is turned on, a tiny moon icon displays near the top of your iOS mobile device’s screen within the Status Bar. During this time, all incoming phone calls (iPhone), as well as FaceTime calls and audible alerts generated by other apps, will be silenced.

iOS 7 enables you to fully customize the Do Not Disturb feature. To do this, launch Settings and tap the Do Not Disturb option. From the Do Not Disturb menu, you can manually turn on or off the Do Not Disturb feature or tap the Scheduled option to determine exactly when it automatically turns itself on and off each day.

You can also set it up so that certain people who are important to you can still get through to you with their phone calls (iPhone) and FaceTime calls (iPhone/iPad). You also customize this from the Do Not Disturb menu within Settings.

After you set up the Do Not Disturb feature, another convenient way to turn it on or off is from the Control Center. To do this, place your finger near the bottom of the screen and swipe upward. Then, from the Control Center screen, tap the moon-shaped Do Not Disturb icon to toggle it on or off.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020