Restore settings icon on iPhone: to iPhone home screen

Restore settings icon on iPhone: to iPhone home screen

Have you turned on your iPhone and find your iPhone settings icon missing, or you accidentally deleted the Settings icon from your home screen, don't worry. This tutorial will show you how to get settings icon back on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices.

How to restore the iPhone settings icon?

Reset the home screen layout

Sometimes, the Settings icon may be hidden or moved to another screen or folder. To reset the home screen layout and restore the default app arrangement, follow these steps:

  • This action will reset the layout of your home screen, but it won't delete any apps or data.
  • Go to "Settings" (if you can access it).
  • Tap on "General."
  • Scroll down and select "Reset."
  • Choose "Reset Home Screen Layout."
  • Confirm your choice by tapping "Reset Home Screen."

Restart your iPhone

A simple restart can often resolve minor software issues:

  • Press and hold the power button (or the power button and volume button on iPhones without a Home button) until the "slide to power off" slider appears.
  • Drag the slider to turn off your device.
  • Once it's completely powered off, press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears to restart your iPhone.

Update your iOS

It's possible that an outdated version of iOS is causing the issue:

  • Make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS by going to "Settings," selecting "General,"
  • Then tap on "Software Update."
  • If an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to download and install it.

Use Screen Time Settings

To hide and unhide the application, you can also use Screen Time feature in order to unhide the Settings app on your iPhone. ; it will take up space it doesn't mean you will delete the application.

  • Tap on the Settings icon on your iPhone.
  • Now click Screen Time.
  • In the list that has opened, choose Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  • Click the Content & Privacy Restrictions and enable this feature. 
  • Now tap on the button Allowed Apps.
  • A list of apps available on your phone will appear. Unhide the Settings application.

Search for the Settings app

Swipe down on the home screen to access the Spotlight Search, or swipe right to access the App Library (if you're using iOS 14 or later). In the search bar, type "Settings" and see if the app appears in the search results. If it does, simply tap on it to open the app.

Restore your iPhone

If none of the above steps work, you can try restoring your iPhone from a previous backup. This will revert your device to a previous state and may bring back the Settings icon. Here's how to do it:

  • Connect your iPhone to a computer with iTunes or Finder (on macOS Catalina or later).
  • Open iTunes or Finder and select your iPhone.
  • Click on "Restore Backup" and choose the most recent backup that includes the missing Settings icon.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your iPhone.

Please note that restoring your iPhone from a backup will overwrite any changes or data made since the backup was created. Therefore, it's recommended to create a backup of your current data before proceeding with the restore. 

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it may be necessary to contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store for further assistance.

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