Your iPhone’s Safari browser offers ways to create bookmarks or open pages from your history, but you might be interested in creating a Web page shortcut like the ones you may have on your computer desktop.
Our tutorial below will show you a method for how to put a link on iPhone Home screen so that you can tap those icons and open them in Safari.
How to Add a Web Shortcut to the iPhone Home Screen
- Open Safari.
- Go to the Web page you wish to link.
- Touch the Share icon.
- Select Add to Home Screen.
- Edit the name if necessary, then tap Add.
Our guide continues below with additional information on how to put a link on iPhone Home screen, including pictures of these steps.
Is there a Web page that you visit a lot, and you don’t like having to manually navigate to it every time you open Safari?
One way to simplify this process is to create a link button for that Web page on your iPhone. This creates an icon similar to those for your installed apps, which you can tap to navigate directly to the specified Web page.
This is especially useful if you use a lot of progressive Web apps where there might not be a dedicated mobile app for the iPhone or the Android operating system, so you need to open it in a Web browser each time.
Our tutorial below will show you how to make this type of Web page icon on your iPhone to give you another way to navigate to the sites that you visit a lot.
You can perform this action for any website that you can visit in Safari, and you can create as many icons as you want.
Related Article: If you have been looking for ways to change things about your Home screen, then follow our how to add app to home screen iPhone 13 steps and learn how.
How to Save a Website to Your iPhone’s Homescreen (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 7 Plus, in iOS 11.3.
Once you complete these steps you will have added an icon to your Home screen that, when tapped, will automatically open the specified Web page in the Safari browser on your device.
The icon that is used is the one that is set by the website, so you will not be able to customize the homescreen button on your iPhone.
Step 1: Open the Safari browser on your iPhone.
Step 2: Navigate to the Web page for which you wish to create a home screen button.
Step 3: Tap the Share button in the menu bar at the bottom of the screen.
Step 4: Tap the Add to Home Screen button in the bottom row of options.
Note that you will need to swipe left to view the additional icons in this row.
Step 5: Adjust the name of the site that you would like to display below the home screen icon (if you want to change it), then tap the Add button at the top-right of the screen.
You should now see the Web page icon on your home screen, similar to the one shown in the image below.
If you decide that you don’t want this button, you can tap and hold on it, touch the x icon at the top-right of the button, then tap the Delete option to remove it from your device.
Now that you know how to put a link on iPhone Home screen you will be able to give yourself another way to access the websites that you visit the most.
If you are having trouble deleting the button, then it’s likely due to 3D touch, as you need to have a light touch when doing this. If you are still struggling, you can always turn off 3D touch to make it a little easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the iPhone save URL to Home screen steps?
If you are trying to create a website shortcut or website icon that looks like an app icon, then you can do so from within the Safari Web browser.
Open Safari, go to the page, then touch the Share button at the bottom of the screen. Tap the Add to Home Screen button, then edit the link name and touch the Add button.
How do I add Safari to my Home screen on an iPhone?
If you use the Safari browser a lot, then you probably want to make it easier to open.
One effective way to do this involves putting the Safari app icon on the Home screen.
First, you need to find the Safari app icon. Once you have it, tap and hold on to the icon, then choose the Edit Home Screen option.
Tap and hold on to the Safari icon, then drag it to the desired position. If you are moving it to a different Home screen, then you can drag it to the border of the current screen to transition to that other screen.
Once the icon is in the right spot, touch the Done button at the top-right corner of the screen.
How do I change the default Web browser on my iPhone?
The Safari Web browser is the default option on new iPhones, but you are able to change that in newer iOS versions like iOS 15 or iOS 16.
Go to Settings > select the browser you want to use, such as Chrome or Firefox > touch the Default Browser App button > tap the desired default browser.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.