Apple Configurator does not save home screen changes to iPhone or iPad

Asked in 4 threads on Apple Support Communities and Stack Exchange; the main thread has 367 “me too” votes and 86 replies. A separate thread about iPads on iOS 15 has 21, and a MacRumors post from 2024 asks whether this is still the case.

Why the layout does not stay

Configurator is Apple's tool for preparing devices in bulk for schools and businesses. Its home screen editor (Actions > Modify > Home Screen Layout) produces a Home Screen Layout setting, the kind of setting an organization pushes to the devices it manages.

On a device that is not supervised, the editor still opens and lets you drag apps around, which is why so many people assume it will work. Users on Apple's forums report that since around iOS 13 the result either fails, does nothing, or is undone, and the accepted answer in those threads is that the device has to be supervised first.

What supervising the device involves

Supervision is set when a device is prepared, so making a personal iPhone supervised means erasing it with Configurator's Prepare option and then restoring your data. Before you do that, know the trade-offs:

• You need a fresh backup first (Finder or iCloud) and time to restore it afterward.
• A supervised device shows that it is managed, and some settings become controllable by whoever supervises it.
• Once a layout does apply, people report it removes widgets and brings back apps you kept only in the App Library. See our guide on Configurator removing widgets.
• In the forum threads, people with a single personal phone mostly conclude it is not worth it.

Checks if your device is already supervised

1. On the device, open Settings. A supervised device shows a note about it at the top of Settings and under General > About.
2. In Configurator, make sure you are using the current version from the Mac App Store.
3. Connect with a cable, tap Trust on the device, and wait until Configurator has finished reading it before opening Home Screen Layout.
4. After applying, disconnect and restart the device, then check again.

A way that works on a normal device

TidyGrid is a Mac app that reads your home screen over a cable and writes it back without supervision or erasing anything. You see all pages side by side, drag apps, make folders, or use Arrange by color or A to Z. Nothing changes until you press Apply. Then it saves a backup of the current layout, writes the new one, reads the device back and checks that it matches, so you know straight away whether the change stuck.

Who this works for

• Apple Configurator runs on macOS and is free on the Mac App Store.
• TidyGrid needs a Mac with Apple silicon and a cable. Reading is tested on iPadOS 15, iOS 16, iOS 17 and iOS 27.
• Applying from TidyGrid is tested on iPadOS 15.3.1 and iOS 27.2. iOS 16, iOS 17, iOS 18 and iOS 26 are still in testing, and on those TidyGrid opens the layout read-only and says why.

What it cannot do

• TidyGrid does not manage or supervise devices and is not a replacement for Configurator's other jobs, such as installing profiles or preparing devices in bulk.
• TidyGrid cannot copy one layout onto several devices in one step.
• TidyGrid cannot add new widgets or change widget settings. Whether a configured widget keeps its settings after Apply is still being tested.
• TidyGrid works over a cable, not over Wi-Fi.

Questions