How to Remove Search Button From Home Screen on iPhone [Video]

With the launch of iOS 16, Apple replaced the home screen page indicator with a new Search button. If you've been accidentally triggering search when swiping through pages or prefer the original page indicator, you can remove the Search button.

Here's how...

Step One

Tap to launch the Settings app from your Home screen.

Step Two

Scroll down and tap Home Screen from Settings menu.

Step Three

From the Home Screen Settings menu, toggle the Show on Home Screen switch to the OFF position to remove the search button from the iPhone's home screen. In its place will be the previous indicator showing home screen pages.


Besides the Search button on Home Screen, you can activate Spotlight Search using the swipe down gesture on both the iPhone Lock Screen and the Home Screen. You can always bring the home screen search button back by toggling the switch to the ON position.

What Gets Searched?

In Spotlight Search on iPhone, you can search for apps and contacts, content inside apps like Mail, Messages, and Photos, and even text in your photos using Live Text. You can also check stock and currency information and perform calculations, including unit conversions. You can find and open webpages, open apps, and find images in your photo library, across your system, and on the web. Spotlight returns rich results in a full, scrollable window—including contacts, musicians, actors, TV shows, movies, businesses, and sports leagues and teams.

Choose which apps to include in Search

In Settings > Siri & Search, you can choose which apps you want to include in search results. Search offers suggestions based on your app usage, and updates results as you type.

Scroll down, tap an app, then turn Show App in Search on or off.