I have seen a few great galleries and articles about iOS home screens as of late, and being that I absolutely love seeing what other folks’ home screens look like, I thought I would share mine, along with the reasoning behind the apps I choose to put there.

Calendar

It comes with iOS and syncs with my main GMail account. It does what I need it to with an intuitive interface. I have tried other calendar apps, but I always end up back with the standard Apple one. One of the computing philosophies that I have adopted is that when there is a sensible default, I’ll just use that default, as long as it gets the job done.

Reminders

This is another one of those sensible default apps that I find invaluable. I just need a reminder to put stuff in Reminders.

Photos and Camera

I keep these apps on the home screen because I regularly use them both. While I have Camera+, I still prefer the stock camera app to actually take photos. Even though it lacks the bells and whistles of Camera+, I find that it loads just a bit faster, and with having kids, this is essential, otherwise the moment may be missed. I generally use Camera+ for post-processing.

Weather

Also a sensible default, I generally check the weather app only right before I am about to leave the house, and I generally check the app in a hurry. Therefore having it on the home screen is essential. I prefer this over the Weather Channel’s app as the stock Apple app has a significantly faster load time.

Maps

As with the Weather app, this is a home screen must-have for me, as well as another sensible default. I have thought about trying something with turn by turn navigation, but for now, Maps fits the bill.

ESV Bible

An essential part of my day, I prefer it on the home screen as it serves as a reminder each morning when I wake up and check my phone, saying, “Don’t forget to have your daily devotion”. I prefer the ESV app because I prefer that particular translation, the user interface is nicely designed, and I can highlight verses as well as take notes within the app itself. I also like the cross referencing features.

Plaintext

This is absolutely my favorite “productivity” app of all time. Developed by Hog Bay software, it is in my humble opinion one of the best text editors available for iOS. The interface is clean and intuitive. Plaintext syncs effortlessly with Dropbox, making the things I write on the iPhone instantly available on any other computer we have. Most everything I write begins life in this app.

Clock

There is something to be said for not oversleeping. In all seriousness, the Apple Clock app is on the home screen because I frequently access it right before bed. As this app is frequently accessed when I am tired, it is not fun to have to scroll through pages of apps or folders just to find it. Also a sensible default, I use the World Clock feature within the app during my workday.

Audio

This is a folder I created that houses the stock Music app, iTunes, NPR, djay, and Pandora. All these apps, with the exception of djay, get heavy, daily use.

App Store and Settings

I have just always preferred these two apps on the home screen, and I access both throughout the day enough to justify their presence there.

Last, but of course not least, is the dock, where I keep the four most used applications. It is a phone after all. Second to calling, I text and email. I prefer Google’s GMail app over the stock mail app. Lastly, I spend a lot of time in mobile Safari, so it only makes sense to keep it in the dock.

On a final note, I prefer three rows of apps on the home screen because, in my opinion, it has a cleaner look, and it also allows me to swipe quickly to the second page with my thumb without worrying about accidentally launching an app.

What about you? What apps are on your home screen and why?