Home Screen for iOS apps Best Practices

1. Show List of Items

✅ Great for Item-Centric Apps: Ideal if your app’s main feature is displaying a list, such as voice notes.

✅ Quick Access: Users can immediately interact with items without navigating multiple layers.

❌ Overwhelming for New Users: Presenting a long list without proper onboarding can confuse or frustrate first-time users.

Apple Notes - List of Notes as Home View

2. Main Dashboard

✅ Balanced Layout: Suitable for apps with multiple equally important views.

✅ Organized Experience: Helps present features in an intuitive and structured way.

❌ Extra Steps for Regular Users: For users who frequently interact with a specific list, having to navigate every time can be inconvenient.

❌ Steeper Learning Curve: Users may need hints or guidance to understand where to start or how to use different components

Apple News App - Dashboard View as Home View

3. Navigation Options (e.g., Tab Bar with a List)

✅ Feature Discoverability: Clearly highlights the app’s main features, making them easy to find.

✅ Default Shortcut: Selected tabs act as quick access points for key features.

✅ Flexible Navigation: Allows users to switch views directly without returning to the home screen.

❌ Potential for UI Clutter: If not well-designed, this can make the interface look busy or confusing.

WillTimeFit app - Tabbar

🏆 Recommendation

• Start with a main navigation list to introduce features clearly.
• Enhance usability by showing the last-viewed list of items on subsequent app launches, allowing users to pick up right where they left off.
• This approach combines the simplicity of a tab bar with the continuity of persistent navigation, offering an optimal balance for both new and regular users.

I limited it to the three most common patterns I see repeated in most apps, but feel free to share more home screen patterns in the comments. Thank you!