Thumbwise
Apple Configurator alternative
A better way to arrange your iPhone Home Screen from your Mac
Apple Configurator can change the app layout on a connected iPhone, so it’s often suggested for rearranging apps from a Mac. It wasn’t built for that, and users have run into problems. Thumbwise is made only for arranging your own iPhone Home Screen.
Updated
What Apple Configurator is for
Apple Configurator is Apple’s free Mac app for setting up and managing iPhones, iPads and Macs, often many at once for schools and businesses. It can install profiles, update and restore devices, and change a connected iPhone’s Home Screen layout under Actions > Modify > Home Screen Layout.
Its backups are whole-device backups. Restoring one erases the device first, according to Apple’s guide. There’s no way to undo just a layout change.
What users have reported
These come from people rearranging their own Home Screen with Configurator. Behavior can differ between versions.
- Widgets removed. Applying a layout removed the widgets from the Home Screen (Apple Community, 2024; TidBITS reader, 2020).
- App Library apps put back. Apps kept only in the App Library were added to Home Screen pages, and had to be removed again one by one (Apple Community, 2025; 2024; TidBITS reader, 2020).
- Everything shifts. Moving one app or folder moved almost everything else, so nothing stayed where it was placed (Apple Community, 2025).
- Apply didn’t stick, or the app stopped responding. Changes weren’t written to the iPhone, the app crashed on Apply, or it hung when opening the Home Screen layout (Apple Community, 2026; Mac App Store reviews, 2020 and 2021).
- Hard to see your pages. Small icons, cut-off rows and later pages out of reach (Mac App Store reviews, 2018 to 2021).
How Thumbwise handles it
- Widgets stay. They keep their size and settings, exactly where you place them.
- App Library apps stay there. Apps you keep only in the App Library aren’t added to your pages.
- Nothing jumps. Moving an app doesn’t automatically shuffle the others. Set apps aside in App Bank while you rearrange, then place them where you want.
- Every page in view. Your pages, folders, widgets and Dock are shown side by side in a larger workspace on your Mac.
- Undo without erasing. You preview before you Apply. Thumbwise keeps a local backup of your previous layout and your 5 most recent Reads, and Restore puts an earlier layout back without touching anything else on your iPhone.
- Made for your iPhone. Optionally, arrange for fewer page swipes using your Screen Time activity, or let your AI assistant organize it.
Side by side
| Feature | Apple Configurator | Thumbwise |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Managing many devices | Arranging your own iPhone |
| Widgets | Reported removed | Kept where you place them |
| App Library-only apps | Reported put back on pages | Stay in the App Library |
| Undo a layout change | Restore a full backup, which erases the iPhone | Restore an earlier layout |
| Usage-based layout and AI assistant | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free to arrange and preview; $14.99 once to Apply |
Which should you use?
If you manage many iPhones for a school or business, Apple Configurator is the right tool. If you want to rearrange the apps on your own iPhone from your Mac, Thumbwise is built for that. You can download it and arrange your layout for free, then decide.
Thumbwise needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later, an iPhone on iOS 27, and a USB cable. The step-by-step guide walks through it. Thumbwise is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Apple Inc.