Widgets let key information — calendar events, weather, battery levels — sit directly on the home screen instead of requiring an app to be opened, which can genuinely reduce daily friction when arranged thoughtfully.
Custom icon themes are possible through the Shortcuts app, though this workaround adds an extra tap when launching apps, a trade-off worth knowing before committing to a full theme.
Focus modes let different home screen pages and notification rules apply automatically based on context, such as work hours or sleep, which is arguably more useful than the visual customization itself.