RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 31, 2023
This is for the iPhone and iPad. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 16+
Thanks to Apple’s App Library, you no longer have to keep every app on the Home Screen. iPhone and iPad apps are organized in folders, so you can locate them more easily.
Keeping track of all the apps on your iPhone or iPad can be challenging, but the App Library has made it more accessible. This feature lets you remove apps from the Home screen and organize them into folders based on specific categories. Open the App Library with a simple swipe to browse all your apps or search for the right one.
To use the feature, you need to update your iPhone to iOS 14 or higher and your iPad to iPadOS 15 or higher if you have not already done so. On either device, go to
Settings > General > Software Update
Your device will indicate that your software is up to date or prompt you to download and install the latest update.
Overall, the App Library is a helpful tool for managing your apps and finding the ones you need. It’s really useful if you have not already manually organized your apps into different folders. Let’s explore how this feature works.
Open Your App Library
To access your App Library, open the Home screen and swipe to the left until you see a screen with apps automatically organized into folders. Here, you will see folders called Suggestions, Recently Added, Social, Entertainment, Shopping, Music, Games, and more, depending on what apps you have on your device. Refer to the below image:
You will notice that some of the apps in a folder have large icons, while others sport smaller icons grouped in fours. To open an app that has a large icon, all you have to do is tap it.
For the smaller app icons, you have to tap the group of four apps to bring up a screen showing all the apps in that category. From there, simply tap an icon to open the corresponding app. See the below image:
Apps can be moved from the App Library to the Home screen, or deleted entirely, but apps in the library can not be moved from one folder to another. If you feel an app has been categorized in the wrong folder, there’s nothing you can do.
Search Your App Library
If you are having trouble finding a specific app, you can search for it by name. Start typing the name of the app you want in the App Library search field at the top to see the corresponding apps. Tap the app icon to launch the app. See the following image:
Otherwise, you can swipe down on the App Library screen to view an alphabetical list of all the apps installed on the device. To find a specific app faster, tap a letter on the right-hand side to see all apps starting with that letter. Refer to the below image:
Add Apps to Your Home Screen
You can add an app from the App Library to your Home screen if it’s not already there. Long-press on the icon to open the command menu and then tap Add to Home Screen. The app’s icon appears on the next free spot on your Home screen but also remains in the App Library. See the below image:
Another method of moving apps from the App Library to the Home screen is to hold down on an app until all the icons start jiggling. Press down on the icon for the app you want to move and then drag it to the left until the Home screen appears, allowing you to place the icon into the correct position. See the following image:
You can also press down on an icon from the Home screen and select the Edit Home Screen command from the menu to make all the apps jiggle and then go to the App Library to move an icon to the Home screen. Refer to the below image:
Note! Tap on any blank area of your Home screen to turn off the giggles.
Disclaimer
Technology is always changing and rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.
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