How to Manage Apps on the iPhone Home Screen

Managing apps on the iPhone Home screen is an effective way to customize your iPhone. It's especially helpful because it allows you to organize apps in a way that makes sense to you. Whether you prefer to categorize your apps by function, productivity, or color, you can do it.

The iPhone multitouch screen makes it easy to move or delete apps, create and delete folders, and create new Home screen pages.

How to Rearrange Apps on iPhone Home Screen Pages

It makes sense to change the location of apps on your iPhone. You probably want the apps you frequently use on the Home screen. In contrast, an app you only use occasionally might be hidden away in a folder on another page.

To move apps, follow these steps:

1. Tap and hold the app you want to move. When the apps wiggle, indicating they are in editing mode, the app is ready to move.

   If you have an iPhone with a 3D Touch screen, don't press the screen firmly because that triggers the 3D Touch menus. Use a light tap and hold instead.

2. Drag the app to the new location you want it to occupy.

3. When the app is where you want it, lift your finger off the screen.

4. Tap the Home button to stop the apps from wiggling and save the new arrangement. On iPhones without a Home button, tap Done at the top of the screen to stop the wiggling and exit the editing mode.

How to Delete Apps on iPhone

To get rid of an app:

1. Tap and hold an app until all the apps wiggle. Any app with an X in the corner can be deleted.

2. Tap the X on the apps you want to delete.

3. Tap Delete in the confirmation pop-up. For apps that store data in iCloud, you are asked whether you want to delete the data as well.

4. Make your choice, and the app is deleted. Tap Done (or the Home button) to stop the apps from wiggling.

How to Create and Delete Folders on iPhone

Storing apps in folders is a great way to manage apps. It makes sense to put similar apps in the same place. To create a folder on your iPhone:

1. Tap and hold one of the apps you want to put into a folder.

2. Drop the app you are holding onto a second app intended for the folder (every folder needs at least two apps). The first app appears to merge with the second app.

3. When you take your finger off the screen, a folder is created.

4. The text bar above the new folder contains a name assigned by the iPhone. To change the name, tap the name field and type a new name.

5. Drag any other apps you want to include into the folder.

6. When you're done, tap the Home button (or Done) to save the changes.

Delete Folders

Deleting folders is easy. Drag all the apps out of a folder to the Home screen to delete the folder.

How to Create Home Screen Pages on iPhone

You can also organize your apps by putting them on different Home screen pages. Pages are the multiple screens of apps that are created when you have too many apps to fit on one screen.

To create a new page:

1. Tap and hold the app or folder you want to move to a new page.

2. While the apps wiggle, drag the app or folder to the right edge of the iPhone screen.

3. Hold the app there until it moves to a new page.

4. When you're on the page where you want to leave the app or folder, remove your finger from the screen.

5. Click the Home button (or Done) to save the change.

Delete Pages on iPhone

Deleting pages is similar to deleting folders. To drag an app or folder off the page, drag it to the left edge of the screen to a previous page or to the right edge if there are additional pages after the one you are deleting. When the page is empty, and you click the Home or Done button, the page is deleted.

About the Dock

The dock is the bottom bar on the iPhone. It shows on every Home screen and has room for four apps or folders. It is visible on all the Home screen pages on your iPhone, so it makes sense to park your favorite apps here. They wiggle and move in the same way any of the apps on the screen do. If you have four apps in the dock, move one before you add another.