9 most convenient ways to arrange app icons on iPhone

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These ways of sorting icons will help you navigate the applications as quickly as possible and find the ones you need.

1. By frequency of use

The easiest way of sorting, in which the applications in demand are located on the home screen or closer to it, and the launched ones rarely take their place on the last pages.

Advantages: The apps you need are always at your fingertips.

disadvantages: if there are many applications, the time for finding and launching the one you need increases.

2. Folders by category

Since the appearance of folders in iOS, God himself commanded to use them for sorting. The most logical way is to group them by topic. "Internet", "Sports", "Office", "Games" - the system itself suggests names to combine two similar applications. Usually, everything is placed in folders on the second screen, and on the first, space is freed up for more popular programs.

Advantages: A large number of applications can be compactly accommodated.

disadvantages: the complexity of the search and one additional action to start.

3. Action folders

Unlike the previous one, this method uses the purpose of applications as a sorting criterion - the actions that they help to perform. For example, iBooks, Reeder and Pocket go to the "Read" folder, Spotify, "Podcasts" and "Music" to "Listen", and games to "Play".

You don't have to bother with names and use emoji instead of words. So even not one, but several actions can easily fit into the signature.

Advantages: ease of perception and minimal search time.

disadvantages: There may be too many folders, and some applications may be suitable for several of them at once.

4. Folders on one screen

The essence of this method is to deliberately refuse to use multiple desktops in order to place everything on the main screen. We'll have to try and group the applications so that they fit in an accessible place. But then you will not need to scroll - just open one of the folders and launch the desired application.

Advantages: maximum compactness.

disadvantages: It is rather difficult to group all applications into several folders.

5. By topic without folders

Despite all the advantages of folders, sometimes it's easier to do a couple of swipes and find what you are looking for, seeing all the applications in front of your eyes. This requires that they all be grouped by rows or columns.

Advantages: clearer visual perception and faster search.

disadvantages: it is almost impossible to fit the required applications on 2-3 desktops; they stretch over 5–7 screens.

6. Minimalism

A good way to make it easier to find apps and make your desktop look attractive. However, it is suitable only for those who have so few installed applications that they can be placed on 1-2 screens.

Advantages: nice and understandable.

disadvantages: useless if there are more than twenty applications.

7. Alphabetically

The most severe way for those who are too lazy to sort applications in any way. It is used by default in iOS. If you know the name of the app, it's easy to find it. To enable this type of sorting, open "Settings" → "General" → "Reset", select "Reset settings to" Home "" and confirm the action.

Advantages: strict order.

disadvantages: the need to scroll through desktops and remember the names of applications.

8. By color

The most exotic sorting method, the essence of which is to select neighboring icons by color. It will appeal to aesthetes and those with good visual memory, since after such sorting, you will have to search for applications exclusively by colors.

Advantages: very beautiful.

disadvantages: almost useless. Finding the application you want becomes quite difficult.

9. Combined method

Finally we got to the most common and most convenient sorting method. All of the above options for grouping applications are good, but very radical.

Why go to such extremes, if you can take the best from each of them and place the most used ones on the main screen, put a folder with programs of the same subject in the Dock, and within one folder arrange applications by icon colors or purpose.

Advantages: the ability to fine-tune for yourself.

disadvantages: more time to search for applications compared to more concise sorting methods.

How to keep your desktop tidy

Whichever way you choose, remember to keep order. This is very easy to do. It is enough to adhere to simple rules:

1. Create no more than three desktops, otherwise it will take a lot of time to flip through the screens.
2. Remove apps you don't use once a month. There will be fewer icons and more order. You will also save space.
3. Don't forget to search. Swiping down on any screen will open Spotlight, in which, with just a couple of characters, you can easily find the application you want.