Creating a folder takes three taps

On your iPhone, a folder is a container that holds apps. To create one, press and hold any app icon on your home screen until a menu appears. Tap Add to Home Screen, then select Create Smart Stack or Add Folder. Choose Add Folder.

Name the folder something you will recognize — "Productivity," "Games," "Finance" — then tap Add. The folder appears on your home screen as a square icon. You can now drag apps into it.

If you want to add apps to an existing folder instead of making a new one, press and hold an app, tap Move, then drag it onto the folder you want. The folder opens and you can drop the app inside.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold an app icon, choose Add Folder, name it, and tap Add to create a new folder on your home screen.
  • Drag apps into folders by pressing and holding the app, tapping Move, and dropping it onto the folder.
  • You can rename a folder at any time by pressing and holding it and selecting Rename.
  • Folders can hold as many apps as you want, and you can create multiple folders to organize different types of apps.
  • Removing an app from a folder does not delete the app — it just returns it to your home screen or app library.

Moving apps into your new folder

Once your folder exists, adding apps to it is straightforward. Press and hold any app you want to move, then tap Move from the menu that appears. Your home screen will shift into edit mode and the app icon will lift up under your finger.

Drag the app onto the folder. The folder will highlight and open slightly to show you it is ready to receive the app. Drop the app by lifting your finger. The app is now inside the folder.

You can add multiple apps this way without closing the folder between each one. Keep dragging apps onto it until you have organized everything you want in that folder, then tap anywhere outside the folder to close it.

Renaming and reorganizing folders

To change a folder's name, press and hold the folder icon and tap Rename. The current name will be highlighted. Type the new name and tap Done. This is useful if your needs change — a folder called "Games" might become "Entertainment" if you add music and video apps to it.

To remove an app from a folder without deleting it, open the folder by tapping it, then press and hold the app you want to remove. Tap Move, drag it out of the folder, and drop it on your home screen. The app stays on your phone but is no longer in that folder.

If you want to delete a folder entirely, press and hold it and tap Remove. Your iPhone will ask if you want to remove the folder. The apps inside will move to your home screen or app library, not be deleted.

Organizing folders into groups by purpose

The most useful folder structure groups apps by what you actually do with them. A "Productivity" folder might hold Notes, Reminders, Calendar, and Mail. A "Finance" folder could contain your banking app, investment app, and budgeting app. A "Social" folder holds messaging and social media apps.

Think about which apps you use together or for the same purpose. If you open Maps and Uber at the same time, they belong in the same folder — call it "Travel" or "Navigation." If you use Health, Fitness, and a workout app together, group those.

You do not have to use every app. Apps you rarely open can stay in your app library, which is a separate section that appears when you swipe to the far right of your home screen. Only put apps in folders if you want quick access to them from your home screen.

Using multiple home screen pages for different folder types

Your iPhone can have multiple home screen pages. Swipe left on your home screen to add a new page, then create folders on that page. Many people put work-related folders on one page and personal folders on another, or keep frequently used apps on the first page and less common ones on a second page.

To move a folder to a different page, press and hold it and tap Move. Drag it to the right edge of your screen to move to the next page, or drag it to the left edge to go back. This keeps your home screen from becoming too crowded.

You can also reorder pages by pressing and holding the page indicator dots at the bottom of your screen and dragging them. This lets you put your most-used page first so you see it when you unlock your phone.

What happens when your folder gets too full

There is no hard limit to how many apps can fit in a folder, but a folder that holds 20 or 30 apps becomes hard to navigate. When you open an overstuffed folder, the apps appear in a grid and you have to scroll to find what you want. This defeats the purpose of organizing.

If a folder becomes unwieldy, split it into two smaller folders. For example, if your "Productivity" folder holds Notes, Reminders, Calendar, Mail, and Documents, you might create a "Communication" folder for Mail and a "Planning" folder for Notes, Reminders, and Calendar. Keep each folder to 8 to 12 apps for quick scanning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a folder inside a folder?

No. iPhone folders cannot contain other folders — only apps. If you need deeper organization, use multiple home screen pages instead. Create different folders on different pages to keep related apps grouped together.

What if I accidentally delete an app while organizing?

If you deleted the app itself rather than just removing it from a folder, you can reinstall it from the App Store. Search for the app by name, tap the read icon, and it will return to your phone. Your data in that app is usually preserved if you sign back in.

Can I see all my apps without scrolling through folders?

Yes. Swipe to the far right of your home screen to open the App Library. It shows all your apps organized by category automatically. You can search for any app by swiping down and typing its name, which is faster than opening multiple folders.

Do folders take up more storage space on my phone?

No. Folders are just a way to organize icons on your screen. They do not change how much space apps use or how your phone stores data. The apps themselves take the same amount of storage whether they are in a folder or on your home screen.

Can I customize folder colors or icons?

You cannot change folder colors or icons directly. However, you can use the Shortcuts app to create custom folder icons that look different on your home screen. This is more advanced and requires creating a shortcut, but it lets you make folders visually distinct from each other.