Moving an app takes three taps and a drag

To move an app on your iPhone, press and hold the app icon until a menu appears, then tap "Edit Home Screen." The icon will start to jiggle. Drag it to where you want it to go, then press the home button or swipe up from the bottom to stop editing. The app stays in its new spot.

This works for any app on your home screen — the main page you see when you unlock your phone. You can move apps between pages, arrange them into folders, or put them in the dock at the bottom where they stay visible no matter which page you're on.

If you want to move an app that's buried in your App Library (the last page that shows all your apps sorted by category), you first have to add it back to your home screen, then move it where you want it.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold any app icon, tap "Edit Home Screen," then drag the jiggling icon to its new location.
  • You can move apps between different home screen pages or into the dock at the bottom of the screen.
  • Apps in the App Library must be added to your home screen before you can rearrange them.
  • Press the home button or swipe up to finish editing and lock the apps in place.
  • Creating folders by dragging one app onto another helps organize apps by type or use.

The difference between moving and organizing

Moving an app means changing where it sits on your home screen. Organizing usually means grouping related apps into folders — like putting all your social media apps in one folder, or all your banking apps in another.

You can move a single app or a whole folder using the same method: press and hold, tap "Edit Home Screen," and drag. A folder moves as one unit, so all the apps inside it move together.

How to create a folder while moving apps

While you're in edit mode (the icons are jiggling), drag one app directly on top of another app. Your iPhone will automatically create a folder and put both apps inside. You can name the folder or let iPhone suggest a name based on what the apps do.

Once the folder exists, you can drag more apps into it the same way — just drag an app onto the folder. You can also drag apps out of a folder by opening the folder in edit mode and dragging them back to the home screen.

Moving apps to the dock

The dock is the row of apps at the very bottom of your screen that stays visible when you swipe between home screen pages. It holds up to four apps on most iPhones (six on iPad). To move an app to the dock, press and hold it, tap "Edit Home Screen," then drag it down to the dock area.

The dock is useful for apps you use every day — like messages, phone, or a notes app — because you don't have to swipe to find them. You can also move apps out of the dock the same way: drag them up to a home screen page instead.

What happens to app notifications when you move them

Moving an app doesn't change its notifications. If an app shows a red badge with a number (like unread messages), that badge will follow the app to its new location. The app will still send you alerts and notifications the same way it did before.

Notifications are controlled in Settings, not by where the app sits on your screen. Moving an app is purely visual — it changes nothing about how the app works or what it tells you.

Putting apps back in the App Library

If you want to remove an app from your home screen but keep it on your phone, press and hold it in edit mode and tap "Remove App." Choose "Remove from Home Screen" (not "Delete App"). The app will move to the App Library, where it's still on your phone but hidden from your main pages.

You can find it again by swiping to the last page and searching, or by opening Spotlight search (swipe down from the top) and typing the app's name. This is different from deleting the app entirely, which removes it from your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move multiple apps at once?

No, you move one app or folder at a time. Press and hold, tap "Edit Home Screen," and drag each app individually to where you want it. If you've grouped apps into folders, you can move the whole folder at once, which is faster than moving each app separately.

What if I accidentally delete an app while trying to move it?

If you see a minus sign appear while dragging, you're about to delete it — stop and drag away from that minus sign instead. If you do delete it by mistake, go to the App Store, search for the app by name, and tap the read icon to put it back on your phone. Your data usually stays safe.

Do I need to be in edit mode to move apps?

Yes. If the icons aren't jiggling, press and hold an app and tap "Edit Home Screen" first. Without edit mode on, pressing and holding an app opens its quick menu instead of letting you drag it.

Can I move the built-in Apple apps like Phone or Messages?

Yes, all apps can be moved, including Apple's built-in ones. You can put them anywhere on your home screen, in folders, or in the dock. The only app you cannot remove from the dock is the App Store on some iPhone models, but you can move it to a different spot.

Will moving apps use more battery or storage?

No. Rearranging apps doesn't affect battery life or how much space they take up on your phone. It's purely a visual change — where an app sits on your screen has no effect on how it runs.