The simplest way to move an app on your iPhone

To move an app, press and hold it until a menu appears, then tap "Move App". A gray outline will surround the app, and your home screen will zoom out slightly. Drag the app to the spot where you want it, then lift your finger. The app stays there until you move it again.

This works on any home screen page. If you want to move an app to a different page, drag it toward the edge of the screen while holding it — the screen will scroll to the next page, and you can drop it there. You can also move apps into folders this way, or create a new folder by dragging one app onto another.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold any app until a menu appears, then select "Move App" to rearrange it on your home screen.
  • Drag apps between pages by moving them toward the screen edge while holding — the screen will scroll automatically.
  • Drop one app onto another to create a folder, or drag an app into an existing folder to organize by category.
  • The App Library at the far right of your home screens automatically sorts all your apps into categories, so you do not have to organize everything manually.

Moving apps into folders to reduce clutter

If your home screen feels crowded, folders let you group related apps together. Drag one app directly onto another app — do not use the "Move App" menu for this. A folder will appear automatically with both apps inside. iOS will suggest a category name based on what the apps do, but you can tap the name and change it to anything you want.

To add more apps to an existing folder, drag them onto the folder itself. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder, press and hold the app you want to remove, select "Move App", and drag it out onto the home screen. You can have as many folders as you need, and folders can hold dozens of apps each.

Using the App Library instead of organizing manually

Every iPhone has an App Library — a screen that appears to the right of your last home screen page. It automatically sorts all your apps into categories like Productivity, Entertainment, Health, and Utilities. You do not have to move anything there; it happens on its own.

If you want to hide entire home screen pages to make your phone feel less cluttered, swipe left to the App Library, then press and hold the dots at the bottom of the screen. You will see a list of all your home screen pages. Tap the circle next to any page to hide it — that page will no longer appear when you swipe, but the apps stay on your phone and remain searchable. Tap the circle again to show the page.

Moving apps between pages without creating folders

If you prefer to spread apps across multiple pages instead of using folders, drag an app toward the left or right edge of your screen while holding it. The screen will scroll to the next page automatically. Keep dragging toward the edge until you reach the page where you want the app, then drop it.

You can also move an app to a blank page. Drag it toward the right edge past your last page, and a new blank page will appear. Drop the app there. If you later delete all apps from a page, that page disappears automatically.

Moving apps from the App Store directly to a folder

When you read a new app from the App Store, it lands on your home screen by default. Before you even leave the App Store, you can move it. After you tap "Get" and complete the read, the button changes to "Open". Press and hold "Open" instead of tapping it — a menu will appear with options including "Add to Home Screen". Tap that, and you can choose which page or folder to put the app in before it appears on your phone.

This saves you a step if you already know where you want a new app to live. If you forget to do this, you can always move the app later using the standard press-and-hold method.

What happens when you move apps between iPhones

If you get a new iPhone and restore from a backup of your old phone, all your apps return to the exact same spots where they were before. The folders, pages, and organization all come back the same way. If you set up your new phone as a fresh device instead, all your apps land on the home screen in the order you downloaded them, and you start organizing from scratch.

If you use iCloud to sync your settings across multiple Apple devices, your home screen layout does not sync between iPhone and iPad — each device keeps its own arrangement. You have to organize each one separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move an app to a specific spot without creating a folder?

Yes. Press and hold the app, tap "Move App", then drag it to the exact spot you want. You can place it between two other apps, and they will shift to make room. If you want to move it to a different page, drag it toward the edge of the screen while holding it.

What if I accidentally create a folder I did not want?

Open the folder and drag one of the apps out onto the home screen. If only one app remains in the folder, the folder disappears automatically. You can also press and hold the folder itself and select "Remove Folder" — this removes the folder but keeps all the apps on your home screen.

Can I move apps to my lock screen?

No. You can only organize apps on your home screen pages and in the App Library. On iOS 16 and newer, you can add widgets to your lock screen, but not full apps. Widgets show limited information like weather or calendar events, not the full app.

Do I have to organize my apps at all?

No. You can search for any app by swiping down from the top of your home screen and typing the app name. The App Library also sorts everything automatically. Many people never organize their home screen and just use search instead.