The simplest way to move an app

To move an app on your iPhone, press and hold the app icon until a menu appears, then tap Edit Home Screen. The app icon will start to jiggle. Drag it to the new location you want, then tap anywhere outside the app to stop the jiggling and lock it in place.

That is the fastest method for moving one or two apps. If you want to move many apps at once, or organize them into folders, the process is slightly different — but the starting point is always the same: press and hold until the menu appears.

Your iPhone will remember where you put each app. If you restart your phone or update iOS, the apps stay in the positions you chose.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold any app icon until a menu appears, then tap Edit Home Screen to enter move mode.
  • While the app is jiggling, drag it anywhere on your screen or to a different page of apps.
  • You can create a folder by dragging one app onto another app, which groups them together under a name you choose.
  • Tap outside the app or press the home button to exit move mode and save your changes.
  • Apps you move stay in their new locations even after you restart your phone or install updates.

Moving apps between pages

Your iPhone has multiple pages of apps if you have more than fit on one screen. To move an app to a different page, press and hold the app until the menu appears, then tap Edit Home Screen. While the app is jiggling, drag it to the right edge of the screen. The page will scroll to the next one automatically, and you can drop the app there.

You can also drag an app to the left edge to move it backward through your pages. This works the same way — just hold the app at the edge until the screen shifts, then release it where you want it to land.

If you want to see all your pages at once before moving an app, pinch outward with two fingers while in Edit Home Screen mode. This shows a bird's-eye view of every page. You can drag the app directly onto the page thumbnail you want, and it will land there without you having to scroll.

Creating folders to group apps together

Folders let you put related apps in one place — for example, all your games in one folder, or all your banking and money apps in another. To create a folder, press and hold an app until the menu appears, tap Edit Home Screen, then drag one app directly onto another app. Your iPhone will automatically create a folder and suggest a name based on the app category.

You can accept the suggested name by tapping outside the folder, or tap the name field and type something custom. Once the folder exists, you can drag more apps into it by holding them and dragging them onto the folder icon. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder, press and hold the app inside, and drag it back out to the home screen.

Folders are useful for reducing clutter on your main screen. Apps inside a folder still work the same way — you just tap the folder first, then tap the app you want to open.

Restoring the default app layout

If you move apps around and later want to return to the original layout, go to Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset, then Reset. Tap Reset Home Screen Layout. This puts every app back in the order it came in, and removes all the folders you created.

This action only affects your home screen — it does not delete any apps or change any other settings on your phone. Your photos, messages, and data all stay exactly as they are. If you change your mind after resetting, you can move the apps again using the same press-and-hold method.

Moving apps without using Edit Home Screen

There is an older way to move apps that still works on every iPhone. Instead of tapping Edit Home Screen, you can press and hold the app until the menu appears, then tap Move App. The app will jiggle when ready, and you can drag it to a new location. When you are done, tap anywhere outside the app to lock it in place.

Both methods — Edit Home Screen and Move App — do the same thing. The difference is that Edit Home Screen keeps all your apps in jiggle mode so you can move several in a row without pressing and holding each one. Move App is faster if you only want to move one app and then stop.

Why your apps might not move

If you press and hold an app and nothing happens, the most common reason is that you are not pressing long enough. Hold your finger on the icon for at least one full second. You should feel a small vibration, and then the menu will appear.

If you see a menu but do not see Edit Home Screen or Move App as an option, you may be looking at an app's own menu instead of the home screen menu. Close that menu by tapping elsewhere, then try again. Make sure you are pressing on the app icon itself, not on the app name below it.

Some apps that came built into your iPhone — like Phone, Messages, and Settings — cannot be moved or deleted. If you try to move one of these, the menu will appear but the move option will not be available. You can still organize your home screen by moving all your other apps around them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move apps to my lock screen?

No. You can only move apps on your home screen pages. However, you can add app shortcuts and widgets to your lock screen by pressing and holding the lock screen itself, then tapping the plus button. These are different from moving apps and work through a separate menu.

What happens to an app if I move it into a folder and then delete the folder?

The app does not get deleted. When you delete a folder, all the apps inside it move back to your home screen. You can then organize them however you want.

Do I need to do anything special to move apps between my home screen and the app library?

The App Library is a separate section that organizes your apps automatically by category. You cannot move apps into it manually. However, you can remove apps from your home screen, and they will still appear in the App Library. Swipe to the rightmost page of your home screen to see the App Library.

If I move an app, will my saved data inside that app disappear?

No. Moving an app only changes where the icon appears on your screen. All your data, settings, and saved progress inside the app stay exactly the same.