How to Make a Folder on an iPhone: Stop Losing Your Apps

You're looking at a sea of icons. It’s a mess. Honestly, most people just let their iPhone home screens turn into a digital junk drawer because they think organizing it takes too much effort. But if you’re tired of swiping through five pages of apps just to find your banking tool or that one game you play once a month, you need to know how to make a folder on an iphone. It is the single fastest way to reclaim your sanity and actually see your wallpaper for once.

Apple’s iOS has changed a lot over the years, but the core mechanic of grouping apps has stayed pretty consistent. It’s mostly about haptic feedback and timing.

The Quick Way to Group Your Apps

To get started, find two apps that belong together. Maybe it's Instagram and TikTok, or Slack and Outlook. Press down on one icon. Don't just tap it—hold it. You’ll feel a little vibration, and the icons will start to jiggle. This is what Apple developers traditionally call "jiggle mode," though the official technical term is "Edit Home Screen."

Once they're shaking, drag one app directly on top of the other.

This is where people usually mess up. If you don't land squarely in the center of the other icon, the second app will just scurry away like a nervous squirrel. You have to hover for a split second. The iPhone will then flash and create a gray rounded square around both icons. Boom. You've just learned the basics of how to make a folder on an iphone.

iOS is pretty smart. It looks at the categories of the apps you merged and tries to name the folder for you. If you put two games together, it might name it "Games." If it’s two finance apps, it might say "Finance." But you aren't stuck with that. Tap the name field at the top of the folder and type whatever you want. Use emojis. Call it "Work Stress" or "Time Wasters." It’s your phone.

Dealing with the App Library

Since iOS 14, Apple introduced the App Library. This is that final page if you swipe all the way to the right. Some people think they don't need folders anymore because the App Library automatically categorizes everything.

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They're wrong.

The App Library is a bit of a "black box." You can’t control what goes where. If you want a specific set of tools—like a "Travel" folder with your airline app, Uber, and Airbnb—you have to build it yourself on the Home Screen. The App Library is a safety net; folders are your personalized dashboard.

Advanced Folder Management and Pro Tips

Once you have a folder, you can keep adding to it. Just drag more apps in. You can actually have multiple pages inside a single folder. If you have 50 games (we’ve all been there), you can shove them all into one "Gaming" folder. To see the second page of apps within that folder, just swipe left inside the folder window.

But what if you want to move a folder?

Easy. Just like an app, long-press the folder until it jiggles, then slide it to a new screen or into your Dock at the bottom.

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Putting Folders in the Dock

Speaking of the Dock—that static bar at the bottom of your screen that stays there regardless of which page you're on—you can put folders there too. This is a pro move. If you put your most-used apps into a folder and move that folder to the Dock, you have instant access to dozens of apps from any screen. Most people keep the Phone, Messages, and Safari apps there. Swap one out for a "Daily" folder. It changes the game.

Common Mistakes When Organizing Your iPhone

A big mistake is over-organizing. If you have a folder for every single app, you’re just adding an extra tap to everything you do. It's annoying. Experts in UI/UX design, like those who contribute to sites like Nielsen Norman Group, often talk about "interaction cost." Every tap is a cost. If you use Spotify twenty times a day, do not put it in a folder. Keep it on the main screen. Folders are for the "second tier" apps—the ones you need, but don't need right this second.

Another glitch: sometimes an app won't go into a folder. This usually happens if your Home Screen is "locked" because of Screen Time restrictions. If you find you can’t move apps at all, check Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases. Make sure "Deleting Apps" and "Installing Apps" are allowed. Sometimes these settings get wonky and prevent you from rearranging your layout.

Removing a Folder Without Deleting Apps

Don't panic. If you decide you hate a folder, you don't have to delete the apps inside it to get rid of the folder itself. Just open the folder, long-press an app, and drag it out of the folder back onto the Home Screen. Once the second-to-last app is dragged out, the folder will automatically vanish into thin air. The apps stay on your phone; the container just disappears.

Alternatively, you can long-press the folder icon and select "Remove Folder." A pop-up will ask if you want to remove it from the Home Screen. If you select this, the folder is deleted, and all those apps are sent to your App Library. They aren't uninstalled. They're just tucked away out of sight.

The Psychology of a Clean Home Screen

There’s actually some fascinating research into how "digital clutter" affects our brain. A study from De Paul University suggested that high levels of digital clutter can lead to increased stress and a feeling of being overwhelmed. When you unlock your phone and see 100 separate icons, your brain has to process all that visual noise.

By knowing how to make a folder on an iphone, you are essentially performing digital minimalism. You're reducing the cognitive load.

Try grouping by color. Some people swear by this. All blue apps go in one folder, all red in another. It sounds crazy, but your brain recognizes color faster than it reads text. Or, group by "verbs." A "Calculate" folder for your calculator and spreadsheets. A "Listen" folder for podcasts and music. A "Watch" folder for Netflix and YouTube.

Moving Multiple Apps at Once

Here is a secret trick that most people don't know. It’ll make you look like an iPhone wizard.

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1. Enter jiggle mode (long-press an app).
2. Start dragging one app slightly away from its spot, but don't let go.
3. While still holding that first app with one finger, use another finger to tap other apps you want to move.
4. They will start stacking up under your first finger like a little deck of cards.
5. Drag the whole stack into a folder.

This saves so much time. You can move ten apps at once into a new folder instead of doing the "drag and drop" dance ten separate times.

Actionable Steps to Organize Your iPhone Today

Ready to actually do this? Don't just read about it.

Start by identifying your "clutter" apps. These are the ones you use maybe once a week. Group them first. Leave your "holy trinity" (the three apps you use most) alone on the first page. Everything else should be candidates for a folder.

First, long-press a "utility" app like the Calculator. Drag it over the Calendar. Rename that folder "Admin." Then, use the multi-app selection trick to grab your Maps, Weather, and Notes apps and dump them in there too.

Once you’ve cleared the first page, move your most important folder to the Dock. Notice how much faster you can navigate. If you ever feel like you've made a mess you can't fix, you can always go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout. This will put all your Apple apps back where they were originally and move your folders to the second page, giving you a fresh start.

The goal isn't perfection; it's just making your phone work for you instead of against you.