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App Library is useless
- Thread starter -BigMac-
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The only issues I’ve had were on already setup phones. It happened more in the past on my previous 12 Pro, so it might have been an issue with earlier iterations. My 15PM has done it once that I can recall and I think it was on 18.4.
But yes, when setting up a new phone, it does take a little while for it to categorize them and then put the categorized folders in order of what’s used most often.
Hahah true, this one is totally useless. I always try not to scroll to the end of home screen not to land there. I don’t understand what was the point of it
I find it useful to quickly get to the search when I’m looking for an app. (I keep my actual Home Screen very minimal, so for most apps, this is how I prefer to get to them.)
I wish they’d have an option for that search to also include the App Store, instead of just a filter of my installed apps.
Would be a very streamlined experience to search for an app, and if you don’t have it, have a quick deep link to the App Store.
Seems pretty intuitive. Maybe I have something turned off. haha
I wish they’d have an option for that search to also include the App Store, instead of just a filter of my installed apps.
Would be a very streamlined experience to search for an app, and if you don’t have it, have a quick deep link to the App Store.
Seems pretty intuitive. Maybe I have something turned off. haha
Just give us an option for an alphabetical list instead of folders.
Give us two layout options, single line list with the name larger (like apps are listed in Settings), or a 4-6 icon wide vertical scrolling list (depending on iPhone vs iPad)
Thanks Apple
Give us two layout options, single line list with the name larger (like apps are listed in Settings), or a 4-6 icon wide vertical scrolling list (depending on iPhone vs iPad)
Thanks Apple
????? The App Lbrary (on iOS) is already an alphabetical list of all apps installed on the device. It’s an extra swipe on the search bar, and it would’ve nice if you could go to the list as the default, instead of swiping, but it’s already there.Just give us an option for an alphabetical list instead of folders.
Give us two layout options, single line list with the name larger (like apps are listed in Settings), or a 4-6 icon wide vertical scrolling list (depending on iPhone vs iPad)
Thanks Apple
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Swipe down in the App Library and there's your alphabetical list
I don't get the criticism. It tucks all your apps away in one neat place instead of dumping them haphazardly on a dozen unorderable home screens. It's a halfway house between the App Drawer on Android and the A-Z menu on Windows Phone. You can then spotlight what you need.
Despite Apple's comments to the contrary, iOS isn't anywhere near as customisable as the home experience on Android but the app library was a step in the right direction.
Despite Apple's comments to the contrary, iOS isn't anywhere near as customisable as the home experience on Android but the app library was a step in the right direction.
I’ve always spent time to keep my Home Screens organized. So there’s nothing haphazard about them. For me the App Library isn’t neat. It puts apps in Categories I’d never imagine. The apps it puts most prominently are the most used, but those are almost always in my first two Home Screens. So I wouldn’t ever swipe to the back to get to a most used app. It just doesn’t work at all for me. I was very frustrated at first that I couldn’t toggle it off, but some deep breathing exercises have helped me ☺️
I really did try to embrace it when it first released. I just couldn’t get the point.
To find an app by name, I use Spotlight, which is also quicker. If I don’t know the name, the official app categories are unhelpful, too broad and random. And you can’t customize the category assignments.
An App Library app could be helpful, and could be combined with the App Store app, there’s a lot of conceptual overlap. App categories could be helpful if they were customizable, and for example accessible via Spotlight, or if you could configure Home Screen pages to autofill with apps of a certain category. But as it is, the App Library is a half-hearted one-shot, only borderline useful addition, with little integration with the rest of the system.
Was thinking on this a little. I'm fine with the current App Library.. But.. what if they took the approach like the new Calls app layout.
Allow a "Favorites" section where the recents is, that could drop down to "Frequent" or "Newly added".. but still giving us the complete list below. Maybe even filters for each app library section "Finance" Productivity" and so on.
Or maybe put the library sections on a horizontal scroller where "calls, contacts, keypads" is currently
iOS26 Calls screen
Allow a "Favorites" section where the recents is, that could drop down to "Frequent" or "Newly added".. but still giving us the complete list below. Maybe even filters for each app library section "Finance" Productivity" and so on.
Or maybe put the library sections on a horizontal scroller where "calls, contacts, keypads" is currently
iOS26 Calls screen
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Agreed. I’ve never used the library, it takes me longer to find anything on it than it does just to go to the app normally and I’d love the option in settings to disable it.
The search function is much better and faster, for me anyway.
Please Apple can we have the option to disable the library!
The search function is much better and faster, for me anyway.
Please Apple can we have the option to disable the library!
I think the App Library needs a lot of work, but it’s generally better than not having it. I wouldn’t mind them adding an option to turn it off, but what I really want to see if better options for sorting. Apps aren’t categorised well and lots end up in folders that make no sense.
Let me make my own categories for folders or move apps to where I want them.
Let me make my own categories for folders or move apps to where I want them.
Sounds like a crotchety old fogey doesn’t want to learn anything new, even if it’s better.
Swipe down on the App Library and you get an alphabetical list.
oh i guess you can swipe down for that, i forget about it sometimes. it’s not the preferred view i’d want though, i want the alphabetical grid 4 wide on the iPhone personally, then i’d put it in the dock and just get to everything right there the same way i do on macOS
I just want the ability to manually sort them. It often gets apps wrong (finance app that in shopping, for instance, or a camera app in entertainment instead of in creativity) and the order in the category preview is often haphazard. Let me define what category an app is, and let me set manually set the three apps in the thumbnails so that apps are always consistently there. I get it learns which ones I use the most, and it often helps, but sometimes I don’t want my phone to “learn” and just show me the same consistent set of apps everytime.
In the folders their in alphabetical order, which is nice - but let me also sort them there manually! Give us *options*.
As it is I just tend to swipe to the App Library, if the app I need isn’t in the folder preview, I swipe down and search. Way faster than trying to get what folder the app I want is in.
In the folders their in alphabetical order, which is nice - but let me also sort them there manually! Give us *options*.
As it is I just tend to swipe to the App Library, if the app I need isn’t in the folder preview, I swipe down and search. Way faster than trying to get what folder the app I want is in.
Exactly. But Apple HASNT provided an option - to turn App library off.
As you say - The best OS is one that is highly configurable.. so what is one single toggle in the settings, to turn off app library and keep everything on screen?
I stick a weather widget on the last page of apps so I know not to swipe past that and get annoyed.
They already do that.
That's what folders are for. The VAST majority of my apps are already in folders. I don't need the app library, it's just annoying.
I like it 'enough'. Customization would be nice, but I am fine for now. Note that before it was intrroduced I had no icons on homescreen page 1, and folders of apps on page 2, with three folders of my most-used apps in the dock. Now I let app library manage things... if only it didn't incorrectly categorize some of them.
I’m obviously talking about the folders on the App Library page, so no, they don’t already do that.
The best Life Pro Tip I can offer is to use Spotlight search to quickly open the apps one needs.