Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Folders?
- Thread starter stevearm
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Doesn't putting a group of Apps on the same page accomplish the same thing without cluttering the screen with folders?
If I have a folder of games on the home screen = 1 touch to reach games
If I have a screen of games on page 5 = 5 swipes to reach games
Not really the same thing...
I think the multiple slide screens are their solution to folders. But it would be nice to have one for the less used apps and ones you can't delete to just be out of the way.
With easily having 4 screens, it can be difficult to quickly get to an app, and you might not always be at the main home screen. Then not to mention updates rearrange your icons all the time to the first screen.
What would be kind of nice would be vertical pages. So instead of just left or right, you got up and down. You main home page being the middle page. Then it would be pretty easy to organize 4 extra pages all accessible with one swipe. Cooler if you could a least change the color of the back to help identify where you are at when swiping fast.
So, a simple swipe down for games, swipe up for multimedia, swipe left for organization, swipe right for misc, etc.
I try to keep the main page simple with my most used apps, leaving half empty or. But then updates appear there and make it pointless, and any consistency over time as they all shuffle around. Would be better if you could arrange icons where you want. It auto stacks upward, leaving the bottom empty, and moving one causes everything after it to shift. I'd rather be able to manually put apps in say all 4 corners to be easier to find, also give a customized look to each screen.
With easily having 4 screens, it can be difficult to quickly get to an app, and you might not always be at the main home screen. Then not to mention updates rearrange your icons all the time to the first screen.
What would be kind of nice would be vertical pages. So instead of just left or right, you got up and down. You main home page being the middle page. Then it would be pretty easy to organize 4 extra pages all accessible with one swipe. Cooler if you could a least change the color of the back to help identify where you are at when swiping fast.
So, a simple swipe down for games, swipe up for multimedia, swipe left for organization, swipe right for misc, etc.
I try to keep the main page simple with my most used apps, leaving half empty or. But then updates appear there and make it pointless, and any consistency over time as they all shuffle around. Would be better if you could arrange icons where you want. It auto stacks upward, leaving the bottom empty, and moving one causes everything after it to shift. I'd rather be able to manually put apps in say all 4 corners to be easier to find, also give a customized look to each screen.
On the one hand, this seems confusing, but on the other hand I can totally see Apple doing this.
Folders sound good, but become difficult when you start thinking about HOW to create and name them with the iPhone's interface.
So although your idea sounds kind of complicated, it may actually make more sense than folders.
Doesn't putting a group of Apps on the same page accomplish the same thing without cluttering the screen with folders?
I thought so too, until the app updates started moving them around.
Tap and hold on any unoccupied icon space on any home screen. A wiggling folder icon is created in that spot, with the name "new folder". As the folder wiggles, the name "folder" blinks. Tap once on the blinking name, a keyboard pops up, type a new name, tap "done" on the keyboard; keyboard disappears, the folder name stops blinking, the folder icon stops wiggling. A new folder is created.
To move it, tap and hold as usual.
To move icons into the folder, tap and hold any icon until all icons wiggle, grab the icon you want, drag it over the folder. The folder icon gets bigger and the icon you have grabbed gets a green plus sign badge. Let go, icon drops into the folder. Repeat as needed. Tap home to stop all wiggling as usual.
Tap on a folder once to open it, like opening any app. A new home screen zooms/morphs into place, with all the icons that are in the folder. To get back to the main home screen, hit home button as usual.
Rename a folder. Tap and hold a folder until it wiggles then hold a bit longer until the name starts blinking. Tap the name once, kb pops up, type new name, tap done.
Sounds perfect to me. I really do think Apple needs to implement this, especially after launching the app store.
Most people don't have any unoccupied space until page 3 or higher. Thus, to make a folder you have to scroll out there, then drag it back 3 pages.
I didn't say it was impossible, I just said it was more difficult than having pages in all 4 directions.
And your idea, while perfectly fine, is a bit more difficult. That doesn't mean they won't do it. It just means it's not quite as easy.
first you want folders... then you'll be asking for leopard-esque stacks on the dock!
it seems like an OK idea though - but it would be so much better if we had a 'Finder' app and navigated to the desktop folder to create folders and move files.
it seems like an OK idea though - but it would be so much better if we had a 'Finder' app and navigated to the desktop folder to create folders and move files.
Dare I say you don't really have the data to back that statement up.
I for one, keep only 3 rows of icons on all my screens (besides the dock), a swipe path if you will. It also serves as a landing strip on the first page for new/updated apps so they don't jumble all my other screens.
The whole folders issue...definitely has to do with the lack of customization the iphone offers. I sure hope they address this issue before the release of the htc dream with t-mobile (or whatever the new iphone competition will be) ...because watching the videos recently released, unfortunately that will be the catch (the customization available to the user).
While you have multiple screens, with all these apps, it's beginning to feel like a desktop with 100s of icons, that randomly change (updates)
On iTunes, apps are listed under certain categories. Like Productivity, Music, Utilities, Games, etc. It would be nice to customize a page to only show apps in one of those categories. Or just give the page any name for the type of apps you plan to put there. Maybe name it by double tapping the white dots.
Then, instead of dragging to those pages, you have an option to hold your finger on the white dots to pop up a menu with those page names to instantly jump to them.
Now, obviously something like games mights not fit on one page and it would be annoying to have a Games 2 page just for 5 more games. To prevent that, maybe we could add scrolling to pages to have unlimited apps. Just scroll up and down like a normal window. That's the major flaw with this many apps, no way to scroll, forcing you to create one more page for one category of apps, or having to mix them with other apps just to prevent that.
These icons a were great when there were only a few simple apps. But with so many now, it's like trying to browse all your mp3s in icon form with no organization. But I think with the method above, having names with a quick way to jump to them, and unlimited apps in one page, it pretty much feels more like a folder, but still feels like an iPhone.
We also may need a search function for apps like we do with contacts.
On iTunes, apps are listed under certain categories. Like Productivity, Music, Utilities, Games, etc. It would be nice to customize a page to only show apps in one of those categories. Or just give the page any name for the type of apps you plan to put there. Maybe name it by double tapping the white dots.
Then, instead of dragging to those pages, you have an option to hold your finger on the white dots to pop up a menu with those page names to instantly jump to them.
Now, obviously something like games mights not fit on one page and it would be annoying to have a Games 2 page just for 5 more games. To prevent that, maybe we could add scrolling to pages to have unlimited apps. Just scroll up and down like a normal window. That's the major flaw with this many apps, no way to scroll, forcing you to create one more page for one category of apps, or having to mix them with other apps just to prevent that.
These icons a were great when there were only a few simple apps. But with so many now, it's like trying to browse all your mp3s in icon form with no organization. But I think with the method above, having names with a quick way to jump to them, and unlimited apps in one page, it pretty much feels more like a folder, but still feels like an iPhone.
We also may need a search function for apps like we do with contacts.
Dare I say you don't really have the data to back that statement up.
I for one, keep only 3 rows of icons on all my screens (besides the dock), a swipe path if you will. It also serves as a landing strip on the first page for new/updated apps so they don't jumble all my other screens.
I keep a spare row on page 2 for the exact same reason. (I find that just as convinient as page 1, and it gives me extra apps on page 1.)
That being said, you're the FIRST other person I've met who has done something similar. So now I know of 2 people who do that, and dozens that don't.
I'll stick by my "most people" comment.