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Yofi

macrumors member
Original poster
May 25, 2009
33
0
Montreal, QC
I just got my first iPhone and my first smartphone! Updating from a crappy Nokia flip phone…

I figured out how to put apps in folders and now my OCD is telling me to find some *perfect* way to arrange them. I'm trying my hardest to prevent myself from alphabetizing them. :eek:

I tried putting them all in folders, but it looked a little ugly to have just a bunch of folders out. I also thought about having different pages for different kinds of apps but that seems like a bit of work. How do you guys like to do it? What are some good organization schemes? Feel free to post screenshots.

Thanks! :)
 
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I have everything sorted into folders on as few pages as possible. One folder for games, internet applications and the rest.
 
I have two rows of most-used Apple apps on the top (messages, clock, calendar, weather, camera, photos, maps, remote), then two rows of folders for all my other apps. Phone, mail, safari, and music in the dock. Just one home screen...I hate flipping through screens. Now that I got Newstand in a folder I'm very happy with it =)
 
Apps I access most frequently are on the front page. (camera, calendar, clock, maps, messages, weather, settings, flashlight, notes and the bottom bar housing twitter, safari, mail and phone). Apps are arranged alphabetically. It's been this way with all of my iPhones.

All others are in folders and the folders are also arranged alphabetically.
 
Frequently used apps are on the first page. Some are grouped into folders. For example I have a Camera apps folder (Camera, Camera+, Photos, 360 Panorama, etc), Media folder (Youtube, Music, Videos, iTunes, etc), Info folder (Maps, Weather, Stocks, a bar code scanner, Flixster, etc), and a folder for various business apps. Nothing is alphabetized.

Second page is devoted to utilities I use very often, such as the Calculator, Voice Memos, Speed Test & a Flash Light app.

Third page is for games. None of them are in folders because I don't have many games installed currently.

Last page is for crap I don't use, namely Newsstand and Game Center.

Dock contains stuff used very frequently -- Messages, a folder for Social apps (FB, BeeJive, KiK, Google+, Tweetbot, Tapatalk), Mail, and 1Password.


I know people that like to keep literally everything in folders. Having too many folders can make it tough to find those apps that aren't used very often (or any app for that matter if your memory sucks like mine). In this case Spotlight searching comes in handy. :)
 
Folders for Games, Utilities, Apple Apps, books, TV, Family tree, GPS, photography. Then the dock has phone, safari, and 2 folders for Music and Messages.

One page, 2 clicks to most programs and it works for me.
 
I don't like a full screen of apps as it looks very cluttered, so I always leave the last row free. Plus this also helps with accidentally starting apps as this is the area where my thumb swipes for moving between pages. First 2 pages are my frequently used apps and the third has 12 folders which are category based and contain apps I don't use regularly.
 
I put SMS next to the phone on the right, and put mail up top on the left. The Calendar is the first thing left of mail. Everything except photos, camera, maps, weather, iTunes, app store, and settings go in utils. Social folder and utils the last 2 folders on the second row while the third row is iTunes App Store Settings. Games on second page. A-F Games, G-J Games, K-N Games, O-Q Games, P-S Games, T-Z Games. Then newsstand. I wish it could be disabled.
 
I am rather OCD about my apps.

I have "News" "Local News" "Sports" "NFL" "MLB" and such for about 3-4 pages. Of course I have multiple folders of some subjects so I just add a number to those extra folders (ie Sports 2 or News 2)
 
I have 220 Apps in 3 pages.

Most things are in folders. On my dock bar, I have: Phone, E-mail, Atomic Web Browser, and a Media folder.

That Media folder contains the Music and video apps, Stitcher for podcasts, Tune-In Radio, Rdio, MeCanto, Google Music, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, etc.

I have two folders of photography apps on the first page, and all the native iPhone apps in one folder (which is labeled with the Apple symbol). I also have a utilities folder, a navigation folder and Engineering folder on the first page. Out of folders, I have the Camera, Twitter, Facebook, News 360, Pulse, ESPN Score Center, AccuWeather, Messages, Settings and the App Store.

My second page is almost all folders, mostly shopping/music/sports/utilities/entertainment type stuff, with Google+, Momento, Tapatalk and Livestrong as non-folder apps

My third page is all folders of games.

The apps I don't have in folders are my most used apps...I want quick access to them. The rest I'm OK in folders, and the Media folder on the dock is nice to have all my music/media stuff accessible from any page.
 
I used to have 80 bajillion pages of apps until I discovered folders. Now I have only two pages.
 

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This is my home screen.
 

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I was a big fan of folders. To coin a phrase, I was an over-folderer. At one point, I had every single app in a folder. That didn't last long.

I've now changed my tune a bit. Folders are great, but don't discount that ability of your eye to instantly recognize an app icon tile faster than you can read a folder name. It would take me a couple seconds to scan my folders, read the name, open it, then open the app I want. But I can scroll through a couple pages of apps to find the right one in 2 seconds tops.

Here's my current system:

First two pages are almost all icons. These are my most frequently used apps -- everything from Waze to Calendar to iFitness workout app. I do have folders for news, sports, tech and reference at the bottom of the 2nd page.

3rd page is a bunch of folders for less-often used apps - "productivity" "utilities," "system," "shopping" etc.

4th page is games, in folders: "Angry Birds" (3 different versions), Card, Action, Word and Puzzle.


I would suggest resisting the urge to over-folder. Put your most frequent apps on the first page or two and dock...the rest in folders.
 
I try to keep to 3 pages max.

Little or no folders on first page - most frequently used apps.

Second page - mostly folders in various categories. I also have a folder for 'new things' where my most recent download, or an app I want to explore goes.

Third page - nothing at the moment. Nice to just have two pages, means everything is accessible in just one swipe and one tap.

I used to have 5 or 6 pages of stuff, but it just got too distracting, so I cut it down. Anything not used for several months gets thrown out. iTunes on the laptop keeps all the apps anyway, so if I want something back, it only takes a few seconds.

App update sometimes tells me I have 50 or 60 updates :) I should delete some of the more rubbish stuff from my laptop.
 
I like to keep everything organized by app type in folders. Then alphabetically within those folders.
 

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I like to keep everything organized by app type in folders. Then alphabetically within those folders.

This is how I do mine as well, only with the folder on the left side.

Each row corresponds to a category, apps in that category are in the folder alphabetically with the 3 most used apps in the 3 other spaces on that row.
 
I don't use folders. It doesn't suit my eye. I'm a picture person.... And scanning the app icons is much much easier.

Saying that though.... I have got 1 folder, which is off the apple apps that I don't use.

But not having many apps at the mo, it might change my opinion and I may well change my style when I fill up!

But I tend to delete apps when I get bored of them, or something different comes along.

They're just ordered in use :)
 
I have
- Phone / Mail / Safari / Messages - on the dock
- The most frequently used Apps on the home screen
- Second most frequently used ones on Page 2 and so on
- All games on 1 screen though - on page 3 (I have very few games)
 
This is how I do mine as well, only with the folder on the left side.

Each row corresponds to a category, apps in that category are in the folder alphabetically with the 3 most used apps in the 3 other spaces on that row.

That's a good idea. Mind posting a screenshot? I want to see what you've done with the default icons.
 
Here's mine. I like to have a nice clean front screen with other apps on the other pages. I'd love to be able to control where I can put the apps, as I'd like my nice singular on at the bottom of the home screen instead of the top...

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Page 1: App icons I use more often and dock has Phone, Safari, Messages, and utilities folder.

Page 2: 1 line of more frequent apps, 2 lines of folders and 1 line of games.

Page 3: 16 games.

Page 4: 7 more games.

I'll try to post pics when I get home again.
 
I have just 3 types of folders. One is utilities, which basically has any app that you can't find in the game section of the app store. Another for games, self explanatory. Then the third one is News and Junk, which consists of Newsstand, Music, Videos, Stocks, and the local news station's app.
 
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