Create a folder by dragging one app onto another

To create a folder on your iPhone, press and hold any app icon on your home screen until a menu appears. Tap Edit Home Screen (or just keep holding if you're already in edit mode). Then drag one app directly on top of another app. Your iPhone will automatically create a folder and suggest a category name based on the app types — for example, dragging Mail onto Calendar might create a folder called "Productivity."

The folder appears instantly with both apps inside. Your iPhone assigns it a default name, but you can change this to anything you want. Tap the folder to open it, then tap the name field at the top and type a new name. When you're done organizing, press the back arrow or tap outside the folder to close it, then tap Done in the top right corner to exit edit mode.

Key Takeaways

  • Folders are created by dragging one app icon onto another while in edit mode on your home screen.
  • iPhone suggests a category name automatically, but you can rename the folder to anything you choose.
  • A single folder can hold up to 135 apps, though most people organize with far fewer per folder.
  • You can move apps between folders by dragging them, or delete a folder by removing all apps from it.
  • Folders appear on your home screen just like regular apps and can be arranged in any order you prefer.

Rename a folder to match your needs

When you first create a folder, iPhone suggests a name based on the app category. If you want a different name, tap the folder to open it. At the top of the folder window, you'll see the current name in a text field. Tap that field, delete the existing text, and type your new name. You can use any text you want — "Work," "Games," "Travel," or anything else that makes sense for your setup.

After you type the new name, tap outside the text field or press the back arrow to confirm the change. The folder now displays your custom name on the home screen. If you later want to revert to iPhone's suggestion, you can delete all the text and let iPhone fill in a default category name again.

Add more apps to an existing folder

Once you've created a folder, adding apps to it is straightforward. Enter edit mode by pressing and holding any app, then tap Edit Home Screen. Find an app you want to move into the folder and drag it on top of the folder icon. The folder opens automatically, and you can drop the app inside. The app is now part of that folder.

You can add as many apps as you want to a single folder — iPhone allows up to 135 apps per folder. However, you'll only see nine apps displayed in the folder preview on your home screen. To see all apps in a folder, tap it to open the full view. When you're finished adding apps, tap Done to exit edit mode.

Move apps between folders or remove them

To move an app from one folder to another, enter edit mode and open the folder containing the app. Press and hold the app you want to move, then drag it out of the folder and onto a different folder icon. The app transfers to the new folder. Alternatively, you can drag the app to your home screen to remove it from the folder entirely.

If you want to delete a folder, remove all apps from it by dragging each one out to the home screen or into other folders. Once the folder is empty, it disappears automatically. You don't need to manually delete folders — they only exist when they contain at least one app.

Organize folders on your home screen

Folders behave like regular app icons on your home screen. You can rearrange them by entering edit mode, pressing and holding a folder, and dragging it to a new position. You can also move folders between different home screen pages by dragging them to the edge of the screen — your iPhone will automatically navigate to the next page and place the folder there.

Many people organize their folders by putting frequently used ones on the first page and less common ones on later pages. You can also create multiple folders on the same page to group different types of apps — for example, one folder for entertainment apps and another for productivity tools. The arrangement is entirely up to you.

Use nested folders or the App Library for advanced organization

iPhone's App Library is a separate feature that automatically organizes all your apps into categories without requiring you to create folders manually. Swipe to the rightmost home screen page to access it. The App Library shows categories like Social, Entertainment, and Productivity, with a search bar at the top. This is useful if you want a cleaner home screen without manually managing many folders.

You cannot create folders inside folders on iPhone — each folder is a single level. However, you can use a combination of home screen folders and the App Library to organize apps however you prefer. Some people keep their most-used apps on the home screen in folders, while hiding less-used apps in the App Library. Others prefer to organize everything into folders on their home screen pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many apps can fit in one folder?

A single folder can hold up to 135 apps. The folder preview on your home screen shows nine apps at a time, but you can scroll through the folder to see all of them when you tap it open. Most people organize with far fewer apps per folder for easier navigation.

Can I create a folder inside a folder?

No, iPhone does not support nested folders. Each folder is a single level, and you cannot place a folder inside another folder. If you need more advanced organization, consider using the App Library or spreading apps across multiple folders on different home screen pages.

What happens if I delete a folder?

Folders are deleted automatically when they become empty. The apps inside are not deleted — they simply move to your home screen or App Library. To delete a folder, drag all its apps out to the home screen or into other folders until the folder is empty.

Can I see which apps are in a folder without opening it?

The folder preview on your home screen shows up to nine app icons from that folder. To see all apps in a folder, you must tap it to open the full view. There is no way to see the complete list without opening the folder.

Do folders take up more storage space on my iPhone?

No, folders do not use additional storage. They are simply a way to organize app icons on your home screen. The apps themselves use the same amount of space whether they are in a folder or displayed directly on the home screen.