The fastest way depends on your device
Most phones and tablets let you sort apps alphabetically through a built-in setting, though the exact steps differ between iPhone, Android, and iPad. On an iPhone or iPad, you can turn on automatic alphabetical sorting in Settings. On Android, the method varies by manufacturer — Samsung phones, Google Pixels, and others each have slightly different paths to the same result. If your device doesn't offer automatic sorting, you can also arrange apps manually by dragging them into alphabetical order on your home screen.
The automatic approach is faster if you have many apps, because the system sorts them for you and keeps new apps in alphabetical order as you download them. Manual sorting gives you more control over which apps appear where, but takes longer and requires you to re-sort whenever you add something new.
Key Takeaways
- iPhones and iPads have a built-in alphabetical sort option in Settings under Home Screen, which you can turn on in seconds.
- Android devices vary by brand: Samsung uses the App Drawer settings, Google Pixels use the Launcher settings, and others may differ.
- Manual sorting means dragging each app into position, which works on any device but takes longer and doesn't stay sorted automatically.
- Once alphabetical sorting is on, new apps you download will appear in the correct alphabetical position without extra work.
How to sort alphabetically on iPhone and iPad
Open the Settings app and tap Home Screen. Look for an option labeled "Sort Order" or "App Library Sorting" — the exact name varies by iOS version. Tap it and select Alphabetical. Your apps will rearrange themselves immediately, and any new apps you download will slot into alphabetical position automatically.
If you don't see this option, you may be using an older iOS version. In that case, you can still sort manually by holding down on any app icon until a menu appears, then dragging it to a new position. This method works but requires you to move each app individually.
How to sort alphabetically on Android
The steps depend on which Android device you have. On a Samsung phone, open the App Drawer (usually a grid icon at the bottom of your home screen), tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select Sort By or Sort Order. Choose Alphabetical. On a Google Pixel, open the app drawer, tap the three dots, and look for Settings or Sort. Select Alphabetical.
Other Android manufacturers like OnePlus, Motorola, and LG may place this option in different locations. If you can't find it in your app drawer settings, try opening your device's main Settings app, searching for "app sort" or "app order," and looking for a sorting option there. If your device doesn't offer automatic sorting at all, you'll need to sort manually.
Manual sorting if automatic alphabetical order isn't available
On any phone or tablet, you can arrange apps by hand. Press and hold an app icon until a menu appears or the icon begins to wiggle (on iPhone) or shows a drag handle (on Android). Drag the app to a new position on your home screen. Release it when it's in the right spot. Repeat for each app you want to move.
This method works everywhere but is time-consuming if you have dozens of apps. The advantage is that you control exactly where each app goes — you can group related apps together even if it breaks alphabetical order, or create multiple home screens with different sorting schemes. The disadvantage is that new apps won't sort themselves, so you'll need to manually place each new download.
Why alphabetical order matters (and when it doesn't)
Alphabetical sorting makes it faster to find a specific app when you know its name. If you're looking for Spotify or Slack, you go straight to S instead of hunting through your entire home screen. This is especially useful if you have more than 20 or 30 apps.
Some people prefer grouping apps by category instead — all social media together, all productivity tools together, all games in one place. This can be faster if you think in categories rather than app names. You can also use folders on your home screen to organize by category while keeping the folder names in alphabetical order, which gives you both benefits.
What happens when you update your phone or tablet
If you back up your phone to iCloud (iPhone) or Google Drive (Android) and then restore from that backup, your app sorting order usually transfers to the new device. However, if you set up your phone as new instead of restoring from a backup, you'll start with the default app order and need to re-sort.
If you manually sorted your apps and then turn on automatic alphabetical sorting, the manual arrangement will be replaced by the alphabetical order. You can always turn automatic sorting off again to go back to manual control, but the manual positions you had before won't be restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will alphabetical sorting affect my app folders?
On iPhone, apps inside folders will sort alphabetically if you have automatic sorting on. On Android, this depends on your device — some phones sort folder contents alphabetically, others don't. You can test this by creating a folder with a few apps and turning on alphabetical sorting to see what happens on your specific device.
Can I sort only some apps alphabetically and leave others in a custom order?
Not with automatic sorting — it's all or nothing. If you turn on alphabetical sorting, all apps sort that way. You can achieve a mixed approach by using folders: put apps you want alphabetical in one folder and manually arrange other apps on your home screen, but the folder contents themselves will follow your device's sorting rules.
What if I want my most-used apps at the top instead of alphabetical?
Turn off automatic alphabetical sorting and arrange them manually. You can also use your device's app suggestions feature, which learns which apps you use most and can show them at the top of your app drawer or home screen without affecting your manual sorting.
Does alphabetical sorting work on the app drawer and home screen separately?
On most devices, alphabetical sorting applies to both the app drawer and home screen at the same time. However, on some Android phones you can sort the app drawer alphabetically while keeping your home screen manually arranged. Check your device's app drawer settings to see if this option is available.
Will I lose any apps if I turn on alphabetical sorting?
No. Alphabetical sorting only changes the order apps appear in — it doesn't delete or hide anything. All your apps remain installed and functional. If an app seems to disappear after sorting, it's usually just moved to a different home screen page or folder.