Managing your home screen primarily involves rearranging app icons and organizing them into folders for a cleaner look and easier access.
Moving and Arranging App Icons
To move app icons around your home screen on most smartphones, you generally use a simple touch and drag method.
- Press and Hold: Press and hold your finger on the icon you want to move.
- Enter Edit Mode: Continue holding until you see a change, such as a screen outline appearing or the icons starting to wiggle. This indicates you're in an editable mode.
- Drag to Position: While still holding the icon, drag it to its desired new position on the current screen or drag it to the edge of the screen to move it to a different home screen page.
- Release: Lift your finger to drop the icon in place.
Sorting Apps into Folders
Creating folders is an effective way to organize multiple apps, especially when you have many similar ones, like corralling all your photography apps. This feature is available on both Android and iOS.
Here's how you typically create and use folders:
- Initiate Move Mode: Start by pressing and holding an app icon as if you were going to move it.
- Drag Onto Another Icon: Drag the icon and place it directly on top of another app icon you want to include in the same folder.
- Folder Creation: Your phone should automatically create a new folder containing both icons.
- Name the Folder: A default name might be suggested, or you might be prompted to name the folder. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Photography," "Social Media," "Games").
- Add More Apps: Drag other relevant app icons into the newly created folder.
- Access Apps: Tap the folder icon to open it and access the apps inside.
By utilizing these methods – moving individual icons and organizing them into folders – you can effectively manage your home screen layout, making it more intuitive and less cluttered.
