How to Use App Library on iPhone

Oct 1, 2020 - 12 Comments

How to Use App Library on iPhone

App Library is one of the best new features and biggest visual changes that iOS 14 has to offer for iPhone. With App Library, Apple intends to clean up your home screen that’s cluttered with apps that you’ve installed over the years with this new feature.

Unlike Android, iOS doesn’t have an app drawer. There’s the home screen where all your apps are located and that’s it. As you install more and more apps from the App Store, you gradually fill up the pages on your home screen. Finding and opening a specific application by scrolling through pages of apps may become increasingly difficult due to the sheer number of apps installed on your device. Sure you can make folders of apps, but many users don’t do that to arrange their apps. App Library changes the game altogether by allowing you to hide app pages easily, and automatically sorting the apps based on their category using automated folders.

Interested in keeping your home screen well-organized with the help of App Library? Look no further, because, in this article, we’ll be discussing exactly how you can use App Library on your iPhone.

How to Use App Library on iPhone

It goes without saying that your iPhone needs to be running iOS 14 or later to take advantage of this feature. Now, without further ado, let’s take a look at the necessary steps.

  1. To start using App Library on your iPhone, you’ll need to hide your home screen pages first. To do this, long-press on the home screen to enter jiggle mode and tap on the dot icon as shown below.

    How to Use App Library on iPhone
  2. Now, you can uncheck the pages that you want to hide. The apps stored in these hidden pages will be automatically moved to the App Library.

    How to Use App Library on iPhone
  3. To access the App Library, you’ll need to head to your last page of apps and swipe left just like how you’d access the next page.

    How to Use App Library on iPhone
  4. This will display your App Library on the screen. You will see a bunch of apps neatly sorted by category. The huge app icons can be tapped to launch the respective apps. However, tapping on the smaller app icons will open the app folder instead. You can also use the search bar at the top to find any app that’s stored in the library.

    How to Use App Library on iPhone
  5. Once you’re in a folder, you can tap on any app stored here to launch it.

    How to Use App Library on iPhone
  6. You also have the option to automatically move newly downloaded apps to the App Library. To enable this, head over to “Settings” on your iPhone. In the settings menu, scroll down and tap on “Home Screen”.

    How to Use App Library on iPhone
  7. Now, simply choose “App Library Only” for newly downloaded apps and you’re all set.

    How to Use App Library on iPhone

There you go. Now you’ve learned how to properly use App Library in iOS 14. Pretty easy, right?

This is probably the fastest and most convenient way to get rid of the clutter on your home screen and keep all of your apps neatly organized. The best part is that you don’t even have to manually manage it once you’re done setting up, as everything is handled automatically by the App Library.

The apps that are automatically moved to the App Library are stored in the “Recently Added” folder, which allows you to quickly open it after installation.

If you want to move some of the apps that are still on the home screen, you can simply long-press to enter jiggle mode and tap on the “-” icon next to an app. In addition to the usual “Delete App” option, you’ll also find a new “Move to App Library” option.

You may have noticed this article is specifically addressing the iPhone, and that’s because App Library is an iPhone-exclusive feature (for now anyway) and the feature does not exist on iPad. It’s also available on iPod touch for the devices that are compatible with iOS 14 or later there too.

We hope you are enjoying App Library and were able to clean up your app screens. Perhaps you were even able to drastically reduce the number of app pages on your iPhone’s home screen with the help of App Library.

What are your overall thoughts on this handy new addition to iOS 14? Have you been enjoying the new changes like App Library in iOS 14? What’s your favorite feature so far? Do share your valuable opinions and experiences in the comments section down below.

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Posted by: Hamlin Rozario in iPhone, Tips & Tricks

12 Comments

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  1. Mr. Daniel R. Vallee says:

    I have App Library feature on an iPad mini. I hate it. Except in alphabetical order that I invoke by swiping left from lower right corner.

  2. Linda Taylor says:

    All my apps disappeared from my Home Screen, I was told by apple I will have to move them one by one back to my Home Screen, no one could tell me why this happened, I do not like this feature as I already had my apps grouped the way I wanted them&I lost all of them!

  3. Lee M says:

    I am in agreement, you do not explain how to completely remove an app out of you “App Library”. We know how to delete an app off the hone screen; I want Twitter and Facebook OFF my “App Library” completely.

  4. Tom Godbold says:

    Nowhere does this answer my question – How do I totally PURGE an app like Twitter from my iPhone?

  5. Patrick Leong says:

    How do I move back the apps from apps library to Home Screen

  6. JohnT says:

    WTH? Apple introduces a “feature” for people who can’t figure out how to use folders… then penalizes people who do read the manual for their product by not allowing them to hide the new feature… which by the way is awful at categorizing the apps.

    Did Apple just hire a bunch of ex-Redmond engineers to come up with this?

  7. Daniel says:

    How can I get rid of the App Library?

  8. craigstotts says:

    how do you move an app from one folder to another (to a more accurate category)?

  9. Jams O'Donnell says:

    Well, as the article says, this is very similar to nesting your apps into folders. And with folders you can choose where to put each app. This new system seems to take away choice, for those who are not too lazy to do this themselves – unless you can edit content and rename folders in App Library. The choices made by App Library are nothing like the ones I have already made, and are not logical to me.

  10. Mark says:

    Your description seems easy enough to follow. I do have a question. Some time ago, I got sick of the clutter and organized folders on my own which neatly fit on the 1st page. If I install a new app, it goes to the 2nd page. From there, it is simple enough to move the new app to the folder wherein I wish it to reside.

    Is there any advantage to this new feature for me or have I already done what it purports to add to iOS?

  11. Don says:

    App Library?
    Total rubbish – I can and want to organise my own home screen
    I use folders and title them

    Apple – big brother – let me organise my own phone please

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