This is how the App Library works on the iPhone and iPad

Everything about the App Library (App Library)

The App Library automatically creates an overview of all your apps. A division is made with suggestions, newly added apps and various categories. You can also request an alphabetical list of all apps on your device. That way you keep an overview if you have installed many apps. It looks a bit like Android’s app drawer, which is also on the right side of the screen.

• Where can you find the App Library?
• What is App Library?
• Disable App Library
• Disable notification badges
• Apps automatically in library
• Alphabetical list of your apps
• Hide home screens

Where can you find the App Library?

The App Library can be found on the following devices:

• iPhones with iOS 14 or newer

• iPads with iPadOS 15 or newer

You can find the App Library by scrolling as far to the right as possible on your home screen.

What is App Library?

Your App Library is where you’ll find all of your apps. Swiping all the way to the right on the home screens will take you to this folder view. At the top you will find the suggestions based on your use. If you open an app every day around the same time to plan your train journey, you will see this app in the box with suggestions.

You can also see recently added apps at the top. This is very useful, because after installing a new app it is sometimes difficult to find where it left off. You can set how to put apps only in your App Library by default. You can read how to do that later in this guide.

You will also find the different categories of apps. The category classification of the App Store is adhered to. You can still create folders with a custom title, such as “Useful” and “Travel,” but they won’t appear in the App Library.

If there are multiple apps in a category, you can tap it to see them all. In that case you will see three large app icons and a number of smaller ones in the box. The big icons are the apps your iPhone thinks you need most.

Disable App Library

“Can I disable the App Library?” That is a frequently asked question to which a short answer is possible: no, you can’t. If you never want to see the App Library again, you will have to be careful not to scroll too far to the right. You could also create more home screens, which would reduce the chance of accidentally browsing to the App Library.

Disable notification badges in the App Library

When you receive a notification from one or more apps within a category, you will see this in the App Library. The so-called notification badge (red ball with a number) is shown on the folder. If you open the folder, you will see which app(s) you have a notification for. Do you find it annoying to see the badges on the maps? Then you can turn them off. When you open a folder you will see notifications. This is how you set it up:

1. Open the Settings app and tap the Home screen menu.
2. Turn off the switch at Notification Badges > Show in App Library.

You can read how to disable notifications completely in a separate tip.

Automatically make apps only appear in the App Library

Want to keep your home screen as tidy as possible? Then you can set apps to only appear in your App Library by default. You will find them in the ‘Newly added’ folder. The app can also be found via Spotlight, the iPhone’s search function.

This is how you set new apps to only appear in your App Library:

1. Open the Settings app and tap the Home screen menu.
2. Choose App Library Only.

All the apps you already had will stay in place, but everything you download from now on will no longer appear on the home screen by itself.

If you still want to see an app on your home screen, you can arrange this via your App Library by pressing and holding the icon. Then choose Add to Home Screen.

Alphabetical list of your apps

You will also find an alphabetical list of apps on your device. This can be useful if you are just looking for that one app, of which you know the first letter. Tap the search box and a list from A to Z will appear.

You can easily search this alphabetical list. You can also immediately tap on one of the letters on the right to go to all apps with the letter ‘R’, for example.

Hide home screens

The idea behind the App Library is that many users are familiar with the first two or three home screens, but after that it becomes a jumble of icons and folders. Often you don’t know where something is anymore. That’s why people often use the universal search bar to open apps that are further down. If you do that too, you probably don’t need all the home screens anymore. You can easily hide the home screens below.

You can read how to hide home screens in a separate tip.