How to Use the iPhone App Library

This article explains all of the ways to use the iPhone App Library to organize apps and clean up your home screen on an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 14 or higher.

What Is the iPhone App Library in iOS 14?

The iPhone App Library is a new way to organize apps, introduced in iOS 14. It displays the apps on your iPhone in groups that are based on each app's category in the App Store. All games are grouped together, all productivity apps together, etc.

The App Library is designed to let you clean up your home screen, by putting only your key apps there and leaving the rest in the App Library. The App Library can be browsed or searched and you can delete apps from it. You can even choose to only download apps to it and hide them from your home screen.

How to Find the iPhone App Library

The App Library is located after the last home screen on your iPhone. To find the iPhone App Library, all you have to do is swipe right to left until you see it.

How to Use the iPhone App Library

Using the iPhone App Library is easy. Just tap an app to launch it. If there are a lot of apps in the folder, tap the grid of four apps at the bottom right of the folder to see all of the apps in it.

Using the App Library List View

You don't have to just view the App Library as folders. You can also view all of the apps in it in an alphabetical list. To do that, tap the App Library search bar at the top of the screen. You can then browse your apps or jump using the letters on the right side.

Searching the iPhone App Library

Search for apps by name in the App Library by tapping the search bar and then typing the name of the app you're looking for. Tap an app to launch it.

Only Add New Apps to the App Library

Any new app you install is automatically added to your App Library. But you can also set your phone to only add new apps to the library and never add them to the home screen. This is a great way to keep your phone neat and organized.

To change this setting, go to Settings > Home Screen > App Library Only. When the checkmark is next to that option, new apps will only be added to the library.

Finding App Clips in the App Library

App Clips only appear in the App Library—they never show up on your home screen. App Clips are categorized into folders the same way other apps are. You'll know something is an App Clip because of the dotted outline around its icon.

Controlling Notification Badges in the App Library

You can choose to have notification badges appear on app in the Library. To turn this setting on, go to Settings > Home Screen > move the Show in App Library slider to on/green.

Delete Apps from the iPhone App Library

You can delete apps from the App Library in the same way that you would from the home screen. Tap and hold an app until the menu pops out of it. Then tap Delete App, followed by Delete in the pop-up window.

Reorganizing Apps in the App Library

You may want to reorganize the apps in your App Library into folders that make sense for how you work. Unfortunately, that's not possible. The iPhone App Library folders are based on categories from the App Store, so they can't be changed by users.

How to Disable the iPhone App Library

Hate the App Library and don't want to have it on your iPhone? You may be interested in disabling it. We have bad news for you: As of this writing, it's not possible to disable or hide the App Library.

For now, at least, the App Library is on every iPhone. Luckily, if you don't like it, you can just ignore it and pretend that it's not there. It won't get in your way unless you go to it.

If Apple makes it possible to disable or hide the App Library, we'll be sure to update this article with the instructions.