How to Create a Folder on iPhone

To create an app folder on iPhone, touch and hold an empty part of the Home Screen until the apps jiggle, then drag one app onto another. The two apps go into a new folder. Add more apps by dragging them into it, and tap Done when finished.

A Home Screen folder groups app icons. It does not combine their data or uninstall anything. If you mean a folder for documents, use the Files app instead; those instructions are separate near the end of this guide.

Before you start

Choose two apps that belong together, such as two games or two travel apps. Start on a Home Screen page where you can see both icons, which makes the first drag easier.

These steps work on iOS 17, iOS 18, iOS 26, and iOS 27. Apple’s app-folder guide covers the same method. On an iPhone with a Home button, you can press it instead of tapping Done.

If an app is only in App Library, first locate it there and move or add it to the Home Screen using the available app controls. You create your own folders on the Home Screen; App Library's automatic categories are a different organization system.

Create your first app folder

1. Go to the Home Screen and find the apps you want to group.
2. Touch and hold the background until the icons begin to jiggle. This opens the layout editing mode.
3. Keep a finger on the first app and drag it onto the center of the second app.
4. Pause over the second icon until the folder appears, then release your finger. Both apps should be inside it.
5. Check the folder's default name. You can keep it for now or rename it using the method below.
6. Tap Done in the top-right corner.

If the second icon only moves out of the way, aim more directly at its center and wait for the folder to form before releasing. Dragging an icon into a gap rearranges the page instead of grouping two apps.

If you hold an app and a shortcut menu appears, tap Edit Home Screen. Don’t tap Remove App.

Rename a folder

1. Finish Home Screen editing if the icons are still jiggling.
2. Touch and hold the folder until its menu appears.
3. Tap Rename.
4. Replace the current name with a label you will recognize, such as Travel, Reading, or Utilities.
5. Tap Done on the keyboard, then check the name under the folder.

If the apps start jiggling instead of showing a menu, tap the background and try again.

Pick a name based on how you look for the apps. A folder called Travel can hold an airline, hotel, and transit app even though the App Store classifies them differently.

Add and arrange more apps

Enter Home Screen editing again, drag another app onto the folder, and release it when the folder opens or accepts the icon. Open the folder and confirm the app is there before moving on to the next one.

Folders can contain multiple pages of apps. Swipe inside an open folder to see another page if you do not see every icon at once. A dot or page indicator can help show that there is more than one page.

You can rearrange icons inside the folder while editing, just as you arrange icons on a Home Screen page. Keep frequently used apps on its first page so you do not have to swipe each time.

To move the whole folder, enter editing and drag the folder icon, not an app inside it. To put it on another page, hold it at the left or right edge of the screen until the next page appears, then release it where you want it. Our guide to moving apps on iPhone covers the same gesture and the separate Home Screen reset option.

Move an app out or remove the folder

Removing an app from a folder is a layout change. Keep it on the Home Screen if you still want easy access.

1. Open the folder containing the app.
2. Touch and hold the app until editing begins.
3. Drag it outside the folder and onto the Home Screen.
4. Release it in the desired position and finish editing.
5. Check both the page and the folder to confirm the move.

To remove the folder itself, drag every app out onto the Home Screen. Apple says an empty folder is deleted automatically. That procedure does not delete its apps.

You don’t need to reset the Home Screen to remove one folder. Empty that folder instead.

Folders and App Library are different

App Library appears after your last Home Screen page and organizes apps automatically. Apple says creating Home Screen folders does not change App Library's organization.

A normal folder is also not a privacy lock. Someone who can use your unlocked Home Screen can open it. If your goal is to restrict access to an app rather than organize it, see how to hide or lock apps on iPhone. Those features have their own app and version limitations.

If you meant a document folder in Files

Open Files, browse to the location or existing folder where you want the new folder, open the More menu, and select New Folder. Enter a name and tap Done.

Apple's Files organization guide notes that if New Folder is missing, you cannot create one in that location. Check that you're in a location where you can save files; the Home Screen app-folder gesture doesn't work in Files.

A Files folder holds documents, images, or other files. It does not appear as the same kind of Home Screen app group, and creating one does not rearrange your app icons.

Common questions

Why is a missing app still in search?

An app can be on another Home Screen page, another folder page, or in App Library. Search for it, then check its location. An organizational move is not proof that the app was deleted.

Does a folder free storage space?

Grouping icons does not reduce the storage used by the apps or their data. Use iPhone Storage when you want to manage device space.

Can I put website shortcuts near my apps?

You can add a Safari website link to the Home Screen first. Adding the shortcut and arranging its icon are separate actions.

Start with one small folder, give it a useful name, and check that its apps open. You can expand the arrangement after that first group works the way you want.