How to Use iPhone App Library to Organize Your Apps

App Library automatically sorts all your apps into categories so you can find any app instantly — even if you've hidden it from your home screen.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Find the App Library
2.Search for any app
3.Hide an app from your home screen
4.Control what goes to App Library automatically
5.Add an app back to your home screen

Find the App Library

~15s

Swipe left from your home screen past all your existing pages. The last screen you reach is the App Library. It shows folders of apps organized by category — tap any folder to expand it, or tap an individual app icon to open the app.

Search for any app

~17s

At the top of the App Library, tap the Search bar. Type the name of any app. Matching apps appear immediately — tap one to open it. This works for every installed app, not just the ones on your home screen. It's often the fastest way to find a rarely-used app.

Hide an app from your home screen

~28s

Press and hold any app icon on your home screen until apps wiggle. Tap the "Remove App" option (the X or minus sign). In the menu that appears, choose "Move to App Library" instead of "Delete App." The app disappears from your home screen but remains fully installed and findable in the App Library.

Quick Tip

This is great for apps you need but rarely use — like calculator apps, reference guides, or services you check only occasionally. Your home screen stays clean while nothing is lost.

Control what goes to App Library automatically

~17s

When you download a new app, it can go straight to the App Library without adding an icon to your home screen. Go to SettingsHome Screen and choose "App Library Only" under newly downloaded apps. This prevents new apps from cluttering your home screen automatically.

Add an app back to your home screen

~18s

In the App Library, press and hold any app icon until a small menu appears. Tap "Add to Home Screen." The app reappears on your home screen. You can also drag an app from the App Library folder to place it at a specific spot on your home screen.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Use iPhone App Library to Organize Your Apps

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App Library is an iPhone feature introduced in iOS 14 that automatically organizes all your apps into smart categories — Suggestions, Recently Added, Social, Entertainment, Utilities, Finance, and more. It lives on the far-right screen of your home screen, one swipe past all your home screen pages.

App Library is useful if your home screen has become cluttered with apps you don't use regularly. You can hide apps from your home screen entirely while keeping them fully installed — they move to the App Library and remain just as accessible, just without taking up space on your home screen pages.

You can also search the App Library by typing in the search bar at the top, making it possible to find any app in seconds regardless of where it's organized. This is often faster than scrolling through multiple home screen pages looking for an app you rarely use.

The App Library works automatically — you don't need to set anything up. All your installed apps are already in there.

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