If your mobile phone or tablet is starting to slow down or cluttered with too many apps, it might be time to spring clean your screen.
Here are some different ways to organise your apps:
1. Frequency of app use
One of the most popular ways to divide up your apps is by frequency of use. The aim is to split your apps over three screens, so your first screen will be devoted to ones you use every day. The second screen is best for apps you use a few times a week. And the last screen is for those you use the least.
2. App folders by type
The purpose for using an app is another way to divide related apps into folders. I use this method for my iPad so that all of my television apps are together and so are my music apps. Here are some suggested folder names to get you started:
- Apple/Google/etc
- Business
- Entertainment
- Food
- Health
- Home
- News
- Photography
- Productivity
- Social
- Sports
- Travel
- Utilities
- Video
3. App folders by action word
A novel way to sort your apps is by the action they help you facilitate. The verb or action word you use might differ from one another person uses, so select something meaningful to you. Here are some suggested action words to try:
- Learn
- Listen
- Look up
- Navigate
- News
- Organise
- Photograph
- Play
- Read
- Set Up
- Share
- Shop
- Talk
- Watch
4. Apps on one screen only
Minimalism is a growing trend and this method is perfect for this group of people, who want to focus their time on deep work. You’ll need to delete all of the apps you are distracted by and keep only the essential ones. Then sort these apps into folders and try to keep them to one screen.
5. Other ways to arrange your apps
There are some other ways to organise your apps and they might suit you. If you are a visual person, you might like to sort them by the colour of their avatar (logo). Think about the order of the colours on the rainbow.
Another way to sort them is to alphabetise them by the app’s name. Depending on your phone or tablet you might be able to do this automatically by resetting the home screen layout under settings.
Alternatively, you can group similar apps on the same line, and customise your docked icons with your most frequently used apps.
Tip: If you own an Apple device, you might like to follow the instructions on How to move apps and create folders on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with a few of these different ideas until you are happy with the arrangement of your apps on your mobile phone or tablet.
