How to Rearrange Apps on Android: Full Organizing Guide

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Organize Samsung or Android apps into folders

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: April 16, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Creating Folders
|
• Creating Shortcuts
|
• Adding Widgets
|
• Organizing Apps Alphabetically
|
• Tips for Rearranging Apps

|Show more |Show less

You can rearrange apps on Android by creating folders, shortcuts, and home screens. These apps can be moved and grouped however you'd like, whether it's functional or aesthetically pleasing. You can also use the built-in features to sort alphabetically. Here's how to organize apps on Android, plus the best ways to organize your app icons.

Quick Steps

1. Tap and hold an app.
2. Drag the app onto another app.
3. Release your finger.
4. Name the newly created app folder.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Creating Folders

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1. 
   1
   Open your Android's Home screen. Unlock your device with your security code or press your Android's Home button to get to your Home screen.
2. 
   2
   Tap and hold an app. This will select the app and allow you to move it around your home screen.
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3. 
   3
   Drag the selected app onto another app. This will create a new app folder and group these two apps together.
4. 
   4
   Name your new app folder. When you create a new app folder, you can give it a custom name or leave the default name as it is.

   • Tap the folder name field at the top.
   • Type your new folder's name.
5. 
   5
   Long-press and drag other apps into your new folder. This way, you can group multiple apps in the same folder on your Home screen.

   • Alternatively, tap and hold an app, and then drag it onto a new app to create a new folder.
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Section 2 of 5:

Creating Shortcuts

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1. 
   1
   Tap and hold an app. If the app has shortcuts available, you'll see a list.
2. 
   2
   Tap and hold the shortcut you want. If you don't see any shortcuts, there are no shortcuts available for the app.
3. 
   3
   Drag the shortcut to where you want it. You can add a shortcut to an empty space on your home screen, drag it into an existing folder, or on top of another app to create a new folder.
4. 
   4
   Remove a shortcut (optional). If you don't want the shortcut anymore, you can delete it without deleting the app itself. Do the following:

   • Tap and hold the shortcut.
   • Drag the item up to Remove (X).
   • Release the shortcut.
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Section 3 of 5:

Adding Widgets

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1. 
   1
   Tap and hold an empty space on your home screen. This will open the customization menu.
2. 
   2
   Tap Widgets. This has the icon of four squares.
3. 
   3
   Tap the app widget you want. You'll see a list of available widgets for that app.

   • Keep in mind that not all apps support widgets.
4. 
   4
   Tap and hold the widget you want to add. You'll see your home screen(s).
5. 
   5
   Drag the widget where you want it, and then release. This will move the widget to your home screen.

   • If you want to resize the widget, tap and hold the widget, and then release. You should see an outline around the widget. Drag the dots to resize the widget, and then tap outside the widget to save it.
     • If you don't see the dotted outline, you can't resize the widget.
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Section 4 of 5:

Organizing Apps Alphabetically

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1. 
   1
   Open the app drawer. This is where you'll find the list of all apps you have downloaded.
2. 
   2
   This method uses the built-in sort feature.

   • If you want to sort the apps on your home screen alphabetically without doing so manually, you'll need to reset your home screen layout. On most devices, you can go to Settings > Apps > <app launcher> > Storage > Clear Data > Delete.
3. 
   3
   Tap ⋮. This is at the top of the screen.
4. 
   4
   Tap Sort. You'll see this in the pop-up menu.
5. 
   5
   Tap Alphabetical. This will sort the apps in your app drawer alphabetical order.
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Section 5 of 5:

Tips for Rearranging Apps

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1. 
   1
   Organize by most frequently used. If you don't want to waste time browsing for the right app, you can create a folder that holds all your most used apps. This way, you'll have easy access to these apps without having to search your home screen or app drawer.
2. 2
   Organize by alphabetical order. While you can quickly sort apps in alphabetical order using the app drawer, you can manually organize the apps on your home screen. This is helpful if you have a handful of apps that you use frequently and rely on alphabetical order to find things quickly.
3. 
   3
   Organize by type. If you use your phone for both work and fun, you may want to separate certain apps for better productivity. For example, you can create a "Social media" folder that has all your social media apps, such as Instagram, Facebook, and more. You can then create a separate folder for "Productivity" that contains your notes app, Google Drive, and more.
4. 4
   Organize by color. If you value aesthetics, you can group apps together based on the color of the icon. For example, you can create a folder based on the color red, one folder for the color orange, and so on.
5. 
   5
   Add extra home screens. If separate folders aren't doing the job, you can create extra home screens. When moving an app, keep dragging it to the right until you reach a blank home screen.
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