Moving your iPhone apps might seem simple, but there are a few different approaches depending on what you're trying to achieve. Are you rearranging your home screens for better organization? Are you trying to free up storage space by moving apps to iCloud? This guide will cover all the bases.
How Do I Rearrange iPhone Apps?
The most common reason for wanting to "move" apps is to reorganize them on your home screens. This is incredibly easy:
- Find the app: Locate the app you want to move on your home screen.
- Press and hold: Press and hold the app icon until it starts to wiggle. All your apps will become slightly jiggly. This indicates you're in "jiggle mode."
- Drag and drop: Once the app is wiggling, you can drag it to a new location on the same screen or to a different home screen entirely.
- Organize into folders: You can also group similar apps into folders. To do this, drag one app on top of another. A folder will automatically be created, and you can add more apps to it by dragging and dropping. Rename the folder by tapping on the name at the top.
- Stop jiggling: Once you're finished rearranging, tap the "Done" button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
How Do I Move Apps to a Different Home Screen?
Moving apps between home screens is done using the same process as rearranging within a single screen. Simply drag the wiggling app to the edge of the screen, and it will automatically move to the next home screen.
How Do I Delete iPhone Apps?
While not technically "moving," deleting an app frees up space and removes it from your home screens. Note that you may need to redownload it from the App Store later.
- Enter jiggle mode: Just like rearranging apps, you need to enter jiggle mode by pressing and holding an app until it wiggles.
- Tap the "x": In the upper left-hand corner of each app icon, a small "x" will appear. Tap this "x" to delete the app.
- Confirm deletion: Confirm that you want to delete the app by tapping "Delete."
How Do I Move iPhone Apps to iCloud? (Offloading Apps)
To free up space on your iPhone without completely deleting apps, you can offload them. This removes the app's data and documents while retaining the app itself. You can reinstall it from the App Store at any time, retrieving your data from iCloud if it's backed up.
- Go to Settings: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Go to General: Tap on "General."
- Tap iPhone Storage: Select "iPhone Storage." This will show you a list of apps and how much storage they consume.
- Select the App: Choose the app you want to offload.
- Tap "Offload App": You'll see this option under the app's details. Tap it to begin the offloading process.
Can I Move Apps to an SD Card on My iPhone?
No. iPhones do not have expandable storage via SD cards. You are limited to the internal storage of your device. The methods described above are your options for managing apps and storage.
How Can I Move my App Data to a Different Device?
Moving app data between devices typically requires using iCloud Backup or transferring data through your computer using iTunes (or Finder on newer Macs). iCloud backup automatically syncs app data when enabled. For transferring through a computer, you'd typically back up one device, then restore the backup to your new device. Check Apple Support for detailed steps.
What Happens to My Data When I Move or Delete an App?
When you rearrange an app, nothing happens to your data. Deleting an app will remove its data unless you've backed it up to iCloud. Offloading an app removes the app data but preserves the app itself in the App Store, allowing for quick reinstallation and data restoration from iCloud. Therefore, backing up your data to iCloud is always recommended.
