iPad Folder Icons

[mXb]

I am new to iPad.

I see that you can combine a number of apps in a folder on the Home Screen ?

What are the pros and cons for doing this rather than just leaving them as seperate icons ?

[HarryT]

The pros are that it makes it easier to find things. Eg, I have a "Reading" folder in which I have all my reading-related apps. The only con is the extra tap to open the folder. It's well worth using folders - makes it a lot easier to keep things organised.

[MeSue]

I think one of the pros is that there are a limited number of screens you can have. So if you have hundreds of apps, folders is the only way to go. Not sure if the home screen limit is still there in iOS 7. I wish the folders were not limited to 9 on a page. Such a waste of screen space on the iPad.

Personally, if it's not on my dock, in background apps, or on first home screen, I almost always launch apps through search or Siri, so folders are just for organizing for me.

[Jessica Lares]

I find that folders work best when you use very little of them. I tend to couple Amazon/eBay/YouTube/etc as "Services" rather than folders named "Amazon", "Shopping", "Videos", and so on.

Right now I just have two folders on my iPod - "Photography" and "Games". Then I have all my most useful apps mixed in between them. I don't use them on the iPad at the moment.

The cons are when you overdo it and end up with folders for every category, and then ones for "Facebook", "Amazon", etc. You then have to remember where everything is.

The Pros is that they're isolated from other icons.

[drofgnal]

I don't use folders. The sum total of all my apps fits on 2 pages, anything I want is easy to find.

[mXb]

Oops!

[mXb]

Originally Posted by MeSue

I think one of the pros is that there are a limited number of screens you can have. So if you have hundreds of apps, folders is the only way to go. Not sure if the home screen limit is still there in iOS 7. I wish the folders were not limited to 9 on a page. Such a waste of screen space on the iPad.

Personally, if it's not on my dock, in background apps, or on first home screen, I almost always launch apps through search or Siri, so folders are just for organizing for me.

For pros I was thinking more like such things as on the iPad Mini can you make out which apps are in the folder icon, or are the apps in the folder too small ?

Yes you're right there does seem to be some wasted space around each app
even for my chunky fingers.

I suspect that increasing the number of icons per Home Screen was one of the first customizations done through jailbreaking ?

.....your comment about using Siri to open an app got me thinking. When I start using it that's what I will try first..............

[HarryT]

The icons of the apps in the folder are just about readable, but if you name your folders appropriately that should allow you to find things easily enough. If you do lose something, there's always the search facility to allow you to find it again.

[Jessica Lares]

Originally Posted by mXb

I suspect that increasing the number of icons per Home Screen was one of the first customizations done through jailbreaking ?

I don't even remember now. The first one was actually making apps before the App Store though. And then getting wallpapers three years early.

But yeah, I have a 5x6 setup. I made the folder previews 2x2, and when you open them, it fills the entire screen with a 4x5 layout.



You can make them bigger, but they come out blurry since (depending on the device) the embedded icons are up to 152x152. You can blow them up to 200%, but you'd have to find the bigger versions to theme them.

[mXb]

.....then as well as apps in a folder there are "nested" folders, that is folders in folder.
Also super nested, that is folders in folders in a folder (allowed due to a "Glitch" in the IOS apparently).

....and not to forget hidden apps and folders !

Here are a couple of links on how to do this;

http://lifehacker.com/hide-away-apps...cks-1380493462

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/09...ders-on-ios-7/

Phew, I'm pooped, think I'll go and lie down.............

[Jessica Lares]

I had the nested folders setup once, I just called it "Launchpad" and made it work somewhat like the OS X Applications folder.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The icons of the apps in the folder are just about readable, but if you name your folders appropriately that should allow you to find things easily enough. If you do lose something, there's always the search facility to allow you to find it again.

Another option to search is you can ask Siri to open xyz app. Fast and easy if you can't find it on your home screens.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Another option to search is you can ask Siri to open xyz app. Fast and easy if you can't find it on your home screens.

the store app also has a list of everything you own. If an app gets lost somewhere the store app can be used to launch any app you own.

The pros have been mentioned but there are some cons. Only the first 9 apps in a folder can be seen so you have to select the folder and then scroll it to find any additional apps. Of course you can avoid this by keeping 9 or less apps in a folder. The other con is that is takes a bit longer to move around when using folders. Normally you can tap the button once to exit any app and then once again to go to the home screen. Quick and easy. With folders you click once to exit the app and you are in the folder screen. Click again and you are in the screen where the folder resides and then yet another click to get to the home screen.

Personally I have so many apps that folders are mandatory for me.

Dale

[Jessica Lares]

Another benefit to jailbreaking, that 9 per page limit is gone. You can do 4x5, so that makes it 20 per page.

Say what you want about security. It's not like this stuff isn't checked through either.