What is App Library and how to use it on iPhone? [iOS 14]

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What is App Library and how to use it on iPhone with iOS 14? Apple has announced many new features that will appear on iOS 14. When it arrives later this year iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new home screen widgets, communicate in foreign languages through the Apple Translate application, etc.

But one of the most interesting changes to Apple’s mobile operating system is the addition of an App Library. With App Library you can send new downloads directly to hidden folders. You can automatically organize your apps etc.

What is the App Library on iOS 14?

Until now, every time you installed an application on your iPhone, its icon was automatically deposited on the home screen. This meant that if you wanted to find the app, you had to scroll through the various pages in order to find it.

Of course, you could move it to another page or put it in a folder, but it would still be somewhere on the home screen.

The App Library changes this by creating a separate area where you can see all the app icons. If you have ever used an Android smartphone, you will be familiar with the idea as it is a feature that has been on the platform for many years.

The difference between the two is that on Android, apps are stored in alphabetical order, from oldest to newest. Apple’s App Library groups apps by category.

What is App Library and how to use it on iPhone? [iOS 14]

How to find the App Library on iOS 14?

You’ll find the new App Library page on the right of the last home page you currently have. So if you the main home page and two additional one, the app library will appear when you swipe to the left on that third page.

But, if you want to add or delete a page, touch and hold a blank spot on any page to enter settings then touch the dots at the bottom of the screen to enter the expanded view. Here you will see all the existing pages, each with a checkmark underneath to indicate that they are active.

If you touch any page, it will be disabled, which means that it will no longer appear when you scroll through the pages in normal mode. Once you are happy with your settings, tap ‘Done’ and that’s it. If you think you are missing a page, you can always go back and recustomize again.

How to use the App Library on iOS 14?

On the App Library page, you’ll see a bunch of folders, each with a name indicating the category of apps it contains. They are not standard folders though, each folder has three large application icons.

Tapping the latter will open the folder in the classic style, but tapping any of the larger ones (the apps that Apple recognizes as the ones you use most often) will open the app itself. There is an exception to this rule, as the ‘Suggestions’ folder is made up entirely of large icons that your iPhone thinks will be the most useful for you at the time.

If you want to quickly locate a particular app, but don’t want to search folders, tap the search bar at the top of the page and a list of all installed apps will open in alphabetical order. Now you can scroll through them or type the name of the one you are looking for in the search bar.

How do I get the App Library on my iPhone?

The app library si a part of iOS 14. And the great news is that it’s available right now for everyone with a compatible iPhone. If you have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, an iPhone SE from 2016, or any other iPhone newer than that, you’re good to go.