Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Lost app folders after ios14 upgrade (iPhone XS Max)

I upgraded to ios14 about 24 hours ago. At first everything looked similar but at some point all of my app folders disappeared. I had grouped all of my apps (I have many, I'm a bit of an app Junkie) into folders that make sense for me (eg. "Health and Fitness", "Finance", "News", "Music", "Photography" etc.) but now the groups have disappeared completely. The individual apps are all still there and I can see them in the default groups in the new "app library view" but my own groups are nowhere to be found.


Has anyone else encountered this issue and is there a way to get my groups back? Thanks.

Posted on Sep 19, 2020 5:24 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Sep 19, 2020 7:52 AM

Just happened to me. I was fine for after the upgrade, but it happened while editing the Home Screen. I was moving a large widget to a different page and poof. All my apps bled out across the pagiverse with the folder no where in sight. #mood=******

22 replies

Sep 20, 2020 6:56 AM in response to caryn134

I recreated the problem, but this time I only lost 3 folders before I realized what was happening. Basically, if you pause/hold over folder while dragging a widget, it starts to open the folder as it would when you drag an app. But widgets can’t go in folders, so it freaks out and the folder explodes... apps everywhere. It’s fairly easy to do, especially with the large ones, because you can’t see what’s behind your finger. The problem is compounded when the widget has to push some apps to the next page to fit, and some of those are folders. Dragging a widget through a mostly full page with lots of folders becomes near impossible as you hold your finger at the edge of the screen trying to force the widget through a folder mine field. To avoid this, I Mae sure there’s space first, build stacks on blank pages at the end, or temporarily group a bunch of apps while working with widgets. Can anyone else confirm this?

Sep 24, 2020 12:12 AM in response to CapeTownMac

Same problem with me. About 100 apps were found scattered over 9 screens.

I've been trying to categorize it all as it used to be for hours! This happened after installing "Widget" on the home screen ...


I want to cry…

Others are also affected:


https://forums.macg.co/threads/attention-installer-des-widget-fait-disparaitre-vos-dossiers.1344253/

https://communities.apple.com/fr/thread/251830349


Good luck !

Oct 10, 2020 7:48 PM in response to CapeTownMac

this happened to me except a lot of my most used apps (discord, youtube, instagram, and even apps i didn’t use too often) just disappeared. i checked in my settings and they were all in the list, but when you searched them up, there was nothing. i would’ve reinstalled them if they’d been accidentally deleted, but the app store is gone too. it’s so frustrating.

Oct 12, 2020 7:10 AM in response to CapeTownMac

This is SO messed up. I just spent probably almost an hour and a half organizing apps into folders and adding widgets to streamline use of apps on my phone and they just all disappeared. There were no pages of apps and no folders. I powered off and on my phone and there all my apps were but besides the first main page (that stayed the same) but I lost every single folder and widget that I had just created. I don’t even want to do it again just because it might happen again. Also why the heck can’t you select multiple apps at once and put them all into one folder so you don’t have to drag each one individually? That would cut the time it takes to create useful folders AT LEAST in half but probably more. Come on Apple, this is wild.

Oct 17, 2020 10:15 PM in response to CapeTownMac

I am having the same exact problem on the 11 pro. This is beyond frustrating!

The widgets just suck, enabling them was the worst thing I could have done.

I was organizing the App Library Widget and once I moved it form the first page, somehow every folder on the first page of my home screen got dumped and suddenly I had 15 more pages added to to my 5, 20 total pages of apps now & I can't organize anything too much before the folders explode everywhere again.

Pages and pages of apps just "alphabetically" added to whatever free spaces it finds, quite mixed up, or it just appends more pages.. this is nonsense of the highest order.


I am truly considering leaving the Apple platform over this garbage, if they don't provide a solution..

Stop trying to imitate Android. That is not what most Apple enthusiasts want, and you are not good at it.


I am confident most customers don't want App Library,.

App Suggestions widget a total impediment to people who use lots of apps, AND not needed at all for people who use very few apps..

BUT, THIS folder issue is purely unacceptable.


Why is there not, at least, a context menu option on touch-hold to "move app to folder">select name, and/or a way to select multiple apps?


If you can't make the folders work right, then give us something that works...


Oct 20, 2020 11:38 AM in response to CapeTownMac

Yes, this too happened to me.

I haven't tried the recommended fix, but if you are unhappy with the apps being scattered all over the place and want to get back to normal, then do a reset and restore from cloud. It will take about an hour, but at least you don't have to sit there for a couple of hours trying to put "Humpty Dumpty" back together again.

Nov 20, 2020 1:17 AM in response to CapeTownMac

Same issue on my iPad.. YEARS of organized folders (using all 15 screen pages) POOF!! Scattered all over the place.. I am #%!*@!! FURIOUS!! What’s worse, is I started chipping away at RE-ORGANIZING and POOF!! Those new folders disappear...

What gives Apple? We NEED a fix.. & sooner rather than later..would be nice.. this is truly unacceptable & outrageous..

Nov 20, 2020 2:13 AM in response to Jtitus0246

Same as me on my iphone Pro and iPad Pro it’s driving me mad, I have even lost a lots of apps too , please Apple we pay a lot of money for these items the least you can do is give us a better service, most of my family and friends are saying the same and a lot of us are seriously talking about switching to another phone company. I certainly won’t be upgrading either with you in the foreseeable future........ Last chance please fix this !

Lost app folders after ios14 upgrade (iPhone XS Max)

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.