How to turn off App Library on iPhone?

I have all apps organised on one home screen. Main apps in top rows. Less frequent into folders labelled with names like "Maps", "files", Bookmarks", "Audio", "Photo" and "Never".

It is one screen. For all my apps.

No typing.

No searching

All accessible by one thumb tapping. Nothing moves. It feels like MY home screen.

I have Zero interest in the app library and its conceptual framework for categorising what it thinks I do with the tools on my phone. I do not agree and frankly hate its pointlessness. I want it gone.

Some say "oh just don’t swipe there" I say remove pointless redundancies.

I have no use for widgets, I open the app. I have emptied them out so that useless screen is blank. Less confusion. The App Library is its own confusing jumble that intrudes by accidental gesture adding nothing to the user experience, just let us turn it off.

This! I’m trying to create a focus Home Screen where my kids can only access the app I allow them to but all that work diminishes because they can still access the other apps via the bloody App Library!!! Get rid of it! I’ve never used it!!!

Lana1000 wrote:

This! I’m trying to create a focus Home Screen where my kids can only access the app I allow them to but all that work diminishes because they can still access the other apps via the bloody App Library!!! Get rid of it! I’ve never used it!!!

If you only want them to be able to use one app, use Guided Access:

Use Guided Access with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

If you want to restrict apps generall, use the parental controls Apple proivdes. They take a bit of learning but they can be very effective. You can delete all the apps you don't want child to use then restrict their ability to download apps.

Use Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Luca977 wrote:

Can you please help removing this App Library. It is a pure nightmare

Why is it a nightmare? Can you explain what problems it's causing you? Especially any problems that are not resolved by simply not using it.

Could we have the option to disable or remove the App Library from the Home Screen? I’m trying to remove addictive apps like social media from my Home Screen, but they still appear in the App Library, making it harder to avoid them.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Keepitsimplealready wrote:

iPhone users have taken great lengths of time to organize their phones the way that works best for them.

What does that have to do with the App Library? Please explain.

The App Library has zero effect on your preferred method of organizing apps. The only thing it does is add a screen a the end of all your screens, one that you never have to look at or interact with if you choose not to.

I don't get it either. I have a few hundred apps, all organized in folders, exactly as I want them. And I never ever ever seem to bump into the App Library, but if I do, all I have to do is swipe back one page to get to my apps as I organized them. I don't get this irrational opposition to something no one ever has to use, if they don't want to use it?

lobsterghost1 wrote:

I don't get it either. I have a few hundred apps, all organized in folders, exactly as I want them. And I never ever ever seem to bump into the App Library, but if I do, all I have to do is swipe back one page to get to my apps as I organized them. I don't get this irrational opposition to something no one ever has to use, if they don't want to use it?

I, on the other hand, like it a lot. I'm way too lazy to put a couple of hundred apps in folders (too lazy, apparently, to delete them, too). I have two screens with widgets and apps I use all the time. For everything else, I either look in the App Library or just search for it.

One day all of my app folders disappeared and now I am presented with a “smart” App Library which ruined everything. I cannot find any single app! Users remember where everything is located, I don’t need you to rearrange things based on what you think is best. Please add a way to turn off this feature.

Etual88 wrote:

One day all of my app folders disappeared and now I am presented with a “smart” App Library which ruined everything. I cannot find any single app! Users remember where everything is located, I don’t need you to rearrange things based on what you think is best. Please add a way to turn off this feature.

This has nothing to do with the App Library. The App Library is 100% NOT capable of removing your app folders. If they disappeared, something else happened. And just like so many other posters, you clearly didn't read past the first post. Had you done so, you'd know you aren't speaking with anyone from Apple and this is a user to user ONLY forum. We have ability to turn anything off.

DaddyBDG wrote:

Well, you have a point, but every time I would inadvertently swipe to the dreaded App Library page I would shake my head in disgust. The AI that organizes the apps into disorganized chaos should be fired. I would be fine with the app library page if it was a simple alphabetical listing, which you can change to by swiping down, but it defaults to the chaos page. My solution was to create a blank page and add a widget I find useful. That's my warning not to swipe further and raise my BP.

I find there are so many larger problems in the world to worry about than swiping to a page I don't use on my iPhone. I try not to let my technology control me.

You don’t have to have dyslexia to dislike the library feature. I can’t find anything! The old library Dewey Decimal system makes more sense. 😳

I totally agree. Absolutely hate it

Every ice cream shop I’ve ever been to carries flavours I cannot stand. I cope with this by not ordering those flavours. I don’t expect the shop to stop carrying them because I don’t like them.

I agree. Btw, you’re wasting coffee so why not try a drink and get to know that coffee before you yell at us about how it’s insensible that Apple won’t let you turn it off instead of not using it.

Zedairder wrote:

I agree. Btw, you’re wasting coffee so why not try a drink.

One of the greatest joys of being an adult is not having to eat (or drink) anything I don't want to. ;-)