Unable to move or organize apps after iOS 26 update on iPhone 16 Pro

If you have a lot of apps arranged in folders daily, and don’t want to lose the arrangements, don’t let Apple ask you to reset your iPhone. If you do that, you will lose all the set up that you had with apps in the folders and have to start all over again and rearranging the apps.

Apple needs to have a fix 🩺 that that step is not necessary. It seems that from some people it doesn’t make a difference if you do that anyway. They still can’t rearrange their apps properly and easily.

I guess there will not be any new 🍎 iOS update for 🌲🎁🎄 Christmas from 🧑‍🎄🤶 this year.

Same here still can’t move apps and on each screen, as I toggle, it takes several seconds for the apps to refresh so it’s just a bunch of little white boxes. If I didn’t know where most of my apps were already, I would always have to wait for the screen to refresh! This is terrible. Apple used to be known for quality and now, this just feels like junk. An expensive phone with lots of things that don’t work

This is almost exactly what’s happening to me. I think I can move them if I go through a crazy-long process. One of the things I loved about iPhone was how fast it was. I can’t move things at all now without it taking such a long time that it’s usually not worth it. I’m using iOS 26.2 on an iPhone 13

In my opinion, the “Liquid Glass” feature is the culprit behind the extreme delay in screen refresh rates. After a hard reset on my iPhone 14—(volume up, volume down, then holding the opposite button until the power-off screen appears; power off, wait, then power back on and w a i t ….)—it takes 60+ seconds for all the app icons to appear on my screens. If I have a group that contains a lot of icons it takes even longer.

That’s the regular way.

But, that’s not the issue here.

Since the latest software issue, unable to move icons, even after holding the app

and waiting for in to shake.

this is not like trying to move into Group or different page.

in this case, one goes through the steps, then once you try to drag, the app icon disappears, and you Hope you’re dragging it. But when get to where you’re going, you let go and the icon slides back to where it was.

like when you try to add an icon on the bottom bar into a group.

major screw, although it may be a matter of turning off or on a Settings.

i followed the recommended steps for that too ,

but to no avail.

Brian V, see below.

That’s the regular way.

But, that’s not the issue here.

Since the latest software issue, unable to move icons, even after holding the app

and waiting for in to shake.

this is not like trying to move into Group or different page.

in this case, one goes through the steps, then once you try to drag, the app icon disappears, and you Hope you’re dragging it. But when get to where you’re going, you let go and the icon slides back to where it was.

like when you try to add an icon on the bottom bar into a group.

major screw, although it may be a matter of turning off or on a Settings.

i followed the recommended steps for that too ,

but to no avail.

This has been going on for months. If this is a ploy to “encourage” us to upgrade to a newer phone I’m afraid it’s not gonna work with me. I’ll just upgrade outside of Apple. It’s just ridiculous how much effort you have to put in to move 1 app. It’s so frustrating. I like everything organized (just how I am). Maybe this problem doesn’t bother a lot of people but it sure is bothering me!

In all seriousness, this is acceptable to Apple for phones for which we've paid $1000-$1500, and then all of the monthly fees? I guess it's on us because we keep buying them; but if I can't even organize my Home Screen the way I want to, it might be time to try a droid. Good grief, I never thought I'd be a droid person, but I am so sick of not having my apps where I want them..

Even after latest update 26.3 and a new iPhone 17 the same problem still exists. When are they going to address this? It must be a software issue as it occurred on my previous phone and now it is on a brand new one.

Thank you for the work around. It saved me from abandoning my phone and going Android. Any idea when this unfortunate iOS will be patched? I have been very patient, as have you apparently, but as you pointed out, nothing has been done yet. I imagine it will take some doing. I’m naturally disappointed that it is (as usual) impossible to downgrade to the previous iOS, since it worked flawlessly. I have owned an iPhone since it was first invented, so you would think pointing out the flaws in the system would be considered legitimate criticism. Let’s review:

-can’t organize photos

-can’t organize the home screen

-the home screen is jittery and glitchy

-icons take forever to repopulate

-phone freezes up frequently 

I am mystified as to why Apple saw fit to release this iOS in such a state. 

Well, it is a problem for me, as well as a number of others, so I am grateful to see the comments on it.

More importantly, I hope the engineers who care about producing and properly updating Apple products will take a hint and send out an update to the update!

I have had an iPhone since the very first one. I was also a programner at one time and am quite computer literate. Naturally I have tried all the obvious solutions, and as you can see there are a number of other people on this forum having exactly the same problem. The reason the internet is not flooded with complaints about this is that most users couldn’t care less about organizing their homescreens into folders. No one I know with an iPhone ( and I know many) does this. Their home screens are usually a disorganized mess and they cant find their apps or their photos (all my photos are categorized as well). The photo albums are just as difficult to alphabetize manually, which is what you have to do if you want the list to be alphabetized when you go to add a photo to an album (otherwise it is in the order they were created, and there is no way to do it automatically on the list that pops up). It can be done, but it has become extremely tricky since the update and takes multiple tries to get an album in proper order. If you look at the list directly in the Photos app, it allows automatic alphabetization. I am completely aware of that feature. I guess I’m guilty of being a bit anal a out my phone, but when I want to look up a photo or app, It only takes me a few seconds. The issue as I see it is that these things all worked perfectly before the update. They only appeared after the update, which means by definition, some developer rewrote the subroutines controlling these features. That was a mistake in my opinion. How about just going back the subroutine that worked?? Try these things for yourself, and this will all become apparent to you. This isn’t just an imaginary problem experienced by people who are too dumb to figure out the basics.

q3p123 wrote:

I have had an iPhone since the very first one. I was also a programner at one time and am quite computer literate. Naturally I have tried all the obvious solutions, and as you can see there are a number of other people on this forum having exactly the same problem. The reason the internet is not flooded with complaints about this is that most users couldn’t care less about organizing their homescreens into folders. No one I know with an iPhone ( and I know many) does this. Their home screens are usually a disorganized mess and they cant find their apps or their photos (all my photos are categorized as well). The photo albums are just as difficult to alphabetize manually, which is what you have to do if you want the list to be alphabetized when you go to add a photo to an album (otherwise it is in the order they were created, and there is no way to do it automatically on the list that pops up). It can be done, but it has become extremely tricky since the update and takes multiple tries to get an album in proper order. If you look at the list directly in the Photos app, it allows automatic alphabetization. I am completely aware of that feature. I guess I’m guilty of being a bit anal a out my phone, but when I want to look up a photo or app, It only takes me a few seconds. The issue as I see it is that these things all worked perfectly before the update. They only appeared after the update, which means by definition, some developer rewrote the subroutines controlling these features. That was a mistake in my opinion. How about just going back the subroutine that worked?? Try these things for yourself, and this will all become apparent to you. This isn’t just an imaginary problem experienced by people who are too dumb to figure out the basics.

I just never suggested it's an imaginary problem. I said it's not a problem affecting the masses. Why do I have ZERO issues organizing apps on two iPhone's and two iPad's all running iOS 26.3.1? No issues at all.

Arguing your point with me is pointless. This is a user to user only forum, which Apple neither participates, nor reads for user feedback. You'd be better off sharing your frustrations with Apple directly.

I have a brand new phone and the latest update. This is a REAL problem, not users imaginations. I know the iPhone inside and out. Clearly, you are either not understanding exactly what the problem we are all describing here is, or your device and/or iOS are not exactly the same and the most up to date as possible. In one of my other replys, I describe the issue in great detail. The work around listed here does work, but that doesn’t get to the root of the issue. It does need to be corrected.

Did that. I sent a report to Apple. Maybe they are working to adress the issue. Who knows, but I’m sure others must have reported it also. Of course you are right, this is just a user to user forum, where users go to comiserate. Maybe that calls into question its value, but I wouldn’t be so sure no Apple developers read it. If I worked on Apple system software, I would be keeping abreast of what the masses are saying. 😎