Do you find yourself longing for a way to hide or disable the App Library on your iPhone? Well, you’re not alone. While Apple doesn’t offer a direct option to turn off App Library, there are several clever workarounds that can help you keep it out of sight. In this article, we’ll explore some effective methods to minimize your interactions with App Library on iOS 15. So, let’s get started!
Understanding App Library
Before we dive into the tips, let’s quickly recap what the App Library is. It’s a convenient feature introduced in iOS 14 that consolidates all your installed apps onto a single screen. It also showcases offloaded apps and website shortcuts you’ve added to your home screen. To access the App Library, swipe left on your last home screen. Once inside, you can tap regular-sized app icons to open them, tap smaller app icons to explore folders or categories, or swipe down or use the search bar to view apps in alphabetical order.
This is App Library on iPhone.
Tips to Minimize App Library Usage
Now let’s explore some strategies to minimize your reliance on App Library:
1. Make all Home Screen pages visible
To ensure you don’t accidentally stumble upon the App Library, make sure all your Home Screen pages are visible:
- Press and hold on an empty area of your Home Screen until the apps start jiggling.
- Tap on the tiny dots above the Dock.
- Verify that all Home Screen pages are checked and tap “Done.”
2. Utilize Spotlight Search
If you’re not keen on unhiding all your Home Screen pages, you can quickly search for and open any app using Spotlight Search. Simply pull down on your Home Screen or swipe down from the Lock Screen to access Search. With iOS 15, your iPhone keyboard is already on-screen when Search launches, allowing you to type the app’s initials swiftly and open it.
3. Ensure apps download to the Home Screen
By default, newly downloaded apps on iOS 15 can be set to appear only in the App Library, keeping your Home Screen clutter-free. However, if you want to reduce your usage of the App Library, make sure apps download to the Home Screen as they did before:
- Open the “Settings” app.
- Tap on “Home Screen.”
- Under “Newly Downloaded Apps,” select “Add to Home Screen.”
4. Move apps out of the App Library
To ensure you never have to visit the App Library, move all your apps back to the Home Screen if they’re currently hidden. Simply head to the App Library, locate the app, press and hold its icon until it appears on the Home Screen again.
5. Customize the iPad Dock
If you own an iPad running iPadOS 15 or later, you’ll notice the App Library shortcut on the Dock. If you find it bothersome, here’s how to disable it:
- Open the “Settings” app.
- Tap on “Home Screen & Dock.”
- Under “Dock,” toggle off “Show App Library in Dock.”
6. Embrace the art of ignoring
Sometimes, the simplest solution is to ignore the App Library. While it might not be the ideal option for everyone, it may be the most practical approach until Apple introduces an official option to disable it.
7. Jailbreak your iPhone (optional)
For those who prefer to explore more advanced options, consider jailbreaking your iPhone. The jailbreaking community often comes up with tweaks that allow you to remove or disable the App Library entirely.
Conclusion
Although Apple doesn’t provide a direct way to disable the App Library on iOS 15, these tips and tricks can help you minimize your interaction with it. Whether you choose to unhide your Home Screen pages, utilize Spotlight Search, or customize your iPad Dock, you’re in control of how App Library impacts your iPhone experience. So go ahead, tweak your settings, and make your iPhone truly yours!
Check out next:
- How to manage app folders on your iPhone and iPad
- Why your iPhone may be slow and 18 solutions to fix it
- How to create Windows-like app icons on your Mac desktop
