Almost a week ago I asked if there was some sort of organization method that people used to arrange their iPhone apps. The answers ranged from “break your iPhone” and “get a Blackberry” to arranging them by color or by type of application. I sat down with a piece of paper and wrote the names down of all of my iPhone apps on the first page and estimated the amount that I used them weekly. First, I added Mail to the dock at the bottom and moved the iPod application up to the first slot for one main reason: While I use both apps frequently, I set my iPhone to automatically go to the iPod app when I double click the Home button so there’s really no need for the iPod to be in the dock. Next I moved Instapaper, Wikipanion and the Calendar app. I never use the Calendar so I moved it to my non-use page of apps while I shuffled Instapaper and Wikipanion back one page. In the end, here’s what I came up with: Page One is for the absolute essentials, the things that I check multiple times per day. I’ve decided to limit the first screen to 12 apps up to unless there are applications that I begin to use a like a madman that need to fit into my “essentials.” Page Two is for medium-use applications and high-use games. I deleted all of my websites that had icons on my iPhone in favor of bookmarking them in Safari. I don’t really know why I needed an icon for a website in with the applications. It’s one tap vs. three taps to get to the same website. Page Three is for things I don’t use much, applications I’m trying out or apps I’m skeptical about. I only use Voice Memos for interviews and Amazon when I need a book. Movies is probably the most frequently used applications in there but it only gets used one to three times a month, not worth the page upgrade. In short: limit the iPhone’s first page to 12 apps, the absolute essentials. The second page for medium-use applications and games that are played frequently and the third page for low-use applications and ones that you’re curious about but not likely to use too often.

Almost a week ago I asked if there was some sort of organization method that people used to arrange their iPhone apps. The answers ranged from “break your iPhone” and “get a Blackberry” to arranging them by color or by type of application.

I sat down with a piece of paper and wrote the names down of all of my iPhone apps on the first page and estimated the amount that I used them weekly.

First, I added Mail to the dock at the bottom and moved the iPod application up to the first slot for one main reason: While I use both apps frequently, I set my iPhone to automatically go to the iPod app when I double click the Home button so there’s really no need for the iPod to be in the dock.

Next I moved Instapaper, Wikipanion and the Calendar app. I never use the Calendar so I moved it to my non-use page of apps while I shuffled Instapaper and Wikipanion back one page.

In the end, here’s what I came up with:

  • Page One is for the absolute essentials, the things that I check multiple times per day. I’ve decided to limit the first screen to 12 apps up to unless there are applications that I begin to use a like a madman that need to fit into my “essentials.”
  • Page Two is for medium-use applications and high-use games. I deleted all of my websites that had icons on my iPhone in favor of bookmarking them in Safari. I don’t really know why I needed an icon for a website in with the applications. It’s one tap vs. three taps to get to the same website.
  • Page Three is for things I don’t use much, applications I’m trying out or apps I’m skeptical about. I only use Voice Memos for interviews and Amazon when I need a book. Movies is probably the most frequently used applications in there but it only gets used one to three times a month, not worth the page upgrade.

In short: limit the iPhone’s first page to 12 apps, the absolute essentials. The second page for medium-use applications and games that are played frequently and the third page for low-use applications and ones that you’re curious about but not likely to use too often.

  1. zackshapiro posted this