Geekido

Here’s a case study on how one person (me) is using folders on his iPhone with iOS4.

I used to have about ten pages of apps. I used pages to organize the apps more or less by category and use. I had my most used apps on front, then the most used of each category on a page for that category, then more category pages for the apps I didn’t use as frequently.

With iOS4 and folders, I have it down to two screens.

The first screen has no folders. This screen has the apps that I use constantly, so that a swipe and two clicks to activate them would really add up. It also has the apps that I like to be able to get to quickly without having to look at the device much.

The second screen is all folders. Fewof my folders are full. I’ve done the same arrangement I used to do with pages, but now with folders. The first Music folder are the music apps I use the most. The second (and follow-on, if I get that many) are for music apps I don’t use as often, so I don’t mind searching among a bunch of apps to find them. Games are similar. The first games folder are the ones I play all the time. It’s not full. The second folder are other games that I only play occasionally. This folder is actually full. If I didn’t have the games specifically meant for children in “Kids Games”, I would need a third games folder.

I don’t always stick with the strict categories for the apps. “Utilities”, for example, has Contacts, Calculator, Notes, iTunes, App Store, and some other apps. These are the apps that are more functional, so “utility” in this case means something more like a tool than a traditional computer “utility”.