Why hasn't apple created a "category" setting on iphone?

[Steve686]

I decided to try and get some facts and do the math on it and this is what I found.

Using data provided by apple we can roughly calculate that each iphone/ipod touch user has downloaded an average of 36 apps(1.8b/50m), which only amounts to 2.25 pages of apps plus the default apps. So unfortunately it looks like you may be right, meaning that we probably won't see an update related to this (at least anytime soon), at least we can jail break though.

I guess this could also help to answer the OP's question of why apple hasn't done anything.

On the flipside of your logic, there are probably many people like myself that doesn't put a lot of apps on the phone BECAUSE of the omission of a filing system.

I just don't want to see 10 pages of apps and have to look through them to find what I want and also don't want to have to recall all names in order to search for them.

I really would love to put more apps ON the phone but it's just too cluttered even trying to use each page as a "category".

 

[ViViDboarder]

On the flipside of your logic, there are probably many people like myself that doesn't put a lot of apps on the phone BECAUSE of the omission of a filing system.

I just don't want to see 10 pages of apps and have to look through them to find what I want and also don't want to have to recall all names in order to search for them.

I really would love to put more apps ON the phone but it's just too cluttered even trying to use each page as a "category".

Most annoying is when you have more apps in one category than fit on a page! I feel the pain. I'm just glad being jailbroken gives me a solution.

 

[polobreaka]

I really would love to put more apps ON the phone but it's just too cluttered even trying to use each page as a "category".

so you can have 16 apps all in 1 category icon. if you have 10 pages, that is 10 category icons on 1 page. how is that too cluttered still?

are you saying its too cluttered within the category icon?

 

[nateo200]

Apple likes to keep things clean and simple. Haven't you guys ever tried to organize your desktop computer with folders then realized you over organized it with WAYYY too many folders? I for one like the current organization. I don't want folders AT ALL.

 

[darngooddesign]

Apple likes to keep things clean and simple. Haven't you guys ever tried to organize your desktop computer with folders then realized you over organized it with WAYYY too many folders? I for one like the current organization. I don't want folders AT ALL.

What about four; is that too many folders?

 

[ViViDboarder]

Apple likes to keep things clean and simple. Haven't you guys ever tried to organize your desktop computer with folders then realized you over organized it with WAYYY too many folders? I for one like the current organization. I don't want folders AT ALL.

Are you one of those guys who has a billion icons on your desktop? I hate that look. I keep all my stuff in neat folders so it's all organized.

Just keep the folder tree shallow, limit it to one even. So then it's not too many, You only ever have to tap twice to open any app rather than swipe over 4 times.

 

[peperoni]

Isn't that the exact reason why not. Simple icons for everything without them being buried in various sub menus, ala Symbian S60. Having said that, with the customised home screens I have seen on here, it can look good.

You can put every app installed in S60 in single long list of app screens a la iPhone, but somehow nobody does it. It might be some kind of conspiracy or maybe it's just easier to have few folders for different categories of apps.

I for one have been wanting to have folder in this thing after I installed the first app. I like to find my app fast and easily, and the homescreen that we've got now is neither.

 

[outcastrc]

This would be my number one reason to jailbreak if I wasn't worried about losing my warranty.

The current system is a disaster. What's the point of even being able to buy apps if you can't use them? I have about 60 apps on my phone at any given time and about 100 in itunes. With something along the lines of categories or folders I could reduce that to 1 or 2 pages... Nice and organized.

 

[bagelche]

Apple likes to keep things clean and simple. Haven't you guys ever tried to organize your desktop computer with folders then realized you over organized it with WAYYY too many folders? I for one like the current organization. I don't want folders AT ALL.

Here's the cool thing about having the option of folders or tags -- you don't have to use them if you don't want to, not AT ALL.

I have folders on my desktop because I can find the items I'm looking for very quickly that way. A desktop full of icons is a total pain for me to navigate. Same goes for my phone.

As I already noted, 11 pages of apps is not clean and simple. It's a mess and it inhibits productivity. There's a beautiful space between no organization and too much. Within that spectrum we each exist. It would be really nice to have the option to organize our apps in a different way.

 

[telefono]

For example I have 51 games on my iphone. I could easily add all of these into a GAMES folder, add all my music based apps to the Music folder and now I have a very clean and organized iphone.

This is the ONLY reason I jailbreak my phone (well I lie backgrounder as well) but if apple really wanted to stop people from Jailbreaking they should be adding these highly sought after features to the core OS!

This is the reason why I might JB as well. Ever since my first gen iPhone I wanted Folders/Categories. I use one of the pages for Fitness/Exercise/Health Apps and I have over 16 Apps, it annoys me that I have to use 2 pages with the second having 3 Apps in it.

Its the most important thing I wait for in every update, so far nothing

 

[Steve686]

so you can have 16 apps all in 1 category icon. if you have 10 pages, that is 10 category icons on 1 page. how is that too cluttered still?

are you saying its too cluttered within the category icon?

Too cluttered because I have to flip through 10 pages all the time to get to each category. If there were simply a home screen, and the option to use the 2nd screen or so for a "filing system", it would help.

 

[ViViDboarder]

This would be my number one reason to jailbreak if I wasn't worried about losing my warranty.

You can always just restore your phone as new in iTunes and it's back to it's unjailbroken state. Lots of people have done it to use their warranty.

 

[outcastrc]

You can always just restore your phone as new in iTunes and it's back to it's unjailbroken state. Lots of people have done it to use their warranty.

I thought one of the prior versions of iTunes ratted you out to apple if you were jailbroken??? I know I read about it somewhere. It was in version 8.something...

 

[ViViDboarder]

I thought one of the prior versions of iTunes ratted you out to apple if you were jailbroken??? I know I read about it somewhere. It was in version 8.something...

Nope. I haven't heard anything. There is just some issues with Jailbreaking the 3G but it doesn't tell Apple they are jailbroken.

 

[cocky jeremy]

I will ALWAYS jailbreak. Regardless of what Apple brings. Jailbreakers are always a step, or two, ahead of Apple. Great apps, more options, usually free alternatives. It’s a win-win.