A few thoughts on Folders for iOS4
iOS4 folder feature
I’ve been using an iPhone since the days of the 1G. During that span, I’ve tried hundreds of apps. Prior to iOS4 it wasn’t practical nor possible to install every app on the device at one time.
The only way to get any sort of organization on an iPhone was to jailbreak the phone and install an app called Categories. This app was extremely popular as it gave users the ability to organize the phone and drop apps inside top-level category folders. This made it possible to consolidate eight pages of apps into one page of folder icons.
However, Categories also made the phone unstable. Some apps, like the camera app, didn’t behave if placed inside a folder. If the phone was restored while Categories was enabled, any app that had been assigned to a category wouldn’t show up after the restore. It wasn’t fun. It was a giant pain in the ass.
Having had access to iOS4 for a few months, I’ve had time to evaluate and experience the discovery & joy of it’s newest features. One of the most significant UI upgrades is folders. Like most software features that Apple develops, it took awhile but the finished product works brilliantly.
Dragging apps in and out of the folder with one finger is easy and intuitive. To get started, Apple lends a hand by suggesting folder titles for apps with similar genres. Folders can be created on the phone and in iTunes but I’d recommend using iTunes to complete the initial organization of your apps as it’s much easier to move them where you want, via the desktop.
Locating obscure apps will be a breeze compared to what previously existed before iOS4. In addition, since similar apps can now be grouped, evaluation and comparison among them becomes easier. I’ve already winnowed a dozen apps from iTunes that I no longer want or feel I need.
With respect to folders, one advantage **jailbreaking** still offers is the option to customize the folder icon. Apple’s icon displays smaller versions of the apps within a folder. Unless the new glass on the iPhone 4 dramatically livens up those tiny icons, I’d rather have the option to choose icons that visually enhance the user experience. Meaning, I’ll probably explore jailbreaking again when George Hotz & friends release their latest exploit.
** jailbreaking is not available for iOS4…..yet
1 comment
Hi JB,
Thanks for the link to our site. Dev team has just released jailbreak for iOS 4.
Cheers!