Folders on the Android desktop, and how to rename them

Thanks to Matt Miller at ZDNet’s The Mobile Gadgeteer, I now know how to rename a folder on the Android desktop. It isn’t rocket science, and I’m sure plenty of you out there stumbled upon it on your own. But since it’s not obvious, I thought it might be worthwhile to share how it works – and what folders are good for in the first place.

For starters, create a folder on one of the three desktop panels by long pressing somewhere on the screen and selecting Folder from the Shortcut menu. Move it to a better position on the desktop, if you like. We’ll all wait for you.

Now that you have the folder, open it up by taping on it. If you then long press on the title bar of the window that pops up, Android will prompt you for a new folder name. That’s the secret sauce ingredient you need to know if you don’t want a desktop full of folders all cleverly named “Folder.”

Now that you have your folder, you can start populating it. I like to use one for my most common browser bookmarks, but you can also put applications in them as well. That would be a good way to organize all of your games in one place, for example. The coolest thing with folders from my view is that their windows stay open even if you switch to a different panel of the desktop. You can therefore use them as a way to kinda add additional panels to the desktop. You could have your work apps and work bookmarks all in one folder, for example, and just by opening it up you’d have a nice little work desktop on your phone that would stay open until you were ready to start goofing off again.

You can’t put widgets like the clock or Google search bar in a folder, but all of the other desktop creatures seem to be quite at home in them.

If you have any other tips that you think others might like to hear about, let us know.

: The folder

: Long press the title bar to rename it

: The default folder name

: Renaming the folder

: Your newly renamed folder

NEED TO KNOW!

Comments

G1Fan

Keep up the good work guys, loving your site!

A great site for all the latest android videos is http://www.g1tube.com
http://jk3.us/ Jay K

I use folders a lot, but I’ve found that if the desktop is full (even if the folder isn’t), you can’t add anything to the folder, because you have to first put in on the desktop…. kind of annoying. Also, you can’t rearrange the items in the folder… hopefully those will be fixed soon.
- Michael Monnin
  
  Not true, young man. If you have the destination folder open before selecting apps to be placed in the folder, the app will be placed in the opened folder.
Ann

Great tip, thanks!
Dan

JK: What about if you first go to the desktop where the folder is, then open the menu and hold the app, then it should drop down to the desktop and allow you to put it in the folder.
http://www.rockaphoto.com Steve

I long press and it just closes it like as if I’m pressing the X to close. I tried highlighting and downpressing the ball and it does the same action. Highlighting it pressing the menu button only sends me to desktop options. Any ideas or help? Thanks
Gary

Steve if you are using Freshface or aHOME that mght be your problem.
http://www.difference-engine.co.uk/ Steve Rogers

I have found that I can put new icons into the folder, but i need to hold the new icon slightly off-centre of the folder icon in order to drop it in. Not right in the middle of the folder icon, or the selection rectangle appears – showing that it thinks I’m trying to do something to the folder icon’s place on the grid.
http://halfbinary.net Alex

Here’s the fast and easy way to deal with folders:
1. Touch and hold on your desktop. Make a new folder.
2. Open the folder.
3. Touch and HOLD on the folder’s title bar. Rename the folder.
4. Open the folder. Do NOT close the folder.
5. Open the app tray (or whatever it’s called)
6. Touch and hold the app you want. Drag it into the already open folder on your desktop.
Enjoy!
Chirag

Thnx alex for nice step by step instructions. i think this is the easiest way to add apps in folder. one more think we can do is drag the app icon over the folder, hold it for a second then the folder icon opens up and you can drop it in.

now only problem with the folders is we still cant rearrange apps inside the folder???
http://blog.152.org/ ernest leitch

Thanks for the article. Folder naming isn’t intuitive at all.
http://www.BriefEpisode.com Gib Wallis

Thanks for this tip. I wasn’t holding quite long enough and starting to go mental with my Nexus One.
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reapur

thank you. I just learned something new for my new phone :)

Now how do I add bookmarks? I figured out how to add apps and organize folders, but the bookmark bit has got me lost.

Regards
Mrtank2u

Thanks pal…I really needed that tip!
Becky

Great tips, thanks!

Now, having made my folders, how do I get rid of unwanted duplicate app icons? They seem to multiply whenever I move anything anywhere else. I’m not a particularly a neat freak, but t is starting to bug me…..
http://nightmapr.com Matt

I needed that, I’m a bit of a geek and I still struggled with it. I got as far as tapping the title bar, only not tapping and holding.

Thanks :)
Matt
jon

Great tips, is it possible to add files to the folder ie a pdf or mp3? Cos u can’t put them (or shortcuts to them) on the home screens (or can u?)
Cheers y’all
Jc
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http://rightonblog.com tim

It really is not intuitive.
sarah

hi – thanks for the great tip! now it seems obvious but i wouldn’t have guessed this:) i hope there is as simple a solution for “cut and paste”. i had the Evo and it’s Sense skin has an awesome feature – when you press on a word, you can expand it to contain whatever text you choose and then you can put that in clipboard, link to Wiki, or share this clip with a contact. I do prefer the Galaxy S (and T Mobile:) so I will just be happy with a simple cut and paste function.
Thanks!!!!
http://www.jonatkins.org/ Jon Atkins

I missed that folders even existed, and was getting mad… Now I have so many apps I want to organize, it’s more frustrating to move them one by one into folders. I need a batch copy to (new/existing) folder app…
ryan

Cool helpful
Phillip Jennings

wow i tried this many a times and it never works until i see it done here…
Kilik

Jon Atkins,

Try downloand “Apps Organizer” from the market, might be just what you’re looking for…
http://www.mihailo.info Mickey

Thanks one more time! :)

Apart from being unable to organize icons within the folder, I can’t put a folder inside a folder… too bad… :(
Rob

Wow you’re right, it isn’t rocket science, but I couldn’t figure it out. Got it now, though. :) Thanks!
lifrost

Thanks! I feel dumb it is so easy, but have been trying to figure it out anytime I had a bored minute for months. Finally I googled and wound up here :)
TN

Just what I have been looking for. Got it via Google Search. Thanks.
Hghg

hahahah so easy
Payton

Thanks haha! Im a neat frea with trying to organize the apps on my Android <3 your a lifesaver.
MariLou Schuman

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! This makes my tablet PERFECT!!!!
Mpettitt

How do you do this on Ice Cream Sandwich?
Cabbyhum

Once my games are stored in the folder, how do I get rid of the icon on the phone screen with uninstall,?
Afrinaldy

thx for explanation. its helpful :)
Sarfaraj

but i want to downloader file chang name how can i do pls help me
Potato_brain

Hi there… I used to be able to do rename folders but now when I longpress on the menubar, it just closes the folder.
Lisa850331

Thank you very much!
Anujin522

tnx a lot. it’s very easy
JimMoriarty

Glad you told me how to do this, I’ve got no clue with my android, only just got it, and I hate reading instructions, I prefer to go for the long run and hit any obstacle when I get there
Shelgi

Big thanks! I too have been tying too figure it out. Todays google led me to you!
ololosha

thanx. I feel like a idiot)
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Folders on the Android desktop, and how to rename them

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