How Smartphones Let You Rearrange and Organize Your Home Screen Icons
Apple's patent describes the specific software logic used to let users drag, drop, and rearrange app icons on a touchscreen by entering a special 'jiggle' mode.
Original patent title: “Portable electronic device with interface reconfiguration mode”
Apple's patent describes the specific software logic used to let users drag, drop, and rearrange app icons on a touchscreen by entering a special 'jiggle' mode. Granted to Apple Inc in 2022 with 27 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent defines a system where a device switches from a normal operating mode to a 'reconfiguration mode' after detecting a specific user gesture, such as a long press. Once in this mode, the device allows the user to drag icons to new positions on the screen. The system also includes logic to automatically shift other icons out of the way when a new icon is dragged into their space. Additionally, it specifies that icons can visually oscillate or 'jiggle' while in this mode to indicate that they are ready to be moved or deleted.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover methods of rearranging icons that do not involve a touch-sensitive display.
- Does not cover automatic icon sorting algorithms that organize apps by category without user input.
- Does not cover voice-command-based icon reorganization.
- Does not cover icon movement that occurs without entering a specific reconfiguration mode.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The patent effectively links the visual 'jiggling' animation to the functional state of the interface, providing immediate, intuitive feedback that the device is in a mode where data (the icons) can be manipulated.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
iOS home screen app rearrangement
iPadOS home screen customization
Apple TV app grid management
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent formalizes the interaction model that has defined the smartphone experience for over a decade. By standardizing how users customize their home screens, it ensures a consistent user interface across the entire Apple ecosystem, from the original iPhone to modern iOS devices.
Filed
December 22, 2020
Granted
September 20, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple remains the primary user of this specific interaction model within iOS and iPadOS. Other mobile operating system developers, such as Google for Android, have developed similar but distinct methods for icon management that avoid the specific claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → outlined here.
Market impact
This patent helps protect the specific 'look and feel' of the Apple mobile interface. It serves as a defensive asset that reinforces the company's design language and user experience standards, which are central to the brand's market differentiation.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent defines a system where a device switches from a normal operating mode to a 'reconfiguration mode' after detecting a specific user gesture, such as a long press. Once in this mode, the device allows the user to drag icons to new positions on the screen. The system also includes logic to automatically shift other icons out of the way when a new icon is dragged into their space. Additionally, it specifies that icons can visually oscillate or 'jiggle' while in this mode to indicate that they are ready to be moved or deleted.
The clever bit
The patent effectively links the visual 'jiggling' animation to the functional state of the interface, providing immediate, intuitive feedback that the device is in a mode where data (the icons) can be manipulated.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover methods of rearranging icons that do not involve a touch-sensitive display.
- Does not cover automatic icon sorting algorithms that organize apps by category without user input.
- Does not cover voice-command-based icon reorganization.
- Does not cover icon movement that occurs without entering a specific reconfiguration mode.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
18/20
Very broad protection
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$47K – $150K
Midpoint $94K · 14.5 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
27 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Anzures, F. A., Forstall, S., Chaudhri, I., Os, M. V., & Christie, G. (2022). How Smartphones Let You Rearrange and Organize Your Home Screen Icons (U.S. Patent No. 11,449,194). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11449194/spatial-audio-with-dynamic-head-tracking
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Smartphones Let You Rearrange and Organize Your Home Screen Icons cover?
Apple's patent describes the specific software logic used to let users drag, drop, and rearrange app icons on a touchscreen by entering a special 'jiggle' mode.
Who owns patent US 11449194?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 20, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent formalizes the interaction model that has defined the smartphone experience for over a decade. By standardizing how users customize their home screens, it ensures a consistent user interface across the entire Apple ecosystem, from the original iPhone to modern iOS devices.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover methods of rearranging icons that do not involve a touch-sensitive display.
Same assignee
More from Apple Inc
Patent monitoring