# 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.

- **Patent:** US 11449194
- **Original title:** Portable electronic device with interface reconfiguration mode
- **Owner:** Apple Inc
- **Granted:** 2022
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 0
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, software

## What it does

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.

## 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.

## 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.

## Real-world examples

1. iOS home screen app rearrangement
2. iPadOS home screen customization
3. Apple TV app grid management

## Why it matters

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.

## 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.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11449194/spatial-audio-with-dynamic-head-tracking

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11449194

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How the iPhone's Jiggling App Icons Work](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7509588/os-x-spotlight-search) — This patent describes the 'jiggle mode' on iPhones, where app icons shake to show they can be moved or deleted.
- [How Smartphones Organize Apps into Folders](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8423911/ios-control-center) — Apple's 2010 patent describing the logic for creating and interacting with app folders on a touchscreen device, specifically distinguishing between 'normal' use and 'editing' modes.
- [How Folders With Multiple Pages Work on Touchscreens](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11809700/vision-pro-eye-tracking) — Apple's patent describes how to organize apps into multi-page folders and move icons between those pages by dragging them to specific screen edges.
- [How Mobile Devices Switch Between Open Apps Using Gestures](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8291344/ios-autocorrect-keyboard) — Apple's patent describes a way to switch between open apps on a touchscreen by showing a bar of app previews and selecting one with a tap.
- [How Multi-Touch Gestures Like Pinch-to-Zoom Work on Smartphones](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7812826/iphone-software-keyboard) — Apple's patent on using two-finger gestures to manipulate images and objects on a touchscreen, allowing for smooth zooming and rotation even if you lift your fingers briefly.