# How Folders With Multiple Pages Work on Touchscreens > 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. - **Patent:** US 11809700 - **Original title:** Device, method, and graphical user interface for managing folders with multiple pages - **Owner:** Apple Inc - **Granted:** 2023 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 3 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software ## What it does This patent details a system for managing app icons inside folders that contain more items than can fit on a single screen. When a user opens a folder, they see a first page of icons. The system allows a user to drag an icon to a specific region—like the edge of the screen—to trigger a page flip. If the user drags the icon to a different region, the folder view closes. This mechanism allows for intuitive organization of large app collections on mobile devices. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover folder systems that only allow a single page of icons. - Does not cover moving icons between folders using non-drag gestures like long-press menus. - Does not cover automatic sorting or organizational logic that does not involve user-initiated dragging. - Does not cover folder management on devices without touch-sensitive displays. ## The clever bit The system uses the spatial location of the dragged icon as a control signal; dragging to one edge flips the page, while dragging to another region exits the folder, effectively using the screen's layout as a multi-function input controller. ## Real-world examples 1. iOS Home Screen folder management 2. iPadOS app organization folders ## Why it matters As mobile operating systems matured, users accumulated hundreds of apps, making single-page folder views obsolete. This patent protects the specific interaction design that keeps the home screen clean while allowing users to manage large libraries of applications across multiple pages within a single folder container. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Folders With Multiple Pages Work on Touchscreens cover? 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. ### Who owns patent US 11809700? Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2023. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on November 7, 2043, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 11809700 cited by? This patent has been cited by 3 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? As mobile operating systems matured, users accumulated hundreds of apps, making single-page folder views obsolete. This patent protects the specific interaction design that keeps the home screen clean while allowing users to manage large libraries of applications across multiple pages within a single folder container. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover folder systems that only allow a single page of icons. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11809700/vision-pro-eye-tracking **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11809700 --- _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 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 Smartphones Let You Rearrange and Organize Your Home Screen Icons](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11449194/spatial-audio-with-dynamic-head-tracking) — 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. - [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 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 the iPhone Switches and Adds Mobile Web Browser Tabs](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8214768/ios-notification-center) — Apple's 2007 patent on using swipes, edge taps, and dedicated buttons to create and flip through multiple full-screen windows in a mobile web browser.