# 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._