Unable to move or organize apps after iOS 26 update on iPhone 16 Pro

The suggestion to hold the icon for an extended amount of time works. A very long press. Be patient.

My apps wouldn’t move into folders following the IOS26 update, so when Apple came up with the latest bug fix I was hopeful of change! Unfortunately the problem still persists?

[Edited by Moderator]

I have the same problem with iOS 26.1. I cannot move my apps or put them into folders or move them to a different screen that contains more folders.

Another issue I have found is that the screen is very slow to refresh when I move from one screen panel to the next screen panel, which I have quite a few since I have many apps in folders. This is getting frustrating because any new apps I might add end up at the end screen that has new apps showing. But I can’t move them and put them into folders that I want to put them in elsewhere on my phone.

The moving of apps is frustrating to say the least, but also the disappearing pages of apps problem that is still on going as well. The apps as you scroll from page to page are grey blanks then load after several seconds passes by. I’m uncertain why there has not yet been another release update to squash all these bugs but I hope that when there is it will resolve the issues everyone is facing.

These things were not fixed or even remotely addressed as far as I can tell at all in the updated version iOS 26.0.1

I believe this iOS 26 itself was released before it was fully ready.

I still haven’t found any improvement yet even though I have waited since the iPhone Air came out the first day. Yes I have a lot of information on my phone, but I have a lot of extra space left to be able to add apps, etc.. I have lost my ability to be able to move apps from one page to the next page. They just returned back to where they were originally.

I hope they can fix this soon in moving apps. It’s never happened all this time since I started using an iPhone three version years ago only with the iOS 26..0.1 has this happened.

I too can’t get ANY of my apps to move ANYWHERE since the 26.0 update (on both my iPhone 17 Pro and my iPad 12.9” 6th Gen) - the exact same thing happens as the original poster.

I’ve tried all the suggestions here and none have worked.

Please help!!!

I need things organized a certain way and this is so frustrating!!

Your descriptive technique is challenging but perhaps useful. But what is sure is you sound like a madman with tons of humour. Your post reeks of irony.

Apple better get this mess fixed fast. Good Lord !

I spend enough screen time as it is. Apple needs to fix this issue sooner rather than later. I find it hard to understand that something that worked well was messed up to make life more difficult. Cannot fathom such changes. But thank you for your persistence and patience.

One thing I noticed that I cannot do though is to move apps on a page and let them set somewhere else on the page. They always want to connect next to the last app that’s showing on the page. iOS 26 is supposed to let you leave blank spaces in areas on pages where you can choose apps to appear.

I have IOS 18.6.2 and after removing an app today, and reloading it, none of my apps will move when I try to edit them. Some are in even in new folders. I tried the long hold trick people are suggesting, with patience, it won’t work. My app I removed and reinstalled was also my most important widget and it’s no longer a widget option either. Has anyone resolved this issue in any IOS version, and if so, how did you resolve this? I want to reorganize my icons and folders and I no longer can, it’s very frustrating. Thank you

Yep. Great difficulty moving apps. I’ve never regretted updating the ‘ol iPhone in the past. However this time, wish I hadn’t, and it’s bc of this difficulty

Thta's annoyinbg, it used to be one handed, but thank you that worked.

The operating system (26.0.1) on my iPad Pro freezes completely every time I try to move an app.

The two-handed process does not work either, because as soon as the apps start to wobble, the system freezes and restarts after several minutes.