How to Find an App on Your iPhone When You Can't Remember Where It Is

Remember flipping through the rolodex on your desk, looking for a name you knew was in there somewhere? The card was there — you just couldn't spot it. Apps on your iPhone work the same way. They're all on your phone, but as you add more of them, they get harder to find.

The good news: your iPhone has a built-in search that works just like asking the librarian instead of walking every aisle.

The Trick: Swipe Down on the Middle of Your Screen

Here's the whole trick. Unlock your iPhone so you're looking at the home screen — the screen with all the little colorful squares (those are your apps).

Now place your finger somewhere in the middle of the screen, not at the very top, and gently swipe down — about an inch will do. A search box should appear near the top of the screen, with the keyboard popping up at the bottom.

If you swiped from the very top edge of the screen by accident and got something different, just tap the screen once and try again, starting a bit lower.

Type the First Few Letters

You don't need to type the whole app name. Just the first three or four letters is usually enough.

Looking for the Weather app? Type "wea" and you'll see Weather appear in a list. Looking for your bank's app, say Chase? Type "cha." Looking for Facebook? Type "fac."

When you see the app you want in the list, tap its name or its little square icon once. The app opens. That's it.

Why This Is Worth Remembering

Most folks try to find apps by swiping left and right across their home screens, hunting for the right colored square. That works fine when you only have a dozen apps. But once you have fifty or sixty — and most of us do, without realizing it — searching is faster every single time.

It also rescues you when something seems "lost." Apps don't really disappear from your phone. Sometimes they get tucked into a folder (a little square that holds several apps inside it) or moved to a screen you don't usually look at. Search finds them no matter where they're hiding.

Think of your home screen as your kitchen counter — the things you use every day. Search is the pantry: everything's in there, and you just ask for what you need.

A Bonus You'll Like

That same search box does more than find apps. Type a person's name and it'll show you their contact card. Type a word and it'll search your email and text messages for it. Type "calculator" and the calculator pops right up.

You don't have to use those extras. But once you're comfortable searching for apps, the rest is the same motion.

Try It Right Now

Pick up your phone, unlock it, and swipe down on the middle of the home screen. When the search box appears, type the first three letters of any app you use — "mes" for Messages, "pho" for Photos, "set" for Settings. Tap the app when you see it.

Do that once today and once tomorrow, and by the end of the week it'll feel as natural as reaching for the light switch when you walk into a room.

Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.