iOS (iPhone) Apps keep getting moved by App Store - why?

March 11, 2013 9:46 AM

Recently my IOS (6.1.2) device (iPhone) has developed a peculiar behavior : Whenever App Store apps are bought/updated, the icons for those apps are relocated to the second page of my home screen. There does not seem to be a setting for this. Why is this happening?

I'm a bit OCD about my app layout, and this has started to get on my nerves. I can't recall making any significant change to my phone in months. Awhile back I noticed my second page apps had been moved down after updating something. Now I realize it is reproducible 100% of the time.

It used to be -- new apps would show up wherever there was open space on one of the pages. The first open space gets the first new app, etc. Updated apps would stay where they are and just get updated. Now, both types of app changes result in the app being relocated to the first upper left position on the second page, pushing everything else forward.

Has anyone else seen this?

I restored from a backup, there is no jailbreaking or any other silliness going on with the device.

posted by cavalier to Technology (3 answers total)

Maybe you've run out of space. I've seen this behaviour when all screens are full. Try grouping some apps together in folders to free up space for new icons.

(The space I'm talking about isn't free Gigabytes, but space in the grid for new icons and new pages of icons).
posted by nevan at 11:29 AM on March 11, 2013

Hmm! Interesting idea. I will consolidate some space and see what happens. Could have sworn I've run out of space before, but, hey, I'll try anything once! :) Will report back.
posted by cavalier at 2:21 PM on March 11, 2013

Woopsie! Forgot to update this thread -- yes, that appears to have been the culprit. With no space left on the pages, it would just shove items willy nilly. Fix was to open up some space on the pages by removing/consolidating items into folders.

Thanks!
posted by cavalier at 12:42 PM on April 26, 2013