How to organize your Apple TV with folders

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Get your OCD on with folders on Apple TV.
Get your OCD on with folders on Apple TV.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

The latest Apple TV has 5,000 apps and every one I’ve installed on my Home screen is a pain in the ass to find.

That is, until now. Apple just introduced tvOS 9.2, which brings the organizing power of folders to your 4th Generation Apple TV, and boy are we excited.

Here’s how to organize all those media and gaming apps on your Apple TV with folders.

First off, you’ll need to update to the latest tvOS, 9.2.

Once that’s all taken care of, head to your Apple TV’s Home screen – the one with all the rectangular apps on it.

Take your Siri Remote in hand and click and hold on any one of the apps you want to put into a folder. The apps will all do the wiggle dance, and you’ll be able to move the one you just clicked on with the touch surface on your Siri Remote, just like moving the icon to a new spot on the home screen.

Make the icons dance to move them into a folder.
Make the icons dance to move them into a folder.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

This time, however, move the app icon on top of another app icon (just like in iOS) and you’ll get a folder animation, which will zoom out to full screen with the app you clicked on and the app you hovered over. Move the icons around into the order you want, and then hit the Menu button to stop the wiggling. Hit Menu one more time to go back to the Home screen.

Use the Play/Pause button to find these hidden options.
Use the Play/Pause button to find these hidden options.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

You can now click and hold on any app icon and move them into existing or new folders. When you start the wiggle editing mode when in a folder, you can also hit the Play/Pause button for options that include Delete (the app), Move to another existing folder, Move to the Home Screen, or just Cancel the whole thing.

You can make a new folder with any icon, too.
You can make a new folder with any icon, too.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Better yet, you can hold and click on any icon now, hit the Play/Pause button, and Move it to any folder you’ve created. You can also create a new folder here, too.

Now you can organize your Apple TV with folders, which will make finding the stuff you’re looking for just that much easier and less spread out.

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