Organize Apps

With a few more apps installed, soon the question pops up: How to keep a clear overview? The list in the app drawer can grow quite long, and does not necessarily stay lucid. Scrolling up and down multiple times to find the app in question is no fun: How easily you push to strong, and the list flies by with ludicrous speed. Or you don't push enough, and the app below your finger gets started instead. Plastering your home screen with icons is no solution either. So what to do?

On this page you should find some tools to help you out on this topic. The list is far from being complete – but hopefully gives you at least an idea. Or maybe the ideal candidate for you is even contained on it?

App Organizer

2020-03-23

How to organize apps in a way to always easily find the one looking for?

JINA: App Drawer, Sidebar & Folder Organizer (4.7@5,133) Ǥ 21 / JINA Apps Organizer (4.5@254) 5 LastUpdate: 2015-04-01 Video Intro 8/2016
IntelliFolder (4.6@61) 10 LastUpdate: 2017-07-07
CircleLauncher light (4.5@15,338) Ǥ 7 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ / CircleLauncher (4.6@4,560; ~EUR 1.00) 6 Vorstellung 6/2013
Draweroid (4.5@1,859) 8 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-07-23 / Draweroid donation key (4.7@81; ~EUR 1.50) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-01-27
My Drawer - Smart & Organized Place for Your Apps (4.4@1,559) Ǥ 10
AppFinder - Alternative Drawer (4.4@171) Ǥ 6 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-12-01
Application Folder (4.3@7,351) 7 LastUpdate: 2013-02-11
Glextor Manager & Organizer Free (4.3@2,777) Ǥ 17 / Glextor Manager & Organizer (4.6@774; ~EUR 5.00) Ǥ 13 Review 2/2014
Assistive Drawer (4.3@263) Ǥ 14 LastUpdate: 2018-02-28
Organized Drawer (4.2@565) 3
Speed Dial Folder (4.2@324) 3 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-08-10
Categories - App Organizer (4.1@133) Ǥ 8
Apps Organizer (4.1@11) 4 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2013-11-10
Drawers (3.9@720) 2 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-11-14
Suite Folder Organizer (3.9@27; ~EUR 0.75) 13 LastUpdate: 2015-05-27
Contextual App Folder (C.A.F.) (3.8@211) Ǥ 14 LastUpdate: 2017-02-14 Review 6/2017; „intelligent folder“ showing apps fitting your situation
Smart Shortcuts (3.7@4,533) 7 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2013-12-26
Smart Drawer - Apps Organizer (3.7@1,814) Ǥ 22 Review 6/2017
App Launcher Free (3.6@506) 4 / App Launcher Plus (4.2@122; ~EUR 2.50) 4
Auto App Category (3.6@228) Ǥ 7
CatApplus - Smart Automatic Apps Folder Organizer (3.5@103) Ǥ 7
Auto App Organizer free (3.4@3,721) 10 LastUpdate: 2018-08-29 / AutoAppOrganizer Full (ticket) (4.6@91; ~EUR 2.50) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2010-09-08
Apps Organizer-Create Folders (3.4@43) 4 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-01-11
Folder Organizer lite (3.1@9,080) Ǥ 13 / Folder Organizer (3.9@8,394; ~EUR 1.00) Ǥ 12
Smart Folder - App Organizer (2.9@1,604) Ǥ 4 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-12-07

Manage Default Apps

2020-03-22

Starting an action, Android sometimes asks you to chose the App to use – and you can tell it to remember your choice. But how to change that at a later time, in an easy and convenient way? The following Apps come to help you out:

Home Manager (4.4@2,073) Ǥ 8 LastUpdate: 2016-11-25
Home Control (4.3@293) Ǥ 6 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-09-05
Target Home Launcher (4.2@171) 5 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2013-03-10
Default App Manager (4.1@111; ~EUR 1.75) 1
Better Open With (3.9@4,195) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-06-07
Set Defaults (3.8@38) 0 LastUpdate: 2016-05-30
Launch By Default App Reset (3.5@93) 2 LastUpdate: 2014-09-05
Clear Defaults (3.4@110) 2 LastUpdate: 2015-10-07
Launch by default (3.2@173) 2 LastUpdate: 2015-01-06
Default App Manager (2.3@59) Ǥ 4 LastUpdate: 2017-03-25
Alternate App Picker (KK) (0@0) LastUpdate: 2014-12-19 1-tap „complete-with“ action with checkbox (as it was in ICS)
AlternateAppPicker: ICS-style default app chooser for JB (0@0) Github; 1-tap „complete-with“ action with checkbox (as it was in ICS)
Doubletap in AppPicker (0@0) double-tap to „use once“ (as introduced with JB 4.2) for JB 4.1

Additional candidates can be found in the section Manage Default Apps.

Remove apps

2020-03-23

How to get rid of them again? Apart from on-board methods, there are some nice helpers available:

App Master(Uninstall Master) (4.5@30,064) Ǥ 17 LastUpdate: 2015-07-28 with recycle-bin to re-install from
Uninstaller (4.5@867) 2 LastUpdate: 2016-10-25
Uninstaller - Uninstall App (4.4@14,860) Ǥ 5 LastUpdate: 2016-09-03
Apps Uninstaller - Delete Multiple Applications (4.4@633) 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Easy Uninstaller App Uninstall (4.3@169,038) Ǥ 13 Review 7/2015
Multi Uninstaller (4.3@760) 2 LastUpdate: 2014-06-28
APK Manager (4.2@1,989) 8 install & uninstall
AppRemover (4.1@5,994) Ǥ 5
Easy Uninstaller (4.1@3,526) Ǥ 8
Uninstall Perfect Uninstaller (4@31,137) 5 Test 1/2017
UnApp — Easy Uninstall Multiple Apps, Get App Info (4@448) 1 Video Intro 1/2019
Uninstaller Multiple (Batch) (4@283) Ǥ 5 LastUpdate: 2014-05-15
Revo Uninstaller Mobile (3.9@3,381) Ǥ 11
Uninstaller (3.8@69,533) 2 LastUpdate: 2018-01-28 / Uninstaller Pro (4.4@226; ~EUR 1.00) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-09-26 Vorstellung 5/2013
Batch Uninstaller (3.7@20) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Github

Remove pre-installed Apps

2020-03-28

Starting with Android 4.0, the user finally can de-activate most unwanted apps (Settings → Apps → All, tap the unwanted app's entry, select "uninstall updates" (if available), select "deactivate") – but to really get rid of them, it still requires root (except you uninstall them per user):

ROM Toolbox Lite (4.6@36) Ǥ 26 / ROM Toolbox Pro (3.6@25,625; ~EUR 6.00) Ǥ 25 Video Review 10/2013
Root Uninstaller (4.4@4,462) Ǥ 5 LastUpdate: 2018-08-20
SystemCleanup (4.3@3,694) 6 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-06-14
Titanium Backup ★ root needed (4.2@371,523) 22 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ / Titanium Backup PRO Key ★ root needed (4.3@71,991; ~EUR 6.50) Ǥ 2 Testbericht 1/2014 | 5/2016; Howto EN 11/2013 | DE 11/2014; Vorstellung 1/2014 | 3/2014; Video Tutorial 1/2014 (DE) | 9/2018 (EN)
App Freezer (4.2@23,959) 4
System App Freezer & Remover (4.2@57; ~EUR 1.50) 4 LastUpdate: 2012-02-15
Service Disabler (4.1@1,155) Ǥ 6 LastUpdate: 2018-08-19
Multi APK Manager (4.1@46) Ǥ 8
[Root] App Disabler (4@431) 0 LastUpdate: 2016-11-15
Bloatware Remover FREE [Root] (3.7@1,458) Ǥ 15 / Bloatware Remover VIP [Clean bloat] - 50% OFF (3.7@24; ~EUR 12.00) 13 LastUpdate: 2018-09-18
2 Hide Apps (hide system apps) (3.6@2,662) Ǥ 6 LastUpdate: 2015-07-25
Root Uninstaller (3.6@1,902) Ǥ 9
System application manager (3.6@1,248) 8 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-05-12
Root Uninstaller (3.5@38,711) 7 / Root Uninstaller Pro (3.6@1,630; ~EUR 2.50) 9 Video Review 10/2013
Uninstall Expert (3.4@3,201) 6
NoBloat Free (3.3@3,667) 3 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2015-12-26 / NoBloat (3.7@525; ~EUR 1.50) 3 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2015-12-26
Disable Bloatware - Hide Apps (2.4@1,318) 4 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-08-07
App Mount (0@0) 3 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-02-26 Github; (temporarily) disable (aka "unmount") apps you don't like on Android, without root

Move apps to your SD card (and back)

2020-03-22

DS Super App2SD Lite (4.3@22) 11 LastUpdate: 2014-07-05
AppMgr III (App 2 SD, Hide and Freeze apps) (4.1@473,614) Ǥ 18 Test 3/2014
APP2SD Easy - Clean & Optimize (4@65,548) 6 LastUpdate: 2017-01-15
App2SD Pro: All in One Tool [ROOT] (4@28,141) Ǥ 17 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-09-12 Link apps, Dalvik & more 2 SD
Link2SD (3.9@343,280) Ǥ 11 LastUpdate: 2018-06-21 / Link2SD Plus (New) (3.4@14,312; ~EUR 2.00) Ǥ 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2015-01-02 Tutorial 1/2014 (EN) | 7/2017 (EN); Howto 8/2014; Vorstellung 10/2014; Video Howto 4/2015
App2SD &App Manager-Save Space (3.8@35,815) Ǥ 10
Move app to SD card (3.7@348,756) Ǥ 12
Auto App2SD : App Manager (3.7@4,717) 8 LastUpdate: 2017-03-02
App Manager -Move 2 SD (3.5@3,372) 6 LastUpdate: 2014-08-10 / App Manager (Pro) (4.2@96; ~EUR 1.75) 6 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-03-10

Other app helpers

2020-03-17

StayFree - Phone Usage Tracker & Overuse Reminder (4.7@28,118) Ǥ 9 app stats: how much time did you spend in which app?
TimesApp - App timer for better productivity (4.5@60) Ǥ 11 Github
ML Manager: APK Extractor (4.4@1,961) Ǥ 4 Intro 5/2015; Github
AppList (4.3@40) 1 LastUpdate: 2014-11-19 Kurzvorstellung 6/2015; Github
AppMgr III (App 2 SD, Hide and Freeze apps) (4.1@473,614) Ǥ 18 Test 3/2014
Aplin (4.1@99) Ǥ 4 Github; app manager
App Usage Logger (4.1@20) 2 LastUpdate: 2014-08-25 what apps you use, when, and how much time you spend using them
/system/app mover ★ ROOT ★ (4@8,681) 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-12-09 Github
Phone Analyzer (4@256) Ǥ 19 App manager, app statistics
Manage Applications-Share Apps (4@82) Ǥ 5 LastUpdate: 2017-03-04
QualityTime - My Digital Diet (3.9@17,751) Ǥ 23 Vorstellung 1/2015 | 1/2015; Video Promo 1/2015; Intro 1/2015 | 5/2015; Review 2/2015
ActionDash: Digital Wellbeing & Screen Time helper (3.9@5,230) Ǥ 15 Video Intro 1/2019; granular app stats
App Usage Tracker (3.9@1,064) 4 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
ManageApps (App Manager) (3.8@7,894) 9 LastUpdate: 2016-11-13 / ManageApps Pro (App Manager) (4.1@167; ~EUR 2.00) Ǥ 10 LastUpdate: 2015-07-26
FolderMount [ROOT] (3.6@34,644) Ǥ 9 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-05-23 Vorstellung 7/2013; Video Review 9/2013; Video Tutorial 8/2014; Tutorial 5/2014
OFFTIME – Digital disconnection (2.8@17,029) Ǥ 29 Vorstellung 10/2014; Intro 10/2014; Study 10/2014; Test 11/2014
OpenAPK (0@0) 3 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-12-15 Github
xSuite (0@0) LastUpdate: 2014-05-17 change names & icons of your apps

Postscriptum: Some Launchers have some of those functionalities integrated already (e.g. GOLauncher with app folders in its drawer). Or you might even be content with the app folders on the home screen itself, which were introduced with Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich?

Further Readings:

App Organizer
- Five best Android app organizers recommended for you (11/2013 - 7/2015)
App Remover
- How to delete preinstalled apps on Android (6/2019)
- How to remove unwanted apps from your Android phone (2/2017)
- Windows/OS X: Debloater Blocks, Disables, or Removes Bloatware on Android
  So könnt Ihr vorinstallierte Apps löschen und deinstallieren (10/2015)
- How to completely uninstall an app on Android Lollipop? (12/2014)
- How to Remove Bloatware or Unwanted Apps from Your Android Smartphone (2/2014)
- 13 Best Android Uninstaller to Remove Sticky Apps (10/2013)
- Top 5 Uninstallers for Android (6/2013)
- Bloatware removal - Dummies Guide (6/2013)
- How To Remove Bloatware From Your Android Device (5/2013)
Miscellaneous
- How to Remove, Change, and Set Default Apps in Android (3/2020)
- Bloatware: Vorinstallierte Apps ersetzen (10/2016 - 7/2019)
- Welche Apps die Hersteller ungefragt auf Smartphones installieren (8/2014)