How to Put Folders Inside Folders on iPhone (Nested Folders)

Quick answer: You can't put a folder inside another folder on the iPhone Home Screen. iOS simply doesn't allow it. You can get real nested folders inside a widget with WidgetLoft (formerly FolderMini): tap a folder tile and it opens right there in the widget, with a back tile to go up, as many levels deep as you want.

Dragged a folder onto another folder and watched it bounce back? You're not doing it wrong. Here is the workaround that works.

Why iOS won't nest folders

Home Screen folders are one level deep: you can't drag a folder into another, and no setting changes that. So a "Work" folder can't contain a "Meetings" folder and a "Docs" folder, and you end up with either one giant folder or a Home Screen full of small ones.

A widget can do what a folder can't. In WidgetLoft, a group becomes a Home Screen widget, and a group can contain folders, which can contain more folders. Tapping a folder tile opens that folder in place, and a back tile takes you up one level.

Step-by-step: create nested folders on iPhone

1. Create a group and a folder. Install WidgetLoft, create a group, open it and tap New Folder.
2. Add apps and more folders. Add apps to the folder. Tap New Folder again inside it to go another level deeper.
3. Choose how the folder tile looks. Show the folder as a 2×2 or 3×3 mini-grid of the apps inside, or give it its own icon from a photo or an SF Symbol.
4. Place the widget. Long-press the Home Screen, tap +, add the WidgetLoft widget and pick your group.
5. Tune the back tile and auto-return. In the Back Button editor pick a symbol (12 presets or any SF Symbol), a symbol color, a background color, background opacity from 0 to 100% and a size, or tap Reset to Default. Drag the back tile to any slot. Then go to Settings → Widget → Auto-return to folder.

iOS folders vs WidgetLoft folders

| | iOS Home Screen folders | WidgetLoft folders | | --- | --- | --- | | Folders inside folders | Not possible | Yes, unlimited depth | | Capacity | Apps only, no sub-folders | Up to 100 apps and 20 sub-folders per folder | | Where it lives | On the Home Screen as an icon | Inside a Home Screen widget, opens in place | | Custom look | A small preview of the apps inside | 2×2 or 3×3 mini-grid, or its own photo or symbol icon | | Getting back | Tap outside the folder | A back tile you can style and move |

With WidgetLoft, one widget can hold your whole day, sorted into folders, and every app tile still opens its app directly.

Keep it tidy

• Group by routine, not by app type. A "Morning" folder with news, weather and your calendar is faster than a "Utilities" folder you have to search through.
• Use auto-return. With Auto-return to folder, the widget goes back to the top after you open an app, after a period of inactivity (10 to 60 seconds, 30 by default), or both. No more landing in a forgotten sub-folder.

For a bigger cleanup, see how to organize your iPhone Home Screen.

Common questions

Can you put a folder inside a folder on iPhone? Not with regular Home Screen folders. A folder widget like WidgetLoft supports it: tap a folder tile and it opens inside the widget, with a back tile to go up.

How many apps and sub-folders can a folder hold? Up to 100 apps and 20 sub-folders per folder, with no depth limit. The free version allows 6 groups and 21 library apps; WidgetLoft Pro removes those limits.

Do nested folders work on the Lock Screen widget? No. The Lock Screen widget shows one row of top-level apps only. Nested folders work in the Home Screen widgets.

Ready to nest? Download WidgetLoft on the App Store and put folders inside folders today.