In this article we’ll give you detailed instructions on how to create a folder on a smartphone or tablet that uses Android as its operating system.
Sometimes it can be useful to reorganize your applications and documents on your smartphone by dividing them into special folders, so that you can find them more easily according to themes and topics. For example, on one side all the documents related to work, on another side your vacation photos, in another folder, your documents. It can also be handy to have the option of gathering certain files in password-protected folders that are hidden if you don’t know where to look for them. So you need to know how to create Android folders on both your phone and a tablet that uses this operating system.
How to create folders for Android apps
One of the simplest tasks is to create Android folders for apps, to be placed on the home screen. This is an operation that you can do by simply using the launcher already on your phone. Just long-click on the first app you want to add to the folder and drag it to the icon of another app that should be placed in it. This will automatically create a new folder with the two apps in it. The folder can then be renamed as you like.
If you want to create Android folders and put the apps in a folder in the drawer, you’ll need to use a special software, such as Nova Launcher, which costs 4.50 euros. You’ll have to download the basic version, which is free, and then purchase the Nova Prime package, which contains the folder grouping feature.
Once you’ve installed both apps, simply set Nova Launcher as your default launcher. At this point, your Android screen should be managed directly by Nova. By pressing on the home screen of your smartphone, a settings icon will appear in the bottom right corner. Pressing on it, you will then need to select the “App menu” item and scroll down until you find “App menu groups”. Then select the folder icon in the top right corner and click on the “+” button. This will create a new folder, give it a title and click on “Add” to complete the process.
At this point, a pencil will appear next to the name of the folder you just created. These folders will then appear in the drawer.
How to Create Android File Folders
Also to create a new Android folder that contains files, the procedure is quite simple. Just use any file manager, which are often already installed on your device. Alternatively, you can download others from the Play Store. The steps are more or less the same for everyone. Just open the app you want to use, go to the menu and select the item that allows you to create a new folder. After creating a new folder, you’ll have to give it a name, and then move all the files you want to group into it. You’ll just have to prolonged click on one of them and tick off the others. At this point, you have to select “copy to” or “move to” from the menu, and indicate the destination folder.
Create secret folders on Android
Sometimes it may be necessary, for confidentiality reasons, to have secret folders on your smartphone, so that they can only be viewed by those who have the password to access them. To create an Android folder with these characteristics you’ll have to use specific apps, such as Solid Explorer, which can make your secret folders inaccessible. This app can be downloaded for about three euros. After logging in, all you have to do is locate the folder you want to make hidden, click on it and press the button with the three dots lined up at the bottom right. From the menu that appears, select the item “Encrypt”. You’ll then have to find a password to use, choose whether to remove the original files and confirm by clicking on the “Crypt” item.
Hidden folders: how to create them on Android
If you want to have folders that are not immediately visible when you open the file manager, you must create a hidden folder on Android. For this you can use Solid Explorer with the same procedure used for the secret folders, but by clicking instead on the hide item from the menu.
How to create a shortcut on the Android desktop
If instead you want to create a shortcut on the Android desktop, you’ll have to open the app drawer, which contains the list of all applications, then click on the icon of your interest and drag it to the point on the home screen that you prefer. The same process, of course, applies to a folder that you want to have a shortcut for on the home screen as well.