Categories 2.11 | Published by BigBoss | Via Cydia | Free | Released:
9-08-08
Overview
On my Macbook I’m accustomed to organizing all of my downloads, applications, and garbage into folders that keep my desktop nice and clean. Since forever, I’ve been wondering why Apple didn’t allow for folders on the iPhone’s SpringBoard. All Windows Mobile phones allow you to create folders for your start menu items, so why wouldn’t Apple? Thanks to BigBoss, we now have a solution. Categories is an intuitive, simple application that lets you create folders to organize all of your SpringBoard icons.
Functionality
After downloading Categories from Cydia and tapping on the icon to launch it, you’re presented with a basic list style interface. From the main screen you can remove existing folders, add a new folder, or restart the SpringBoard.
Adding Categories is easy. Simply tap ‘Add’ on the top right corner and enter the name of the folder you wish to add. For this example we’ll use “Games.” After typing the name of the folder, you are presented with a large gallery of folder icons to select from. There are a lot of different colors and styles to match your existing iPhone theme.
After adding a folder you are taken to the editing screen for the folder you just created. From here you can add icons that are currently on your SpringBoard by tapping the ‘Add’ button on the top right. Selecting an application from the list will remove the icon from the SpringBoard and add it to your newly created “Games” folder.
Note: You may also add folders to new folders. This means you could further organize your games by, say, genre if you so desired.
After adding as many folders as you want, and filling those folders with your icons, simply go back to the main screen and tap ‘Restart SpringBoard’ to reload the SpringBoard and use your new folders.
You can easily remove icons from your folder by going to the folder edit screen and tapping the minus (-) next to the icon you wish to remove. Removing an icon from a folder, or removing a folder from Categories will cause all of the icons in that folder to reappear on the SpringBoard after a restart.
Summary
Categories allowed me to take all 5 screens of my icons and organize them in an efficient way on one SpringBoard. The only downfall to using the Categories application is that when tapping on a folder it actually has to load an application to display the icons within the folder. This loading can take 3-5 seconds and is a minor annoyance if you are not the type to display some patience. I’m hoping that BigBoss can rectify this by adding some sort of background process in the future, but the minor annoyance for me is worth the great functionality I get from this app.
Try it for yourself
Usability: 5 / 5
Value: 4 / 5
Utility: 4 / 5
Aesthetics: 5 / 5
Wow, those last two screenshots are tight, I can’t wait to download this. Thanks for the review!
Does this require a jailbreak?
@Bob Davis: Yes unfortunately this kind of functionality is not possible under Apple’s strict SDK rules, so the app is available via Cydia on jailbroken phones.
Nice Review! BTW, your theme looks really cool! I would like that them as well. Can you please tell me the theme name? Thanks!
@IPodTouch: The theme I’m using is WMP11, also available in cydia
@Bob Davis: I think it’s time to forget your boss and just go for the jailbreak. =)
What theme was that? I remember seeing it somewhere.
@ Andrew: I’d be happy to forget the boss, but not the paycheck.
Great review. The wisdom must be from the Elderness.
@Shawn Brown: The theme is WMP11
Great review, and while I agree with your experience, I found that the small lag in selecting a folder and the display of the apps within it was major annoyance. In that time frame, I could have swiped my way to my app and had it loaded. Yes, it cleans up my Springboard. But at the cost of time, it’s not worth it to me.
I also wish that you could have an alias to your other folders from within a folder. I think that would provide a great improvement on navigation.
However, Categories contains the kernel of a great app in the making. I imagine it’s just a matter of time before improvements and new features get swallowed up by Apple in an official part of future firmwares.
@Jeff: You bet… I’d like to see this be native functionality of the phone, and with the amount of iPhone applications becoming available everyday I would expect Apple will have to visit it in the future. Personally I’m used to using Windows Mobile smartphones, and the delay is not “major”, but I mentioned it in the review because I know some people are impatient
I’m not sure what you mean by “Alias to your other folders from within a folder”… It has the ability to nest a folder under another folder, when you are selecting apps to add, your other folders are listed amongst the apps for you to choose.
@Nic: Didn’t see the nested folder capability! That’s what I was talking about. I think it should be automatic with the added option of removing certain nested folders. You nailed me, though. I’m VERY impatient with iPhone stuff. That’s cause I’m used to things just “working” on a Mac…
(Back atcha!)
this piece of shit app broke my iphone. it froze duing installation so i had to reset the phone. now it’s stuck at the apple logo. i want to smack kick these fuckers in the nuts for fucking up my phone.
@appCategoriesBreakPhones: Your phone freezing, and subsequently getting stuck in a boot loop likely isn’t Categories, just a coincidence that you happened to be installing it when it happened. What version of the iPhone firmware are you using?
not sure this application is very smart. It doesn’t seem to recognize the several language programs I have as different (phrasebook_iphone for french, spanish, greek…etc. all got converted to Phrasebook_french in the folder). Also, it doesn’t store bookmarks, which is rather annoying since I have many news sources that I’d like to organize into a News folder, but the mobile news http bookmarks won’t go in.
well actually the app roxx. The only missing feature is that bookmark integration. As gb said, it is sad not to be able to classify them into a “WebLinks” folder. Yet, is there any Way i could do that by manipulating the text files? Please let me know
i got a problem. I jailbroke my iphone 3G and put a lot of stuff into the categories app…..then i installed the 2.1 firmware without removing any of the stuff i had put into categoies including cydia. Now none of the stuff i put in there will show up and i have even restored the phone and jailbreaking again, but they are still not showing up. I just want to get my stuff out of these invisible like directories and back on my springboard. Anyone got any ideas?
@StuPhone: Restoring is a two step process… restore the firmware, and then restore your previous backup. So do it in this order.
1. Restore Firmware (click restore in itunes)
2. Let the phone activate, but do not click restore backup yet
3. Jailbreak phone
4. Open Cydia, install updates, and install categories app
5. Now restore your backup
Since you already have categories app installed once you restore your backup your categories you originally created will appear along w/ the icons in them
I like the program but when selecting apps I either hit the wrong one or it crashes durring selection. Otherwise the program is essential and good.
All my system program icons were in one of the categories folder on the springboard. I upgraded to 2.2 and jailbroke it using quickpwn. Needless to say I don’t have categories folders and with those any system icons. So no cydia or installer or categories to be found on my springboard.
Help please. I can’t even find out my IP address to SSH into phone.
Clarification
Cydia, Installer and Settings were in the categories folder
Tried it for a month. Hated it. It’s too clunky in terms of speed. It’s not easy to choose names/icons that easily convey all that you have in a category (especially if you’re running a full load). It’s also a PITA to setup and then later remove.
There’s just something non-intuitive about the whole interface and user interaction. On the right path, but just not there yet, imho.
this app WILL crash your phone and possibly (temporarily) brick it. i highly recommend skipping this one anyway, it’s super slow, clunky, and has me pissed off because it nearly killed me phone.
I had to reboot my phone so many times while using this. Finally just removed it, but it didn’t take away all the pieces of it, so I was stuck with folders on my springboard with no way to remove them. Had to SSH in and del them. Good idea, but needs big improvements!
Slow interface is a real turn off. Will try again when faster
I had installed categories and made a games folder.when I decided to delete it, categories was deleted but the games icon stayed on springboard. How do I remove it since it doesn’t come up with an x to remove?
“I had installed categories and made a games folder.when I decided to delete it, categories was deleted but the games icon stayed on springboard. How do I remove it”
Reinstall Categories… delete the folder int he UI, remove categories.
For those of you complaining about the speed, you should try it again, the app now has an option to run in the background so the folders load very fast (uses some memory though).
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This app is kind of a piece of shit. Has a tendency to break things, not be uninstallable, and leave you with empty folders that it is unable to remove.
I appreciate having exhibited this great application very much.
Using, I came the request which I feel to 4 writing.
1) Two or more applications which are different by the same package file name are published by AppStore. If two or more things of such same package file name are classified using Categories, into a folder, two or more things of the same icon will be registered by the same name, and only one application will be started.
I want you to distinguish such things.
2) Although it is the same package file name, there is an application currently displayed as another name on iPhoneOS and iTnues.
A package file name is not used for such applications, but I want them to display it as an alias.
3) I want you to add the option which works by few memories. If there are many applications which I have installed in iPod touch, I will not react during operation of Categories, and iPod touch will hang-up or reboot.
For example, I want you to reduce the amount of the memory used, such as unloading from a memory the icon of the application which came outside drawing area.
As a result, although scrolling may become less smooth, I want you to still work by few memories.
4) I want you to make sort operation be the same as that of Dock Prefs.
To operation into which folder to divide it after selecting an application icon first
Although Dock Prefs may be because there is much amount of the memory used, installation or upgrade of application may not be completed, or since operation is irritating, it does not suit me.
Thank you.
If you like turning your iPhone into a Crash-a-holic Windows mobile phone, this app is for you. Tried it and within minutes my once stable iPhone crashed 5 times in 15 minutes.
I’m using Categories and I love it. Not sure why or how it is crashing with anyone. Its very stable here and I like it.
I have one complaint, er, rather a question…
What’s the deal with updating App store apps? I’ve done this once and it duplicated the (newly updated) app onto my springboard. Visually, perhaps even technically speaking, the app was also located in its respective folder. Is it updated there too?
It’s hard to tell what is going on, esp. considering that the App store updater has been kind of quirky lately.
My jailbroken and unlocked iPhone 2G is now fucked because of the Categories app… It made the whole phone unstable – crashed many many times when i’m using it to add or delete stuff from folders created. Also took a bloody long time to set things up – e.g., naming the folder, selecting an icon, putting stuff in, re-arranging stuff… etc. Feels like i’m back in Windows/PC days again. *sigh*
For those who complaine about crashes – you are all idiots. The app is fine. If it crashes you fucked up something. It has 3 lines of instractions how stupid you have to be not to read them. Before do anything remove the icons from the folder and then do what ever you want ( upgrade ). If you update app and get a duplicate just restart springboard. They even put you a button for that. And for the idiots who say that the app broke their phone and dont say what they realy did I suggest them to kill them selfes couse they are toooo stupid to have iphones in the first place.
I hate the app for diferent reasons. The stupid icon with the text loading. So much better without. And why the icons are not round on the edges is that too fucking hard ???? And why the text under the icons if longer go under the next icon.
Great functionality. I’m using it just for the Games folder. Throw all my 150 games in it.
This app is great, works very well on my 3GS. One tip don’t use “&” in your category titles, prevents the icon from showing on the springboard for some reason…
Way back in the day this app was a little buggy, but it is great now, hope the developer keeps working on it, as I’m sure it will be a year or two before we see apple give us this funtion, if ever now that search exists (Like I can remember the name of everything).
You’re absolutely right — I have not attended the program, and what I’ve supposed about the community and its cohesiveness is pure speculation on my part. ,
Plimer resorts to attack as the best form of defenceThey are all like that, pure irrelevant nonsense. ,
For those who hate the lag I highly recommend the add-on, CategoriesSB.
It costs $1 unfortunately, but it integrates it into the springboard so it actually feels part of the iPhone. This means it loads instantly, the badges on icons actually work, the dashboard thing across the bottom stays visible. It all suddenly feels seamless.
Now the only major thing that needs fixing is the screen where you select the app to add to a category. This is unsorted and when you’ve got 11 pages of apps you can be rooting around for ages to find the on you want.
Hi all, I am having a problem which I couldn’t remove the FOLDERS that I created in Categories. Even after I remove the Categories package from Cydia the FOLDERS are still on the springboard. Temporarily I just hide the FOLDERS icon using SBsetting. Appreciate if anyone could help. Thanks.