TL;DR
Samsung moved the app drawer to a vertical feed and refined it in One UI 8, addressing visual polish and search. But core usability complaints remain: the vertical list is locked to alphabetical sorting, it preserves scroll position unpredictably, and it lacks the organisational controls third-party launchers offer.
What happened
Users who long campaigned for a vertical app drawer got that change in One UI 7, and Samsung has applied refinements in One UI 8 including a cleaner look and an updated search bar. Despite the cosmetic and interaction polish, key workflow problems persist for some users. The vertical drawer is bound to alphabetical ordering, which undermines spatial memory that people relied on in the old horizontal pages. The drawer also resumes at the last scroll position rather than starting from the top, making each opening feel inconsistent. Workarounds such as folders reduce clutter but introduce nested scrolling and hide icons, so they’re not a complete fix. Third-party launchers and Samsung’s Good Lock offer more flexibility — pins, dynamic top rows, tabs and denser grids — but using them can mean losing One UI’s native animation smoothness. The result: some users stick with third-party launchers despite the trade-offs.
Why it matters
- Interface choices affect how quickly people find apps; changes can disrupt established muscle memory.
- Alphabetical-only vertical sorting reduces personalization options for users who prefer pinned or usage-based layouts.
- Saved-scroll behavior makes the drawer feel unpredictable, increasing the time and effort to locate apps.
- Users must trade off between organizational features in third-party launchers and native system animation polish.
Key facts
- Community members in Good Lock forums pushed Samsung for a vertical app drawer.
- One UI 7 introduced vertical scrolling but was described as rough by some users.
- One UI 8 updated the app drawer’s visuals and redesigned the search bar.
- The vertical drawer in One UI is tied to alphabetical sorting; custom pinning of apps isn’t available.
- The drawer preserves its previous scroll position instead of always opening at the top.
- Using folders can reduce visible clutter but hides icons and adds their own scrolling.
- Third-party launchers provide features like pinned or dynamic top rows, tabs, and denser grid options.
- Third-party launchers may introduce minor lag or lose the native open/close animations provided by One UI.
- Good Lock provides additional customization from Samsung but functions similarly to a third-party add-on.
What to watch next
- Whether Samsung will add options for pinning or usage-based ordering within the vertical drawer (not confirmed in the source).
- Any updates to the drawer’s saved-state behavior—e.g., an option to always open at the top—(not confirmed in the source).
- How Good Lock evolves and whether Samsung moves more of its customization features into main settings (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- App drawer: The interface that lists installed apps on an Android device, separate from home screens.
- Vertical scrolling: A content layout where items are presented in a single column that the user scrolls up and down to navigate.
- Third-party launcher: An app that replaces the device’s default home screen and app drawer, offering alternative layouts and customization.
- Good Lock: A suite of Samsung-made customization modules that add extra UI features outside the main settings.
- Spatial memory: The human ability to remember locations and positions of objects, often used to navigate interfaces that preserve layout.
Reader FAQ
Did One UI 8 change the app drawer?
Yes. One UI 8 refines the vertical app drawer’s appearance and updates the search bar.
Is the vertical drawer fully customizable now?
No. The source reports the vertical drawer is tied to alphabetical sorting and lacks features such as pinning most-used apps.
Should I switch to a third-party launcher for better organization?
The source does not give a recommendation; it notes third-party launchers offer more organizational controls but may lose some native animation smoothness.
Can folders solve the organization problem?
Folders help reduce visible clutter but hide icons and can introduce additional scrolling, so they are not a complete solution.
One UI 8 finally fixed the app drawer, so why do I still hate it? Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police | Damir Khabirov / Shutterstock By Ben Khalesi Published 4…
Sources
- One UI 8 finally fixed the app drawer, so why do I still hate it?
- Apps Disappearing from Recent Apps Screen After On…
- Samsung Rolls Out One UI 8.5 Beta 2 for Galaxy S25
- Solved: oneUI 8.0 is causing problems.
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