Change App Drawer to Vertical Scroll in Samsung

How to Change App Drawer to Vertical Scroll in Samsung One UI 7.

Learn how to switch your Samsung phone’s app drawer from horizontal pages to vertical scrolling in One UI 7. I’ll show you the steps to change this setting and customize your app drawer layout.

I am showing you on a Samsung S23 Ultra running Android 15 with One UI 7.0. The steps work on most Samsung Galaxy phones that have received the One UI 7 update, including S series and other recent models.

If you prefer a vertical scrolling app drawer instead of horizontal swiping pages, this guide will help. I show you exactly where to find this setting in One UI 7 and how to enable vertical scrolling for your apps.

Learn how to organize apps in the vertical scroll layout or how to adjust the app drawer grid size. I explain these related settings so you can fully customize your app drawer experience.

Some Samsung users find vertical scrolling easier to use, especially with one-handed operation. Learn how to enable vertical app drawer in One UI 7, change app drawer scrolling direction, or modify the app list style.

What Changed in One UI 7 App Drawer

After the One UI 7 update, your app drawer layout might look different depending on how your phone was set up. Some users see horizontal pages where you swipe left and right. Others see vertical scrolling where you move up and down through an alphabetical list.

The good news is you can choose either style. The setting is easy to change once you know where to look. You are not stuck with the default option.

How to Switch from Horizontal to Vertical Scrolling

The setting you need is inside your app drawer menu. Here is exactly how to change it:

1. Open your app drawer by swiping up on your home screen
2. Look at the top of the app drawer screen – you will see a search bar
3. On the right side of the search bar, look for the three dot menu
4. Tap the three dots
5. Tap on “Sort” from the menu that appears
6. You will see sorting options on the screen
7. Tap on “Alphabetical order”

That is it. Once you select alphabetical order, your app drawer will switch from horizontal pages to vertical scrolling. You can now scroll up and down through a continuous list of apps.

Understanding the Different Sort Options

When you tap the three dot menu and then sort, you will see two main options. Here is what each one does:

• Alphabetical order – Apps are listed from A to Z in a vertical scroll. You scroll up and down to see all apps. This is an infinite scroll – you keep moving until you reach the end of your app list.
• Custom order – Apps are arranged in horizontal pages. You swipe left and right. You can also move apps around to different positions and pages.

If you want vertical scrolling, you want alphabetical order. If you want horizontal pages, you want custom order.

How Vertical Scrolling Works

Once you switch to alphabetical order, your app drawer changes in a few ways:

• All apps appear in one continuous list from A to Z
• You scroll up and down to find what you need
• There are no separate pages to swipe between
• The scroll is smooth and continues until you reach the last app

Many people like this layout because it is simple. You do not have to remember which page an app is on. You just scroll through the full list.

How to Find Apps Quickly in Vertical Mode

With vertical scrolling, you have a couple of ways to find apps fast.

Use the Search Bar

The search bar stays at the top of your app drawer. Here is how to use it:

1. Open your app drawer
2. Tap on the search bar at the top
3. Start typing the name of the app you want
4. The app drawer will show only matching apps as you type
5. Tap the app to open it

This is often faster than scrolling, especially if you have many apps installed.

Scroll Alphabetically

Since apps are sorted A to Z, you can also scroll to the letter you need. For example, if you want WhatsApp, scroll down to the W section. If you want Gmail, scroll to the G section.

How to Adjust the App Drawer Grid Size

In vertical scrolling mode, you can change how many app icons appear on the screen at once. This is called the grid size.

To adjust the grid size:

1. Open your app drawer
2. Tap the three dot menu in the search bar
3. Look for a grid size or layout option (this may be in a separate settings menu)
4. Choose between options like 4×5 or 5×6
5. A larger grid shows more apps per screen but makes icons smaller
6. A smaller grid shows fewer apps per screen but makes icons larger

Play with these options to see what works best for your eyes and fingers.

Can You Switch Back to Horizontal Scrolling

Yes, you can switch back anytime. The process is exactly the same.

To go back to horizontal pages:

1. Open your app drawer
2. Tap the three dot menu in the search bar
3. Tap on “Sort”
4. Tap on “Custom order”

Your app drawer will immediately switch back to horizontal swiping pages. You can change back and forth as many times as you want. There is no limit and no downside to trying both styles.

Does Vertical Mode Work with One-Handed Use

Many people find vertical scrolling easier to use with one hand. Here is why:

• You can reach the whole list with your thumb
• You do not have to swipe sideways across the whole screen
• The search bar is at the top but you can still scroll from anywhere
• You can flick up or down with a small thumb motion

If you have a large phone like the S23 Ultra, vertical scrolling might feel more comfortable. You do not have to stretch your thumb as far to change pages.

What If You Cannot Find the Three Dot Menu

If you follow the steps and do not see the three dot menu in your app drawer, try these things:

• Make sure you are actually in the app drawer (swipe up from the bottom of your home screen)
• Look carefully at the right side of the search bar – the three dots should be there
• If you still cannot find it, your One UI version might be set up differently

You can also try this alternate method:

1. Go to your home screen
2. Tap and hold an empty area
3. Tap Settings
4. Look for Home Screen or App Drawer options
5. Find the sort or layout setting there

Most Samsung users will find the three dot menu works fine. The setting is in the same place on most One UI 7 devices.

Does This Work on All Samsung Phones with One UI 7

These steps work on Samsung Galaxy phones running One UI 7. This includes:

• Samsung Galaxy S series (S23, S24, S25)
• Samsung Galaxy Note series
• Samsung Galaxy A series (newer models)
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series

If your phone has received the One UI 7 update, these steps should work. Some carrier-specific models might have slight differences in the menu names, but the general steps are the same.

Final Thoughts

Changing your app drawer from horizontal pages to vertical scrolling in One UI 7 takes only a few seconds. Open your app drawer, tap the three dot menu, tap sort, and choose alphabetical order. That is all you need to do.

If you ever want to go back to horizontal pages, just follow the same steps and choose custom order instead of alphabetical order. You can switch back and forth anytime you want.

Learn this setting once and you can adjust your app drawer to match how you like to use your phone. No complicated steps. Just a simple switch that makes your phone work the way you want it to.