Newsstand (software)

App vs. Folder[edit]

While Apple referred to Apple Newsstand as an app, it was actually a unique kind of folder, with individual apps of newspapers and magazines inside. Until iOS 7, it was impossible to place Newsstand inside another folder on any iOS devices, but that functionality was later enabled. Apple expressed the intention to replace the file system with easier forms of knowing where documents are; iCloud is one example. In the iOS file system all documents remain within applications.^[5][6]


There had been some confusion about this from users who did not know it was already a folder, and thus found they could not easily add Newsstand into other folders they created on their devices, until many subsequently found a very specific folder creation method to bypass this deliberate limitation. However, as the operating system disallowed this, doing so could cause possible minor technical failures on the devices concerned and SpringBoard would crash.^[7]


Apple addressed this with the release of iOS 5.1, which removes this bypass method, so Newsstand was then completely unable to be nested inside other folders.^[2]


Many comments on Apple's own forums and many other technology websites showed that users of iOS devices wished that the Newsstand icon could be hidden or removed completely if they never intended to use it.


As of iOS 7, Newsstand could be placed into a folder. However, for the purposes of full-screen gestures, accessibility functions and app switching, it was still treated as a folder on the Springboard.


Prior to iOS 7, the folder appeared in the app switcher, despite being a folder instead of an app. However, the Newsstand folder was removed from the app switcher in iOS 7.


In iOS 9, the Newsstand app was removed. It was replaced by News where it rolled out.^[8]