I want this ColorOS 16 feature on every Android phone

I'm enjoying using ColorOS 16; while it feels like a facsimile of iOS 26, the UI is modern, has good optimization, and it is fluid. There are plenty of new features as well, and one that I like is the new app drawer. It doesn't look any different to previous years — other than a search bar located at the bottom — but it has new a few new tricks.

You get the usual alphabetized sorting in the app drawer, but this time when you tap on a letter, it pulls up all the apps starting with that letter without you having to scroll down to that section. This makes launching apps that much easier, and is just a nice addition. I now find myself just using this option instead of scrolling the app drawer, and it's even faster than using the search bar.

Another plus point is that when you launch an app this way and exit it, you'll go to the home screen. That isn't the case when you scroll down the app drawer and launch an app; in this situation, you go back to that position within the drawer when you exit the app. OPPO introduced this with ColorOS 15, and after a year of use, I still don't like it. Thankfully, with the easier way to sort and launch apps, this hasn't proved to be a problem on the Find X9 Pro.

Alongside the feature, ColorOS 16 has auto-categorization of apps. Xiaomi did this on its phones for several years, but with ColorOS 16, OPPO is emulating iOS, offering identical functionality. Basically, apps are sorted into folders automatically, and you can then drag these folders around as needed. Thankfully, this exists as a standalone pane called Categories, and if you don't like the feature, you don't need to use it at all.

I get that tweaking the app drawer is a minor thing, but it makes a noticeable difference in daily use. It is particularly evident when going back to a Pixel; I recently tested the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and using the app drawer on the foldable feels archaic — Google doesn't even have alphabetized sorting. Yes, I know it can be triggered by pressing down on the scroll bar, but it is usually a hassle, and it isn't anywhere as smooth or convenient to use as OPPO's implementation within ColorOS 16.

It's clear that Android brands are paying greater attention to what their rivals are doing — you'll just need to see the design similarities between Vivo's OriginOS 6, Xiaomi's software, and ColorOS 16 to know that — and I want other Android manufacturers to steal ColorOS 16's app drawer and integrate it into their own devices.