Strange boxes in the app list

[s smith3]

I have the 520 when I swipe off the start screen and view the app list there are outlines of boxes in the app list with letters inside....any ideas what this is and how to fix it?:crying:

 

[mase123987]

After you get to a certain amount of apps, letters appear. When you tap them, you can then select a different letter to quickly move around your app list. They automatically appear and won't go away unless you reset your phone.

I use them all the time.

 

[bigboy29]

The "certain amount" is 40. Once you have 40 items, you get the starting letters that allow for faster app navigation.

 

[s smith3]

Hey,,thanks a lot..I thought something was corrupted...was ready to send it back...:smile:

 

[MsBuzzman]

LOL! s smith3, when it happened to me I was like WTH! Then realized they were alphabetical.

 

[petecal]

Is there anyway to go back to not having these letters?
I was just experimenting with apps and went over the majic number.and now I have those letters.
Now I have about 30 apps and 26 letters of the alphabet.
That sure makes finding the app harder.
Especially because I'm not good at remembering the app name but I do recognize the icon easily.

 

[Kram Sacul]

In 8.1 the index letter boxes are always on. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[kevynpm]

It makes jumping through your app list alphabetically faster. Want to go to the S apps? Tap any letter, then tap S from the jump list that appears. Boom. There.

 

[T Moore]

Is there anyway to go back to not having these letters?
I was just experimenting with apps and went over the majic number.and now I have those letters.
Now I have about 30 apps and 26 letters of the alphabet.
That sure makes finding the app harder.
Especially because I'm not good t remembering the app name but I do recognize the icon easily.

Once it is turned on it stays, can't turn it off.

 

[petecal]

Once it is turned on it stays, can't turn it off.

Ouch. Really? Shades of Windows 98.

 

[petecal]

Well I found a way but what a mess it turned out to be. I have spent over an hour and the phone still isn't back to where I had it.

I found I had to do a Hard Reset.

Before that I did a backup to the cloud.

After the hard reset you have to do a restore as you get started. If you don't there is no way to do a restore later.

After the restore it seems to load a lot of apps that I had deleted so that threw me over the magic number and all the letters came back.

I did another Hard Reset. That was probably the fourth or fifth one.

This time I went right to the apps page and start deleting the ones I didn't want as it was trying to load everything. This time I managed to stay ahead of it and below the magic number and no letters showed up.

But I found:
(1) It didn't remember my home screen configuration.
(2) It didn't restore my ringtones
(3) It didn't restore the maps I had downloaded.

I'm still working my way through these issues,:angry::angry::angry: