Put your most-used apps where you can reach them
If an app is installed but you cannot see it on your Android home screen, it is usually still available in the app drawer. You can add its icon to a home screen page by finding it in the drawer, then dragging and dropping it where you want it.
This works on Samsung Galaxy phones, Google Pixel phones, and other Android devices, although the app drawer and home screen can look slightly different depending on your phone’s launcher.
Video Tutorial
Add an app icon from the app drawer
The app drawer is the area that contains the full list of installed apps. Your home screen is only a selection of shortcuts, so adding an app to it does not install a second copy of the app.
- Go to your Android home screen.
- Open the app drawer. On many phones, you do this by swiping up from the bottom of the home screen.
- Find the app you want to add. If your app drawer includes a search option, use it to locate the app faster.
- Press and hold the app icon.
- Keep holding the icon, then drag it out of the app drawer.
- Move it to the place you want on the home screen.
- Lift your finger to drop the icon.
The app icon is now a shortcut on your home screen. Tap it as normal to open the app.
Choose the right spot before dropping the icon
When you drag an app, your phone may shift other icons to make space. Take a second to position the app before you release it. You can place it between existing icons, at the edge of the screen, or on another home screen page.
To place an app on a different page, keep holding the icon and drag it toward the left or right edge of the display. Wait for the next page to appear, then drop the icon there. This is useful if you want your first home screen to stay simple.
If there is no open space, move an existing icon first or use another page. Some launchers will automatically create a new page when you drag an icon to the edge, but this behavior can vary by Android phone.
Organize apps you use often
Adding every installed app to the home screen usually makes it harder to find anything. Start with the apps you open several times a week. Common choices include your phone, messages, camera, browser, email, maps, calendar, and banking app.
Try grouping icons by purpose. For example, keep communication apps together, put travel apps on one page, and keep entertainment apps on another. You will spend less time scanning through a random grid of icons.
You can also move an app after adding it. Press and hold its home screen icon, then drag it to a new position. This does not affect the app itself, its account, or its saved data. It only changes where its shortcut appears.
Use folders to reduce clutter
Folders let you keep related apps in one place without filling the screen with individual icons. The exact folder controls differ between Android launchers, but the usual method is to press and hold one icon and drag it on top of another icon. Your phone should then offer or create a folder.
For example, you could make folders for:
- Social apps
- Shopping apps
- Work tools
- Photo and video apps
- Games
Keep folder names short so they are easy to identify at a glance. If a folder starts getting too large, split it into two smaller groups. A folder full of unrelated apps defeats the point.
Remove an icon without uninstalling the app
If you add an app by mistake, you can remove the home screen shortcut. Press and hold the icon, then look for an option that removes it from the home screen. The wording varies by phone, so make sure you choose the option that removes the shortcut rather than an option that uninstalls the app.
Removing an icon from your home screen does not normally delete the installed app. You can still open it from the app drawer, and you can add it back later using the same drag-and-drop method.
If you cannot add an app to the home screen
First, check that you are pressing and holding the app icon long enough. A quick tap opens the app, while a longer press lets you move it. If the icon will not move, return to the app drawer and try again from there.
Also check for available space on the current home screen page. Drag the app to another page if the grid is full. If your phone uses a custom launcher or a work profile, the available apps and home screen behavior may be different from the standard Android layout.
Once you have added your key apps and arranged them in a way that makes sense to you, opening them becomes much faster. Your app drawer keeps everything installed, while your home screen becomes a quick-access area for the apps that matter most.
More Android Tips & Tutorials:
Subscribe Now! 🙂
Discover more from Gauging Gadgets
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
