When you tap the Home button on Android, you’re sent to your home screen. But what if you accidentally changed which screen is home? What if a system update switched your home screen? If you decide you want another screen to be home, you don’t have to move all your icons around. Instead, assign a home screen on Android using any existing screen.
Also read: How to Turn Flashlight On and Off on Android
Assign a Home Screen on Android
Any screen you create on your Android device can be a home screen. Usually, the first screen is set as your home, but it can easily be the third or fourth if you’d like. Sometimes you may decide to make a change after carefully organizing all your app shortcuts. No matter which screen you want to use, the process is the same.
Depending on your device, version of Android (I’m using Android 12 and an LG device) and the homescreen launcher you are using, you may either have to pinch the screen as if you were zooming in/out or tap and hold on an empty area of your screen. Try one method, and if it doesn’t work, try the other.
You’ll see your screen shrink and a home icon appear at the top. The current home screen is labeled by a white or filled-in home icon.
If you don’t want this to be your home screen, swipe to the screen you want to assign. Tap the home icon to select it as your home screen, which will automatically deselect any other screen.
Tap any empty area of the screen to exit the settings. Tap your Home button to ensure the screen is set correctly.
Also read: How to Turn a Picture into Wallpaper on Android (And Make It Fit)
Removing a New Home Screen
If you’re suddenly seeing a new home screen that you didn’t create, a left home screen may have been enabled. These can be part of the Android system, your custom homescreen launcher or carrier-specific, such as Verizon’s AppFlash. These home screens include additional features, such as search, suggestions, and content discovery.
Usually, when you swipe left from your home screen, you access these if one is enabled. Occasionally, however, one may get set as your main home screen.
To change this, use the above method. If the issue persists, disable the Left Home Screen option.
- Go to Settings and select “Display.”
- Tap “Home Screen.”
- Select “Left Home Screen” or the name of the particular home screen. In my case, it’s “Google feed.”
If you do have a Left Home Screen option, you’ll also need to tap “None” and “OK” to save your changes.
Also read: What Is AppFlash on Android and Do You Need It?
Home Screen Changed
Even when you assign a home screen on Android, it may not look right after an update. If some of your icons are missing, seem larger/smaller, or you don’t have as much room as before, the home screen format may have changed.
When this happens, follow the below instructions:
- Go to Settings and select “Display.”
- Tap “Home Screen.”
- Tap “Select Home.”
- Choose a home screen layout. The list may vary based on device. I have “Home,” “Home with separate apps list,” and “EasyHome.”
- Tap “Apply” to save your settings.
“Home” is the default. After things have changed, you may have to re-add and re-organize your apps.
“Home with separate app list” clears your Home screen and places apps in a separate app window.
“EasyHome” provides a larger font size. It helps make your home screen easier to use.
If nothing’s changed here, adjusting the number of rows and columns may work instead. This option isn’t available on every device or Android OS. For some versions of Android, find the option listed in the Display or Home Screen settings. For newer versions, tap and hold or pinch an empty area of the screen until options appear below your screen.
Tap “Grid” and select the right format you had before your Home screen changed. You may need to reorganize your icons afterward.
Android updates and even certain apps may change your home screen. Remember, you can assign a home screen on Android and customize your screen to get it back to the way you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why does my left home screen still show even after switching to “None” or turning it off?
Depending on your version of Android, you may still get a blank, grayed out, or new left home screen that needs to be set up. For example, if I swipe left, I’d still see the Google Feed, but it’s just a blank screen.
You can prevent this from happening, though. Do the following to loop your Home screen and avoid the Left Home Screen altogether:
- Go to “Settings.”
- Select “Display.”
- Tap “Home screen.“
- Toggle “Loop Home Screen” to On.
2. Why does a search box appear when I swipe up or down on my Home screen?
Newer Android systems allow you to add integrated search to your up or down swipe on your Home screen. While this should be turned off by default, sometimes it’s not. Integrated search allows you to search for any file, app, or setting on your device from a single search location.
If you’d prefer not to have a search box appear, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings and select “Display.”
- Tap “Home Screen.”
- Ensure “Swipe down on the Home screen” and “Swipe up on the Home screen” are set to “None.” Tap each option to select “None.” You can also switch the feature to the notification panel or any other option allowed by your device.
3. Did Google Feed replace the Left Home Screen?
One some Android devices, especially those with Android 10 and higher, the Left Home Screen that showed news and search was replaced with Google Feed, which works similarly. The main difference is Google uses your activity across all devices you’re logged into to customize your feed.
One issue Google Feed has run into is not updating as often as it should, so stories could remain at the top of your feed for days.
Whether it’s a privacy issue, you want more customization, or you just don’t use the feature, you can turn it off completely using the steps outlined at the beginning of this post.
If you’d still like to keep track of your favorite sites, such as getting a daily dose of intellectual stories, consider an RSS feed app or site, such as Feedly, Flipboard, or FeedMe. If you use Windows 11, follow your favorite news sources with widgets.
4. Will changing my Home screen change any of my icons?
No. All your apps and shortcuts stay where they are. The only thing that changes is which screen shows when you tap the Home icon.
If you change your Home screen type (such as switching to EasyHome), the layout of your icons will change. Even if you switch back, you’ll still need to rearrange your icons the way you want.
Image credit: Mohi Syed via Pexels
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