How to Remove Icons from the Android Home Screen

This wikiHow guide teaches you how to remove Home screen shortcuts to apps from your Android phone. On most Android phones and tablets, you can remove individual app shortcuts directly from the Home screen. You can also disable the feature that automatically adds Home screen shortcuts to prevent unwanted shortcuts from appearing in the future. Read on to learn how to delete icons from the home screen on your Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi, or other Android.

Remove Icons from Android Home Screen: Quick Steps

Long-press the app icon you want to remove, then drag the icon to the "Remove," "Delete," or similar option.
If you can't remove an icon from the home screen, the home screen layout may be locked.
To unlock the home screen, tap and hold a blank area, select Settings, and toggle off the "Home Screen Lock" option (or similar).

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Stock Android

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If you want to remove an app icon from your home screen on a Google Pixel, Motorola, Sonim, or other stock Android phone or tablet, you can do so easily.^{[1]
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Drag the app icon to the "Remove" or "Delete" option. On some versions, you may need to tap Remove or Delete instead. The option name will vary by Android model. This removes the app icon from your home screen without deleting it from your phone or tablet.^{[2]
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- If you want to uninstall the app, drag the app icon to the Uninstall option instead.
- If you change your mind and want to add the app back to your home screen, find the app icon in your app list, tap and hold the app, then drag it to the home screen.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Samsung Galaxy

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After a second or so, a menu will expand.^{[4]
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Tap Remove or Remove Shortcut. You will see one of these two options on your Samsung phone or tablet, depending on the version of Android. This removes the icon from your home screen without deleting the app.
- If you want to delete the app, you can do so from the app list (instead of the home screen). Swipe up on the home screen to bring up the app list, tap and hold the app you want to uninstall, then tap Uninstall.^{[5]
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- If you want to add an app back to the home screen later, find the app in your app list, tap and hold its icon, and select Add to Home.^{[6]
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Unlock the home screen if this doesn't work. If you can't delete an app from the home screen using Samsung's OneUI, the home screen layout is likely locked. Here's how to unlock it:^{[7]
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- Tap and hold any empty area of the home screen.
- Tap Settings on the menu.
- If "Lock home screen layout" is enabled, tap the switch to disable it.
- Once disabled, tap and hold an app icon, then select Remove to remove its icon from the home screen.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Nova Launcher

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After a second or so, a pop-up menu will appear.
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Tap Remove. This deletes the app's icon from your home screen without completely uninstalling the app.^{[8]
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- In some versions of Nova Launcher, you'll tap X instead of Remove.
- If you want to uninstall the app completely, select App Info instead, then tap Yes when asked if you want to uninstall the app.
- If you want to hide an app icon from the app drawer in Nova Launcher, you can do so in Nova Settings > App drawer > Hide apps.^{[9]
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Unlock the home screen if you can't delete an icon. If there is no option to remove an app's icon from the home screen in Nova Launcher, the home screen layout is likely locked. Here's how to unlock it:^{[10]
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- Long-press a blank area of the home screen.
- Tap Nova Settings or Settings.
- Tap Home Screen.
- Scroll down and tap Advanced.
- Toggle off the "Lock Layout" option.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Huawei

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1
Set your home screen to the App Drawer style. By default, your Huawei phone is likely displaying the "Standard" home screen style, which shows apps on the home screen by default. This style makes it impossible to remove an app from the home screen without uninstalling it. To be able to remove the app icon, first follow these steps to change the home screen style to the Drawer style:^{[11]
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- Open your Android's Settings app.
- Tap Home screen & wallpaper.
- Tap Home screen style.
- Select Drawer instead of Standard.
Now that your home screen is in the correct style, removing an icon from the home screen is as simple as that.
3
Unlock the home screen if you can't remove an app icon. If there's no option to delete an app's icon from the home screen, the layout is likely locked. Here's how to unlock it:^{[12]
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- Pinch two fingers together on the home screen to open the Home Screen Settings menu.
- Toggle off "Lock Layout."

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Xiaomi

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A pop-up with two options will appear.
2
Tap the minus - button. This removes the app's icon from the home screen without uninstalling it.
- If you want to uninstall an app completely, open your app list, tap and hold the app's icon, then drag it to the top of the screen.^{[13]
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Unlock the home screen if you can't delete icons. If you aren't given the option to remove an icon from the home screen, your home screen icons may be locked. Follow these steps to unlock the home screen:^{[14]
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- Open your Android's Settings.
- Tap Home Screen.
- Disable "Lock Home Screen Layout" if enabled.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Stop Icons Appearing on the Home Screen Automatically

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If you don't want app icons to appear automatically on the home screen each time you install a new app, you can make a quick change in your home screen settings.
This option's name will vary depending on your Android or launcher version.^{[15]
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The name of this setting might be a little different on your phone or tablet. When this option is enabled, app icons will appear on your home screen automatically when you install new apps from the Google Play Store.^{[16]
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How do I remove duplicate icons in Android 6.0?

Community Answer

Tap and hold the icon, and drag it towards the top which should say "remove".

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What should I do if I have multiple Google icons on my app page?

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You need to press and hold the icon. A bin will appear somewhere on the screen. You will then be able to drag the icon to the bin.

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What is the app drawer?

Community Answer

The app drawer is the master folder containing all your apps. You can access it by pressing Apps on a Samsung, for example.

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If you use a Home screen launcher that's different than the one that came with your phone/tablet, you may have to disable the launcher before you can move or hide app icons.

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Removing app icons may not be possible if your parents, school, or employer controls your Android.

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