How to Restore, Hide, Organize, or Uninstall Apps on Android

To get an app back on your Android home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open your app list, then touch and hold the app and drag it onto the home screen. Removing an app from the home screen doesn’t uninstall it, so it’s almost always still in the app list. If you can’t find it there, it may be hidden, disabled, or uninstalled.

In this article:

• Add an app back to the Home screen
• If the app isn’t in the app list
• If apps keep disappearing
• Group apps into a folder
• FAQs

Add an App Back to the Home Screen

1. From the bottom of the home screen, swipe up to open the app list (sometimes called the app drawer).
2. Find the app. Use the search bar at the top if the list is long.
3. Touch and hold the app, then drag it. You’ll see previews of your home screens.
4. Slide it to the spot you want and lift your finger.

On some phones, touching and holding the app shows a menu with Add to Home instead, which does the same thing. Google describes these steps in Add apps, shortcuts & widgets to your Home screens. To rearrange apps once they’re back, see how to move apps on Android.

Result: The app icon appears on the Home screen where you dropped it, and it opens the same app as before.

If the App Isn’t in the App List

• It’s hidden: some launchers, including Samsung’s, let you hide apps. On a Galaxy phone, check Settings > Home screen for a hide apps option and unhide it.
• It’s disabled: go to Settings > Apps, find the app, and tap Enable if you see it. Can’t find Settings itself? See how to find the Settings app on your phone.
• It was uninstalled: open the Google Play Store, search for the app, and install it again. It usually returns to your home screen or app list after installing.
• You installed it outside the Play Store: reinstall it from the original source. See how to install an APK on Android.

Result: Once the app is unhidden, enabled or reinstalled, it shows up in the app list again and you can drag it to the Home screen.

If Apps Keep Disappearing or Won’t Move

• Home screen layout is locked: on Samsung phones, turn off Lock Home screen layout in Settings > Home screen.
• Launcher changed: if you installed a different home screen app, it has its own layout. Switch back in Settings > Apps > Default apps > Home app if you want your old layout.
• Removed by accident: dragging an app to Remove only takes it off the home screen. Add it back from the app list.

Result: With the layout unlocked or your usual Home app restored, you can move apps again and they stay where you put them.

How to Group Apps Into a Folder

Once your apps are back, you can tidy them up. Google’s Android Help explains:

1. Touch and hold an app or shortcut on the Home screen.
2. Drag it on top of another app and lift your finger.
3. To add more, drag each app on top of the group.
4. To name the folder, tap it, then tap the suggested name or type your own.

Result: The apps are grouped into one folder on your Home screen. Google adds that you can also add widgets by touching and holding an empty space and tapping Widgets.

Hide or Unhide Apps on a Samsung Galaxy

Hiding app icons is a launcher feature, not one universal Android menu. On a supported Samsung Galaxy using its standard Home screen, touch and hold an empty Home-screen area > Settings > Hide apps on Home and Apps screens. Select the intended apps, check the Hidden apps group and tap Done. Samsung’s app-management instructions document this workflow. Some layouts also reach Home screen settings from the Apps screen’s three-dot menu.

Check that the selected icons no longer appear on the Home and Apps screens. To reverse it, reopen Hide apps on Home and Apps screens, deselect the app under Hidden apps (the red minus icon where shown), and tap Done. Verify it appears in Apps again, then use the Add to Home steps above if you want its Home-screen shortcut back.

The app stays installed and hiding an icon is not a password-protected privacy vault. It can remain discoverable through search or Settings, and hiding alone does not stop notifications or change permissions. Removing only a Home-screen shortcut also leaves the Apps-screen icon. If your phone or launcher has no hide-app control, consult that manufacturer’s instructions rather than assuming Samsung’s menu exists or installing an unknown launcher to obtain it.

Uninstall an App on a Samsung Galaxy

First save or back up any app content you need. On a current Samsung Galaxy, find the downloaded app in the Apps screen, touch and hold its icon, choose Uninstall, and confirm with OK or the displayed uninstall confirmation. Check that the app is no longer installed; removing only a Home-screen shortcut leaves the app available in the Apps screen. Samsung’s app-management instructions distinguish uninstalling from disabling or hiding. Some preloaded apps offer only Disable, or neither option; that does not mean they can be uninstalled using the downloaded-app procedure.

On the older Samsung Galaxy On5 layout, use Apps > Settings > Applications > Application manager, select the intended app, choose Uninstall, and tap OK. Check the Apps screen afterward. Uninstalling can remove local app data as well as the app. You can reinstall it from its original Play Store or Galaxy Store listing if it remains available, but reinstalling alone does not guarantee recovery of the old local data. Signing in or restoring a supported backup depends on the app. Use the Home-screen removal or hiding methods above if your goal is only to remove its visible icon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did removing the app from my home screen delete it?

No. Google notes that Remove takes an app off your home screen only, while Uninstall takes it off your device.

How do I make new apps appear on the home screen automatically?

Many launchers have a setting for this. On Samsung phones, look for Add new apps to Home screen in Settings > Home screen.

What if the whole home screen looks wrong?

Try restarting the phone. See how to turn off or restart an Android phone. On a Samsung Galaxy with big icons and only a few apps, Easy mode may be on; see how to switch Easy mode on or off.

To put a favorite website next to your apps, add a Chrome shortcut to your home screen.