How to prevent Android apps from adding launchers to your phone’s home screen
If you would compare mine Pixel 6 Pro and my wife, you would see a story from two very different users. It has a home screen full of launchers, while mine is limited to a single row of folders at the bottom (which is the default for Android 13). I only have my most used apps in these folders and access other apps from the app drawer.
Why do I like Android so much? Simple – efficiency.
Likewise: Android 13 on the Pixel 6 Pro is a brilliant upgrade – with one exception
If Android is allowed to add App Launcher on the home screen (which happens by default when you install an application from the Google Play Store), it adds it to the first available place. This means your home screen launchers will be placed in a random order. This can lead to confusion and a less efficient experience.
I care about efficiency.
This is in contrast to the Android App Drawer, which keeps your app launchers organized alphabetically, which is much easier to manage. Sure, you could arrange these launchers manually and even collect them in folders if you like. But even that can get messy.
If you’re like me, you’d probably benefit greatly from a spartan Android home screen. Not only is it a much easier way to interact with Android, but it also allows the beautiful home screen wallpaper to show through. However, as I mentioned earlier, Android is set by default to automatically add these launchers to the home screen.
Let’s prevent that.
requirements
This feature has been around on Android for a while, so no matter what version of the operating system you’re using, you should be able to get the results. So as long as you have an Android device, you’re good to go.
How to stop apps from adding launcher to home screen
The way you do this is a bit contrary to what you might be thinking. You might think that the setting is found under either Settings > Display or Settings > Apps. It’s not in there either. Instead of diving into the Settings app, you need to head into the Home Settings app.
Long-press an empty spot on your home screen and tap Home Settings on the resulting pop-up.
Access the home screen settings app from the Android home screen. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
In Home settings, tap the Add app icon ON/OFF slider until it is in the OFF position.
Disabling app icons on the home screen is just a tap away. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Once you disable the feature, go through your home screen and remove all launchers. To do this, just tap and drag a launcher to the top of the screen where it says Remove. You have to do this for every icon on your home screen. If you want, you can keep a single set of icons in folders at the bottom of the screen. Some versions of Android home screen launcher do this by default, others do not enforce this issue.
Remove a green screen app from the Android home screen. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Once you take care of that, you’ll get a much cleaner Android home screen that should be more efficient to use. Finally, the mobile experience should be simple and straightforward. When you’re on the go, the last thing you need is to stare glassy-eyed at your Android home screen looking for the app you need to use.