How do I move an app icon?

Press and hold on any app icon for one to two seconds until it "lifts" and starts to wobble or shows a small handle. While still pressing, drag the app to a new location on the same page, or drag it to the left or right edge of the screen to move it to a different page. Lift your finger to place it. To remove an app from the home screen without deleting it, drag it to the word "Remove" or "X" that appears at the top of the screen.

How do I add a widget?

Press and hold on an empty area of your home screen (not on an app). A menu will appear — tap "Widgets" or "Add widgets." You will see a list of available widgets grouped by app. Tap an app to expand its widget options — there are usually multiple sizes to choose from. Press and hold a widget to pick it up, then drag it to an empty space on your home screen. Release to place it.

How do I change your wallpaper?

Press and hold on an empty area of the home screen and tap "Wallpaper" or "Set Wallpaper." You can choose from pre-loaded wallpapers that came with your phone, or tap "My Photos" to use a photo from your camera roll. Pick a photo you like — a family photo or a vacation picture works great. Tap "Set wallpaper" and choose whether to apply it to the Home screen, Lock screen, or both.

How do I create a folder for related apps?

If your home screen is getting crowded, group related apps into folders. Press and hold one app icon and drag it on top of another app icon. A folder will be created automatically containing both apps. Tap the folder to open it — you will see all the apps inside. Tap the folder name at the bottom to rename it (for example, "Banking" or "Travel"). To add more apps to the folder, drag them on top of it.

How do I rearrange or delete home screen pages?

Press and hold on an empty area of your home screen and look for a page management view — on most phones you will see small thumbnails of all your home screen pages at the top or bottom of the screen. You can tap and drag these thumbnails to rearrange page order. On some phones, you can tap a "trash" icon on an empty page to delete it. You can also add a new blank page by dragging an app off the existing pages.

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Your Android phone's home screen is the first thing you see when you pick it up. By default, it comes with whatever apps and layout the phone manufacturer chose. But the home screen is completely customizable — you can arrange apps wherever you like, add helpful widgets that show live information, change the wallpaper, and make it feel like your own.

Unlike iPhones, Android phones offer a lot of flexibility in how the home screen is organized. You can have multiple home screen pages — swipe left and right to move between them. You can resize widgets. You can even download alternative "launchers" (apps that completely change the home screen experience), though this guide focuses on the built-in customization options that work on any Android phone.

The exact steps may look slightly different depending on your phone brand — Samsung phones look different from Motorola or Google Pixel phones — but the core actions are the same across all Android phones.

Customizing your home screen is not permanent. You can always undo changes or reset to the default layout. Do not be afraid to experiment — nothing you do in home screen editing can damage your phone or delete your data.

The most popular changes people make are: moving apps to a more convenient location, adding a weather or calendar widget for at-a-glance information, removing apps they never use from the home screen (without uninstalling them), and setting a personal photo as the wallpaper.

How to Customize Your Android Home Screen

Move an app icon

Add a widget

Change your wallpaper

Create a folder for related apps

Rearrange or delete home screen pages

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