Android 101: learn how to set up your homescreen

If you’ve had an Android cellphone for any size of time, it’s simple to get used to residing with, effectively, chaos. If you’re something like me, you’re consistently including new apps, deciding they’re okay however not nice, including one other, and so forth. Then, just a few months later, as you’re scrolling by means of your app drawer, you’re shocked to see a number of apps that you simply forgot about and maybe don’t even bear in mind what they’re used for.

In a really quick time, it might turn into a large number. And in the event you’re actually an app fanatic, it might begin taking over more room than you may spare. (Here, we will take as written the compulsory KonMari reference.)

There are primarily two steps to creating sense of all of these Android apps: discover a strategy to set up them (and there are a selection of how, relying on what you’re snug with) and periodically take away all the further apps that you simply’ve amassed and not use. Here are just a few suggestions that will help you do each. If you’re new to Android, this may occasionally allow you to keep organized from day one; in the event you’re an skilled person, you may choose up just a few suggestions.

As you undergo these solutions, needless to say not all Android interfaces are the identical. This how-to was created utilizing a Pixel 6 working Android 12, however your interface could also be barely totally different, relying on the mannequin of your cellphone and which Android model you’re working.

At probably the most primary (and anybody who’s had an Android cellphone for greater than per week or two can skip down a bit), you may simply use the app drawer, which is accessed both by swiping up from the underside of the cellphone or by urgent on the apps icon on the backside middle of your show. Place the apps you utilize probably the most on a number of of your homescreens by long-pressing them whereas within the app drawer.

The app drawer is (fortunately) organized in alphabetical order, together with your last-used apps on high. You can swipe as much as undergo the apps; you may as well swipe down on the facet to undergo the alphabet (which could possibly be sooner). A search bar on the high permits you to kind within the identify of your app if you want.

However, when you begin accumulating apps, you might wish to save a while by making a extra structured system.

Fill the Favorites Tray

You can shortly entry your most-used apps by placing them Favorites Tray, the underside row of apps that’s at all times there regardless of which homescreen you’ve swiped to. The tray is already stuffed? No drawback.

• Long-press on the app you not wish to preserve within the Favorites Tray. Move it to a different place on the house web page, or transfer it up till you see the Remove and Uninstall selections on the high of the display. Choose one and transfer the app there.
• Long-press on an app from the homescreen or from the app drawer and transfer it into the tray.

Create folders in your homescreen

A great way to arrange your apps is to make use of folders. For instance, you may put your entire music and podcast apps right into a folder referred to as “Listen,” or all of your social media apps right into a folder referred to as “Social.” It’s easy to create a folder.

• Put the primary two apps you wish to embrace in your homescreen.
• Long-press one and transfer it on high of one other. This will create a brand new folder.
• Android might give your folder a reputation. If you wish to give it a special identify, faucet on the folder, faucet on the identify just under the apps, and kind in your new identify.
• Add extra apps to a folder by long-pressing on the app and transferring it into the folder.
• Remove an app from a folder by reversing that course of: long-press on the app and transfer it from the folder to the house web page.
• To take away the folder, merely pull all of the apps out of it.

Sometimes once I set up a brand new app, I’ll know instantly that it’s not for me, and I uninstall it then and there. More usually, sadly, I’ll check out an app, determine that I could wish to use it someday sooner or later, and I depart it there. Where it sits. For months. Or years.

Once you begin accumulating apps, it’s extremely simple to overlook concerning the ones that you simply not want. But permitting previous apps to stay in your cellphone might not be as innocent because it appears. Not solely are they taking over helpful space for storing, however they could be unnecessarily amassing knowledge (assuming you gave them the permission to). And in the event that they’re working within the background, they could possibly be draining your battery.

As a outcome, it doesn’t damage to take a look at what apps you haven’t used lately and take away them out of your cellphone. There are a number of methods to do that.

Use the app drawer

Yes, that is the apparent one, nevertheless it needs to be mentioned. Spend a little bit time cleansing out your app drawer: open it up, and see what’s in there. You could also be shocked by what you’ve forgotten and what you might not want. Anything you don’t want, swipe as much as uninstall.

Visit the Play Store

It’s not so simple as going to your App Drawer or as environment friendly as Files by Google, however in the event you occur to be within the Play Store and wish to do away with just a few pointless apps as a way to set up some new ones, there’s a manner.

• Once within the Play Store, faucet in your private icon within the higher proper nook and select “Manage apps & device.”
• Tap “Manage” on high of the web page. You ought to be on the “Installed” tab; if not, it’s the primary tab on high.

• Tap on the parallel strains to the fitting of “Apps & game,” and also you’ll have the ability to type in accordance with the least-used apps. You can faucet on the small arrow to the fitting of any app’s identify to see if there’s something new. For any app you not need, simply faucet the field to the fitting of the arrow, faucet the trash can icon on the high proper, and choose “Uninstall.” (Don’t fear about by accident uninstalling an vital system app — or an app that your cellphone’s producer thinks is vital. You’ll merely be advised you may uninstall updates however not the app itself.)

If you delete an app after which later suppose, “I shouldn’t have done that,” otherwise you all of the sudden bear in mind an app you as soon as used that you simply’d like to make use of once more, you could find and restore your earlier apps from the App Store (together with ones you deleted from earlier units that have been utilizing the identical account).

• Return to the “Manage apps & device” web page. Tap on the “Installed” tab in order that it now reads “Not installed.”

• Check the field for any app you wish to reinstall and choose the obtain icon on the highest proper. If you understand you’ll by no means wish to even have a look at that app once more, subsequent to that, there’s a trash can with an “x” in it that can completely delete the app out of your checklist. (You can nonetheless set up them from the Play Store.)

Use your voice

If you’re strolling down the road and don’t have a spare hand, don’t overlook about Google Assistant. Activate it (by long-pressing your energy button or saying “Hey Google”), and say “Open AppName” or “Find AppName,” and your cellphone will open the app.

Try Files by Google

Files by Google is a surprisingly helpful app that, amongst different issues, helps you do away with unneeded recordsdata which might be taking over area. If you determine to put in Files (or in case your cellphone got here with it already put in), that is how you should use it to do away with unused apps.

• If it’s not already chosen, faucet on the “Clean” icon on the underside of the display.
• Scroll down till you discover the part labeled “Delete unused apps.” Tap on “Select apps.”
• Now you may see how a lot area every app is taking over and the date it was final used. You can type the checklist by oldest to latest, largest to smallest, or in alphabetical order.
• Tap on the circle on the fitting of every app to pick out any you wish to uninstall.

Use one other app

There are a wide range of Android apps out there within the Play Store moreover Files by Google that may assist. To start with, there are different file managers that may make it simpler to trace and administer the contents of your cellphone. (There are, in truth, a number of apps referred to as “File Manager” within the Play Store.)

Some create overlays that will help you set up your homescreen. Jina, for instance, permits you to create a sidebar that pulls out from the facet of your display and provides you a compact checklist view of all of your apps. Taskbar places a configurable Windows-like begin menu in your show.

If you need much more management over your Android atmosphere, there are launchers equivalent to Nova and Action Launcher that will let you extra totally customise your app drawer and homescreen with icons, animations, and totally different layouts.

Update March 2nd, 2022, 9:20AM ET: This article was initially revealed on March sixth, 2019 and has been up to date to account for Android OS and app updates.