How to arrange icons on Android: from basic settings to advanced tricks

Arranging icons on the Android screen is a seemingly simple task, but many users encounter unexpected difficulties. Some people want to perfectly align icons on a grid, others want to hide unnecessary applications, and others need to restore accidentally deleted shortcuts. In this article we will look at all possible ways to manage icons: from standard launcher functions to hidden settings and third-party applications.

It is important to understand that the Android interface varies depending on smartphone manufacturer (MIUI on Xiaomi, One UI on Samsung, pure Android on Google Pixel) and OS version. However, the basic principles remain universal. We will consider solutions for all popular shells, and also give recommendations for optimizing the desktop for convenience and performance.

If you have ever asked the questions “why do icons move after an update?”, “how to return the standard location?” or “is it possible to make a 5x6 grid instead of 4x5?”, then this guide is for you. Let's start practicing!

1. Standard ways to move icons

Most users start with basic actions that are available out of the box. Let's look at how to manage icons without installing additional applications.

To move an icon on the main screen, it is enough to press it with your finger 1-2 seconds until it “comes unstuck” from the grid. After that, you can drag it to any place on the screen or to another desktop (swipe left/right). If you need to move an icon to a folder, drag it onto another icon - the system will automatically create a folder. On some devices (for example Samsung Galaxy with One UI), this requires you to first click on the “+” icon at the top of the screen.

Removing an icon from the main screen does not mean deleting the application! To remove a shortcut, hold down the icon and drag it to the trash can that appears at the top of the screen (or the inscription Delete/Remove). On some firmware (for example, ColorOS on Oppo/Realme), to do this you need to swipe the icon up.

• 📱 Adding an icon to the screen: open the applications menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen), hold down the desired application and drag it to the desktop.
• 🔄 Switching icons: hold one icon and drag it to another - they will swap places automatically.
• 🗑️ Delete a folder: open a folder, click on its name (or the icon in the upper right corner) and select Delete a folder.
• 🔍 Search for an icon: If you can’t find the application, pull down from the top of the screen and enter the name in the search bar.

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (for example Huawei with EMUI) when you remove the icon from the main screen, the application is automatically hidden from the menu. To return it, go to Settings → Applications → Hidden applications What launcher are you using? Setting the icon grid and sizes Settings → Applications → Hidden applications.

2. Setting up the icon grid and sizes

By default, most launchers offer a 4x5 or 5x5 grid, but these parameters can be changed. For example, on Samsung Galaxy with One UI, go to Settings → Home screen → Home screen grid and select the appropriate option (options from 4x4 to 5x6 are available). On Xiaomi the path will be different: Settings → Home screen → Grid size.

If your launcher does not support changing the grid, you can use third-party solutions. For example, Nova Launcher allows you to customize not only the number of rows and columns, but also the size of the icons, the padding between them, and even the animation when opening. To do this:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Long-press an empty space on the main screen and select Settings.
3. Go to Home screen → Grid size and select the desired parameters (for example, 6x7 for the maximum number icons).
4. In the section Icons you can change their size (from 70% to 130%) and style.

On Google Pixel with pure Android the path to the grid settings is like this: Settings → Appearance → Style and wallpaper → Home screen settings → Grid. Here you can also enable adaptive iconsthat automatically adjust to the shape of the screen.

Manufacturer	Path to grid settings	Available sizes
Samsung (One UI)	Settings → Home screen → Home screen grid	4×4, 4×5, 5×5, 5×6
Xiaomi (MIUI)	Settings → Home screen → Grid size	4×5, 5×5, 5×6, 6×6
Google Pixel (pure Android)	Settings → Appearance → Home screen settings	4×4, 4×5, 5×5, 5×6
Huawei (EMUI)	Settings → Home screen and wallpaper → Grid	4×5, 5×5, 5×6

⚠️ Attention: Changing the grid size to More than 5×6 can lead to a visual clutter of icons, especially on screens smaller than 6 inches. The best option for most devices is 5×5 or 5×6.

Make sure there is enough free space on the screen

Take a screenshot of the current arrangement of icons

Check if your launcher supports custom settings

Close all background applications for smooth operation of the interface-->

3. Hiding icons and applications

Sometimes you need to hide unnecessary icons so that they do not take up space on the home screen or in the application menu. Hide methods depend on the firmware:

• 🔒 On Samsung: hold down the icon → Hide applications (or go to Settings → Home screen → Hide applications).
• 📱 On Xiaomi: open the application menu → click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Hide applications.
• 🖼️ On Google Pixel: hold the icon → Application Settings → Hide.
• 🌐 On Huawei: Settings → Applications → Hidden applications.

If your firmware does not have built-in hiding function, use Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher. In Nova for this:

1. Long-press an empty space on the screen → Nova Settings.
2. Go to Applications and widgets → Hide applications.
3. Tick the applications you want to hide.

Hidden applications are not removed from the device - they simply stop appearing in the menu and on the main screen. To get them back, repeat the same steps and uncheck them.

What should I do if a hidden application is not shown in settings?

If you have hidden an application through the launcher, but cannot find it in the system settings, try:

1. Install another launcher (for example, Microsoft Launcher) - sometimes it shows all applications.

2 Use. file manager (for example, Solid Explorer) to search for an application's APK file by name.

3. Restore the launcher's default settings in its settings.

4. Using widgets to organize icons

Widgets help not only display information. (weather, calendar), but also to structure icons. For example, the widget "Folder" allows you to group applications by category (social networks, games, utilities) without manually creating folders. data-i="141">Press an empty space on the screen → Samsung for this:

1. Pinch an empty space on the screen → Widgets.
2. Find the widget Applications folder (or App Folder).
3. Drag it to the screen and select apps to group.

For advanced organization, try the widget "Nova Shortcuts" (available in Nova Launcher). It allows you to create custom shortcuts for:

• 📞 Quick access to contacts.
• 📁 Opening specific folders in the file manager.
• ⚙️ Launching system functions (for example, Airplane mode or Hot spot).

Another useful tool is a widget "Google Search" with quick actions. It takes up little space, but gives access to device search, voice assistant and frequently used applications.

5. Custom icons and themes

If you are not satisfied with the standard appearance of icons, you can install custom packs through themes or launchers. For example, on Samsung with One UI:

1. Open Settings → Appearance → Themes.
2. Select the theme you like (for example, Dark Mode or Material You).
3. Click Apply - the icons will change automatically.

For more flexible settings, use Icon Packs (for example, Whicons, CandyCons or Delta) together with Nova Launcher:

1. Install your favorite icon pack from Google Play.
2. Open Nova Launcher settings → Appearance → Style icons.
3. Select the installed icon pack.
4. Apply the changes and restart the launcher (to do this, just swipe up and close it in the application menu).

Some icon packs support masking - when missing icons are automatically adapt to the style of the pack. To enable this function, in the Nova settings, select Mask non-thematic icons.

⚠️ Attention: After installing custom icons, some system applications (for example, Settings or Phone) may not be displayed correctly. In this case, try manually assigning them an icon from the pack in the launcher settings.

6. icons

If, after experimenting with arranging icons, you want to return everything “as it was,” use the reset function. On most devices, this is enough:

1. Press an empty space on the main screen.
2. Click on Home screen settings (or Screen settings).
3. Select Reset settings or Restore to default.

On Xiaomi the path will be: Settings → Home screen → Restore default settingsOn Samsung — Settings → Home screen → Reset settings.

If resetting does not help (for example, after updating the firmware), try the following steps:

• 🔄 Restarting the device: sometimes this restores the default location.
• 📦 Clear cache launcher: go to Settings → Applications → [Launcher name] → Memory → Clear cache.
• 🛠️ Installing a standard launcher: if you used a third-party launcher, return to the standard one via Settings → Applications → Default → Launcher.

If after resetting the icons are displayed in a chaotic order, this may be due to damage to the launcher settings file. In this case, only a complete reset of the launcher settings through its menu or reinstallation (for third-party launchers) will help.

7. Advanced tricks: gestures, automatic placement and ADB commands

For experienced users, there are several non-obvious control methods. icons:

• 👆 Gestures for quick access: in Nova Launcher you can configure swipes by icons. For example, swiping up on an icon Phone can open a list of favorite contacts.
• 🤖 ADB commands to reset: if the launcher is buggy, run the command:

  adb shell pm clear [launcher package name]

  For example, for Nova Launcher: adb shell pm clear com.teslacoilsw.launcher.

• 📊 Automatic arrangement: the application App Organizer can sort icons into categories (social networks, games, tools) automatically.
• 🔧 Editing the settings file: on rooted devices you can manually edit the file launcher_db in the folder /data/data/[launcher package]/databases/.

To use ADB commands you will need:

1. Enable USB debugging in Settings → About phone → Build number (press 7 times) → Developer settings.
2. Connect the phone to the PC and run command adb devicesto make sure the connection.
3. Enter the desired command (see above).

⚠️ Attention: Using ADB and manually editing system files can lead to unstable operation of the device. Before experiments, make a backup copy of your data.

8. Solving problems with icons

Sometimes icons behave strangely: they disappear, are duplicated, or are displayed incorrectly. Let's look at typical problems and their solutions.

Problem	Possible cause	Solution
Icons are reset after reboot	Launcher cache failure	Clear the launcher cache in application settings
Icons are displayed as standard squares	Failure of the icon pack or theme	Reinstall the icon pack or reset the theme
You cannot move the icon to another screen	Limitation of the launcher or firmware	Install a third-party launcher (Nova, Apex)
Icons “jump” when you rotate the screen	Automatic grid change	Disable auto-rotate or fix orientation

If icons disappeared after updating, try:

1. Reboot the device.
2. Update the launcher via Google Play.
3. Reset launcher settings (see section 6).

On devices Huawei after updating EMUI, sometimes all widgets are reset. To get them back, you will have to add them again - unfortunately, there is no automatic recovery.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about arranging icons

Is it possible to make icons transparent?

Yes, but this will require:

1. Install a custom icon pack with transparent elements (for example Translucent or Minimalist).
2. Use a launcher that supports transparency settings (for example Nova Launcher with a plugin Icon Pack Studio).
3. On some firmware (for example ColorOS) you can enable the “glass effect” in the settings topics.

Please note: completely transparent icons may be difficult to read on light wallpapers.

How to return a deleted icon to the home screen?

A deleted icon is just a shortcut. To return it:

1. Open the application menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
2. Find the application you need and long-press its icon.
3. Drag it to the home screen.

If the application is not displayed in the menu, check hidden applications (see section 3).

Why can’t I move the icon to a folder?

Possible reasons and solutions:

• 🔒 System icon. applications: some system applications (for example, Settings) cannot be placed in folders. Try creating a shortcut via a widget.
• 📱 Launcher limitation: on some devices (for example, Nokia with Android One), folders support no more than 16 icons. Delete unnecessary ones or split them into several folders.
• 🔄 Interface crash: reboot the device or clear the launcher cache.

How to prevent icons from moving when adding new ones?

To fix the location of icons:

1. Use a launcher with a “pinning” function (for example, Nova Launcher → Settings → Home screen → Pin icons).
2. Disable automatic ordering in the launcher settings.
3. Create a backup copy of the icon layout via plugin Nova Backup (available for Nova Launcher).

On standard launchers (for example, on Samsungthere is no such function - you will have to manually return the icons to their place.

Is it possible to change the size of icons without third-party launchers?

On most devices, you cannot change the size of icons without third-party launchers. Exceptions:

• Google Pixel: Settings → Appearance → Style and wallpaper → Icon size (available options are "Standard", "Large", "Extra Large").
• OnePlus with OxygenOS: Settings → Settings → Icon size.
• Huawei with EMUI: you can change the size of icons in the theme settings.

On Samsung i Xiaomi without a third-party launcher, change the icon size impossible.