Clutter on the main screen of a smartphone can be no less annoying than a cluttered desktop in the office. When you spend precious seconds searching for the icon you need among the chaos of widgets and shortcuts, productivity drops. Device owners Samsung Galaxy have a unique advantage thanks to the shell One UI, which offers flexible tools for organizing space.
Proper organization of the interface is not just aesthetics, but also a way to speed up interaction with the gadget. The system allows you to group applications, hide rarely used apps and customize the grid to suit your needs. In this article, we will analyze in detail all the available methods that will help you turn the screen of your smartphone smartphone into an example of order and functionality.
Editing mode and basic movement
The first step to putting things in order is to master the editing mode. To activate it, just long press on an empty area of the desktop or pinch the screen with two fingers. At this point, the interface changes: additional menu buttons appear, and the icons begin to shake slightly, signaling that they are ready to move.
You can drag application icons between different pages of the home screen. Simply long-press on the item you want and drag it to the edge of the display to automatically jump to the next page. If you want to move an icon to another page, hold it and drag it to the thumbnail of the desired screen, which will appear at the bottom of the display.
To remove a shortcut from the home screen (without deleting the application itself), drag it to the top of the display, where an area with the inscription appears Delete. Please note that the application itself will remain in the menu of all apps. This is a great way to clear visual space, leaving access to the software through search or the general menu.
⚠️ Attention: Do not confuse deleting a shortcut from the desktop and deleting the application itself. If you drag the icon to the trash bin labeled "Delete" from the all applications menu, the app will be completely uninstalled.
You can also change the size of widgets in editing mode. Some interface elements, such as the calendar or weather reports, support resizing. Click on the widget, select the item Change size and drag outside the frames to adjust it to your grid.
Creating and setting up folders for grouping
When the number of installed apps exceeds a couple of dozen, it becomes impossible to contain them scattered on the screen. The function of creating folders in One UI is implemented intuitively and allows you to logically structure the software. To create a folder, simply drag one application icon on top of another.
The system will automatically create a container and prompt you to enter a name. You can use the standard names that Android suggests based on the type of application (for example, "Social Networks" or "Tools"), or come up with your own. Folder names appear below them on the home screen, making navigation easy.
- 📁 Drag and drop apps inside a folder by holding the icon above the open container.
- 🎨 Change the background color of a folder by clicking on it and then selecting the palette at the top of the window.
- 📄 Create additional pages inside one folder if there are too many applications for one screen.
Within a folder, you can change the arrangement of icons in the same way as on the main screen. This allows you to place the most important apps on the first page of the folder, and remove auxiliary ones to the second. This hierarchy saves time when using the device every day.
Customizing the screen grid and icon scale
One of the most powerful customization tools in smartphones Samsung is setting the display grid. The standard configuration may not be suitable for all users: some need more space, while others need the ability to place maximum information on one screen.
To change the grid parameters, go to the editing mode of the main screen and click on the button Settings (gear) in the lower right corner. Here you will find item Screen grid. The number of available options depends on the diagonal of your display and shell version One UI.
| Grid configuration | Number of icons (without dock bar) | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 x 5 | 20 | For large icons and convenient one-handed pressing |
| 5 x 5 | 25 | Standard balance between size and quantity |
| 5 x 6 | 30 | For users who need many applications in sight |
| 6 x 6 | 36 | Maximum density for tablets or large screens |
Changing the grid automatically changes the size of application icons. If you select a denser grid (such as 6x6), the icons will become smaller, which may make it difficult for people with large hands to target. Conversely, a sparse grid makes interface elements larger and more noticeable.
Separately, you can customize the grid for the lock screen and the screen of all applications. This gives you flexibility: you can make the main screen minimalistic with a large grid, and the menu of all applications - dense to accommodate all the installed software.
Hide applications and protect privacy
Not all applications need to be visible. Financial services, personal messengers, or simply apps that you rarely use are best hidden from prying eyes. Samsung Galaxy there is a built-in function for hiding applications, which does not require installing third-party software.
To activate this function, go to the home screen settings with a long press. Select item Hide applications. A list of all installed apps will open. Just click on the ones you want to remove from public access. They will disappear from the main screen and from the menu of all applications.
Hidden apps are accessed through a special gesture or search. From the All Apps menu, swipe from left to right across the bottom of the screen (or enter a passcode if you've set it up previously) to open the hidden apps drawer. This is a convenient way to keep important data close at hand, but out of sight of random passersby.
⚠️ Attention: Hiding an application does not protect it with a password. If someone knows how to open the hidden apps panel, they will be able to access the content. For complete protection, use the function
Secure folder(Secure Folder).
Function Secure folder creates an isolated space on the device that works as a separate profile. Applications installed inside it require additional authentication (fingerprint, pin code) to launch. This is an ideal option for banking applications and private photos.
Managing the application panel and sorting
The All Applications Menu (App Drawer) is the place where absolutely all installed apps are stored. Chaos here can negate all efforts to bring order to the main screen. Fortunately, One UI offers several sorting strategies.
By default, apps are sorted in alphabetical order. However, you can change this behavior in the Apps screen settings. You can sort by download order (new applications appear at the top of the list) or by frequency of use. The latter option is especially convenient, as it displays the most popular apps at the top of the list.
Settings → Display → Home screen → Application screen → Sorting applicationsIt is also possible to disable the application screen altogether. In this case, all installed apps will be displayed directly on desktops, as in classic iOS. This is suitable for users who prefer to see everything at once and do not like an extra level of nesting.
- 🔄 Sorting by alphabet: a classic option, convenient for searching by name.
- 📈 Sorting by use: automatically moves frequently launched applications to the top.
- 🆕 Sorting by date added: helps quickly find recently installed games or utilities.
If you have chosen a manual sort order, you can independently drag icons to the menu of all applications, arranging them in the order that is convenient for you. This takes time to set up initially, but pays off in the long run.
Dock bar and pinning important shortcuts
The bottom panel of the screen, known as the dock bar, has a special status. It remains visible on all Home screen pages and even on top of some applications. This makes it an ideal place to place the most important tools that you use dozens of times a day.
You can add up to five application shortcuts and one folder to the Dock Bar. It is recommended to place your phone, messages, browser and camera here. If you actively use instant messengers, it makes sense to create a “Communication” folder and place it in the dock bar, gaining access to WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber in one click.
Features of the dock bar on Samsung is the ability to add a second page. Swiping left or right inside the bottom panel opens additional slots for icons. This allows you to double the number of quickly accessible applications without cluttering the main screen space.
You can also place widgets in the dock bar, although this is done less often due to height restrictions. Most often, users leave clean icons here for maximum access speed. Don't forget that the icons in the Dock bar can be swapped with the icons on the home screen by simply dragging them.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How to get back an icon that was deleted from the home screen?
If you deleted a shortcut from the desktop, but did not delete the application itself, go to the all applications menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen). Find the app you need, long-press it and drag it to an empty space on the main screen.
Why can’t I create a folder with some applications?
Usually there are no restrictions, but system widgets or some specific interface elements may not be supported for grouping. Also make sure that you drag the app icon onto another app icon and not onto a widget.
Is it possible to change app icons on Samsung?
Yes, there is a Galaxy Themes theme store for that. You can also use the Good Lock application with the Theme Park module to create your own icon sets without downloading ready-made themes.
What should you do if the icons become too small after changing the grid?
Go back to the home screen settings and select a less dense grid (for example, 4x5 instead of 5x6). Also check the font size and screen scale settings in the general phone settings, as they affect the perceived size of elements.
How to disable the automatic addition of new applications to the home screen?
Go to Settings the home screen and turn off the switch Add new applications to the home screen. Now all new apps will appear only in the menu of all applications, without disturbing your order.