Modern smartphones series Galaxy from the company Samsung provide users with ample opportunities to customize the interface. Home screen devices become not just a set of technical functions, but a personalized workspace, adapted to the specific tasks of the owner. Proper organization of shortcuts can significantly speed up access to frequently used apps and web resources, saving time in the everyday hustle and bustle.
Many users are faced with a situation where, after a firmware update or accidental deletion, the application icon disappears from view, although the app itself is installed in the device’s memory. Also relevant is the issue of adding web pages in the form of applications for quick access to your favorite resources without having to launch the browser and enter the address again. In this material, we will analyze in detail all the ways to add an icon to the desktop of your gadget.
The procedure for installing shortcuts on devices with a shell One UI is intuitive, but has a number of nuances depending on the version of the operating system. Android. We will look at standard methods, working with web shortcuts, and also touch on the issues of restoring missing icons and creating convenient folders for grouping content. A deep understanding of these mechanisms will allow you to fully control the visual part of your smartphone.
Adding shortcuts to installed applications from the menu
The most common scenario for using a smartphone involves the presence of all the necessary apps in the application menu, but not all of them should be on the main screen. To place a shortcut to an already installed app, you need to open the full application menu, usually accessible by swiping up from the bottom of the screen or by pressing a special button. This list displays absolutely all apps present in the device’s memory.
Find the desired application in the list and click on its icon by holding your finger for one or two seconds. The system recognizes this action as a command to move the object. After this, the screen will automatically switch to the desktop and you can drag the icon to any free space. If the space is occupied by other widgets or icons, the system will automatically move them, freeing up space for a new element.
In some cases, especially on older versions of the shell, you may need to use the context menu. To do this, you don’t just need to hold the icon, but find three vertical dots or a plus icon next to the application name. Clicking on this element opens additional options, including the “Add to Home Screen” option. This is an alternative method that guarantees the addition of a shortcut, even if the drag-and-drop mechanism does not work correctly for some reason.
It is worth considering that the number of icons on one screen is limited by the layout grid. The standard configuration usually allows for 4 or 5 icons in a row. If you try to add an item to a crowded screen, the system will prompt you to create a new desktop page to the right of the current one. This is a convenient mechanism for organizing a large number of apps without cluttering the main space.
☑️ Check before adding
It is important to remember the differences between deleting a shortcut and deleting the application itself. When you drag the icon to the top of the screen where the Uninstall zone appears, you only erase the app's link from your desktop. The application itself remains installed on the system and is accessible through the menu. This is a fundamental difference between the interface Android, which often causes confusion among beginners.
Creating shortcuts for websites through a browser
The functionality of modern mobile browsers, such as Google Chrome or Samsung Internet, allows you to turn any web page into a full-fledged application. This is extremely useful for resources that you use every day: news feeds, email services, social networks or personal banking accounts. This approach eliminates the need to enter a URL and log in each time if the site supports session saving.
To create a web shortcut, open your browser and go to the desired page. Next, you need to call up the browser settings menu. B Chrome these are three dots in the upper right corner, and B Samsung Internet is a similar menu icon in the bottom panel. In the drop-down list you should find the item “Add to home screen” or “Create a shortcut”. The name of the shortcut is usually pulled up automatically from the page title, but you can edit it before confirming.
After clicking the confirm button, the system will ask whether you want to automatically add the shortcut or if you want to place it manually. Selecting Auto Add will instantly create an icon in the next available space on your desktop. Manual mode will allow you to drag an icon to a specific grid cell, which is useful for strict interface planning. Visually, such shortcuts are practically no different from regular applications, having only a small browser icon in the corner of the icon.
⚠️ Attention: Web shortcuts depend on the browser. If you clear your browser data or delete your browser, the shortcuts may no longer open pages correctly or may disappear.
Using web shortcuts has another advantage - they often open in "full screen" mode, hiding the browser's address bar. This creates the effect of a native application, providing more usable space for content on your Samsungdisplay. However, it is worth remembering that the functionality of such shortcuts is limited to the capabilities of the web version of the site and cannot use some hardware functions of the phone that are available to full-fledged applications from the store. table Galaxy Store or Play Market.
Setting up widgets and placing them on the desktop
In addition to static icons, the interface One UI allows you to place dynamic widgets on the main screen. These elements display relevant information without having to open the app: weather, exchange rates, meeting schedules, battery level or recent photos. Widgets take up more space than regular icons, but provide significantly more useful information at a glance.
To add a widget, you need to call up the desktop editing menu. This is done by long pressing on an empty area of the screen or squeezing with two fingers (pinch). A toolbar will appear at the bottom of the screen, where you need to select the “Widgets” section. A list of all available widgets, grouped by application, will open. By scrolling through this list, you can find the desired control or information element.
Having selected a widget, the system will show its possible sizes. Some widgets, such as clock or calendar, have several display options: from a compact 1x1 to a large 4x2. Drag the selected option to your desktop. Once placed, many widgets allow you to resize them directly on the screen. To do this, click on the widget and pull the blue markers along the edges, expanding or narrowing the data display area.
| Widget type | Recommended size | Main function | Influence on battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock and date | 4x2 or 2x1 | Time display | Low |
| Weather | 2x1 or 4x1 | Forecast and temperature | Average |
| Calendar | 4x2 | Plan of events for the day | Low |
| Brightness/Utilities | 1x1 | Quick access to settings | None |
| Photo frame | 4x4 | Image slideshow | High |
Some widgets require initial setup immediately after placement. For example, the “Tasks” widget will ask you to select an account, and the news widget will ask you to select categories of interest. Ignoring this step may result in the widget displaying data by default or remaining blank. Interactive widgets Allow you to perform actions directly from the home screen, for example, checking a completed task or switching a track in the music player.
Place frequently used widgets at the top of the screen (large area finger) for the most convenient access with one hand.
Space organization: creating folders and grouping
When the number of installed applications grows, the desktop quickly turns into a chaotic pile of icons. To maintain order in the interface Samsung a folder creation function is provided. This allows you to combine thematically related applications into one container, taking up the space of only one icon on the desktop grid. This approach is critical for ergonomics and visual cleanliness.
Creating a folder is extremely simple: take one application icon and drag it directly on top of another icon. The system will automatically create a new folder by combining these two items. By default, the folder is named based on the app category (such as Social Networks or Games), but you can change the name at any time. Just click on the folder to open it, then click on the field with the name at the top and enter your text.
You can place an unlimited number of applications inside the folder. If there are too many icons, a second page appears inside the folder, which can be accessed by swiping left or right. You can also rearrange the order of icons within a folder by simply dragging and dropping. To remove an application from a folder, simply drag it outside the container back to the desktop or application menu.
It is possible to change the display style of folders through the theme or launcher settings. Some users prefer a transparent folder background, others prefer a colored background that matches the wallpaper. The latest versions One UI added the “Widget Stack” function, which allows you to stack several widgets on top of each other in one place on the screen. Switching between them is done by swiping up or down, which saves precious space on the display.
⚠️ Attention: When deleting a folder, all applications inside are not deleted, but simply returned to the application menu or to the desktop individually.
The secret of quick sorting
Tap and hold an empty space on the screen, then select Sort Apps. The system will offer to automatically arrange icons alphabetically or by frequency of use, which will save time on manual arrangement.
Restoring missing icons and resetting launcher settings
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where application icons disappear from the desktop for no apparent reason. This can happen after a failed system update, a launcher malfunction, or an accidental change in display settings. In most cases, the application is not deleted, but simply hidden from view, and it can be returned without losing data.
The first step should be to check the application menu. If the app is present there, then the problem is solely in displaying the shortcut on the main screen. In the desktop settings (long press on an empty space → Settings) check the option “Add icons for new applications”. If it is disabled, new apps will not appear on the desktop automatically, but old shortcuts should not disappear because of this.
A more radical, but effective method is to reset the launcher settings. This action will return the icon layout to the factory state, but will not delete your applications or personal files. To do this, go to Settings → Applications, find “One UI Home” in the list (or “Samsung Experience Home” on older models). Go to the “Storage” section and click the “Reset” or “Clear data” button. After this, the desktop will reboot with default settings.
It is also worth checking the “Simple Mode” mode. In this interface, icons become larger and some elements can be hidden for easier navigation. You can switch back to standard mode via Settings → Display → Simple Mode. Disabling this mode will return the usual grid of icons and widgets. If the problem persists even after resetting, the system cache may be damaged and a more in-depth diagnosis will be required.
Resetting the launcher settings is a safe procedure that does not remove your applications, but returns the icon layout to the factory appearance.
Additional options for customizing the interface
Ecosystem Samsung offers many more tools for changing the appearance of icons than standard settings. Using the application Good Lock and its module Home Up you can completely change the desktop grid, making it denser or, conversely, sparse. This allows you to fit more elements on one screen without losing readability.
Users can download third-party icon packs from the store Galaxy Store. Installing such a package changes the visual style of all standard applications, giving the smartphone a unique look. To use third-party icons, you may need to use a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcherwhich provides advanced animation and gesture capabilities.
The “Themes” function in the device settings allows you to change not only icons, but also wallpaper, system colors and fonts in a comprehensive manner. When changing a theme, you are often offered the option to apply new icons to all applications. However, it is worth considering that some system icons may remain unchanged for the sake of maintaining the recognition of the interface One UI.
For advanced users, gesture settings are available. For example, double-tapping an empty area of the screen can turn off the display, while swiping down on the home screen can open the notification panel. These settings are located in the desktop settings section and allow you to make interaction with your smartphone faster and more intuitive, minimizing the need to reach for control buttons.
⚠️ Attention: The interface and names of menu items may vary slightly depending on the model of your smartphone (S, A, M or Z series) and the version of the One UI firmware installed.
Hidden function of folders
You can create a “Stack” inside a folder by adding widgets. To do this, open the folder, click “+” and select the widget. Now you have a folder with applications and useful information in one place.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why did all the icons from the desktop disappear after updating the phone?
Most often this happens due to resetting the launcher settings during a major system update. Check the application menu - all apps should be there. To restore order, you can use the auto-sort function or manually drag the desired shortcuts from the menu to the desktop while holding the icon.
Is it possible to change the size of an application icon on Samsung?
You cannot change the size of an individual application icon using standard means, you can only change the overall desktop grid in the settings (for example, from 4x5 to 5x6), which will do everything icons are smaller. To resize individually, you need to install third-party launchers.
How to remove the inscription “Google” or the name of the application under the icon?
In the standard launcher One UI it is impossible to remove signatures under the icons. This option is only available when using third-party launchers, such as Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, which allow you to completely customize the appearance of the desktop, including hiding text labels.
What to do if the website shortcut does not open?
Make sure you have installed Internet connection. If the problem persists, the site may have changed its structure or no longer supports the mobile version. Try deleting the old shortcut and creating a new one through the browser menu, after clearing the browser cache.
Is it possible to install an icon from the Gallery on the desktop?
You cannot directly set an arbitrary photo as an application launch icon. However, you can set any image as desktop wallpaperquality. To replace the icon of a specific application with your own image, you will need third-party applications for creating themes or launchers with support for custom icons.