What "home screen" means and why you'd want apps there
Your home screen is the first page you see when you unlock your phone or tablet. It's where you keep the apps you use most often — the ones you want to reach in two taps instead of hunting through folders. Adding an app to your home screen doesn't install it; the app is already on your device. You're just putting a shortcut to it where you can see it.
Most phones come with some apps already on the home screen (like Phone, Messages, or Camera), but you can add others, remove ones you don't use, and rearrange them however you want. The steps differ slightly between iPhones and Android phones, but the idea is the same on both.
Key Takeaways
- Your home screen is the main page that appears when you unlock your phone, and you control which apps show up there.
- On an iPhone, press and hold an app icon, then tap "Add to Home Screen" from the menu that appears.
- On an Android phone, press and hold an app icon, then drag it to your home screen or tap "Add to Home Screen" if that option appears.
- You can move apps around by pressing and holding them, then dragging to a new spot on any home screen page.
- Removing an app from your home screen doesn't delete it from your phone — it just hides the shortcut.
How to add an app on an iPhone
Open the App Library (the grid icon at the far right of your home screen pages, or swipe right past your last home screen). Find the app you want to add. Press and hold the app icon until a menu pops up with several options.
Tap "Add to Home Screen" from that menu. A preview will appear showing what the icon will look like. Tap "Add" in the top right corner. The app icon will now appear on your home screen, usually in the top-left empty spot. If you want it in a different location, you can move it after adding it.
How to add an app on an Android phone
Open your app drawer (usually a grid icon at the bottom of your home screen). Find the app you want to add. Press and hold the app icon until the home screen appears behind it and options show up at the top or bottom of the screen.
On most Android phones, you'll see an "Add to Home Screen" button or option. Tap it, and the app will appear on your home screen. On some phones, you can also drag the app directly from the app drawer onto your home screen while still holding it. Release your finger to drop it in place.
Moving apps around once they're on your home screen
On both iPhone and Android, press and hold any app icon on your home screen. The icons will start to jiggle or show a menu. While holding, drag the app to a new spot on the same page, or drag it to the edge of the screen to move it to a different page.
Release your finger when the app is where you want it. You can organize apps however makes sense to you — group them by type (games together, productivity together), or just put your most-used ones in the top row for quick access.
Removing an app from your home screen without deleting it
Press and hold the app icon on your home screen. On an iPhone, tap "Remove from Home Screen" from the menu. On Android, look for a "Remove" option or drag the app to a "Remove" or trash icon if one appears at the top of the screen.
The app will disappear from your home screen, but it stays on your phone. You can find it again in your App Library (iPhone) or app drawer (Android) anytime. This is useful if you want to clean up your home screen without losing apps you use occasionally.
What to do if an app won't add to your home screen
Some apps — usually system apps that come built into your phone — can't be added to the home screen because they're already there or because the phone manufacturer locked them. If you press and hold an app and don't see an "Add to Home Screen" option, that app either can't be moved or is already on your home screen somewhere.
If an app you downloaded from the App Store or Google Play won't add, try restarting your phone. Close the app drawer or App Library, turn your phone off and back on, then try again. If it still doesn't work, the app may have a bug; check the app's page in the store to see if other people are reporting the same problem.
Home screen pages and organizing multiple apps
Most phones let you have multiple home screen pages. On an iPhone, swipe left to see more pages, or tap the dots at the bottom to jump to a specific page. On Android, swipe left to see additional pages. You can add apps to any page you want.
Some people keep their most-used apps on the first page and organize others by category on later pages. Others create a page just for games, another for work apps, and another for utilities. There's no right way — organize in whatever way helps you find what you need fastest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does adding an app to my home screen use more storage or battery?
No. Adding an app to your home screen is just creating a shortcut to something already on your phone. It doesn't copy the app, use extra space, or drain battery. The app itself uses the same resources whether the icon is on your home screen or hidden in your app drawer.
Can I add the same app to multiple home screens?
On iPhone, you can add the same app to multiple pages by repeating the "Add to Home Screen" process each time. On Android, it depends on your phone's launcher, but most allow it. However, most people don't need to — it's easier to just swipe to the page where you put it.
What's the difference between adding an app and downloading it?
Downloading an app means getting it from the App Store or Google Play and installing it on your phone. Adding it to your home screen means putting a shortcut to that already-installed app where you can see it. You have to read first; adding to the home screen comes after.
If I remove an app from my home screen, will I lose my data in that app?
No. Removing an app from your home screen only hides the shortcut. All your data, settings, and saved information in that app stay on your phone. When you add the app back to your home screen later, everything will be exactly as you left it.
Can I add web pages or links to my home screen?
Yes, but the process is different from adding an app. On iPhone, open Safari, go to the website, tap the share button, and select "Add to Home Screen." On Android, open Chrome, tap the menu, and select "Add to Home Screen." This creates a shortcut that opens the website when tapped.