What "home screen" means and why you'd add apps there
Your home screen is the main page you see when you unlock your phone or tablet — the one with your clock, weather, and the apps you use most. Adding an app to your home screen means putting a shortcut or icon there so you can open it with one tap instead of hunting through folders or a full app list.
Most phones come with some apps already on the home screen (like Phone, Messages, or Camera), but you choose which others appear there. You might add your banking app, a game you play daily, or a messaging service you check constantly. The home screen holds only so much space, so people usually keep their most-used apps there and leave the rest in the app library or app drawer.
The steps to add an app differ slightly between iPhones and Android phones, but the idea is the same: find the app, then move it to the home screen where you want it.
Key Takeaways
- Your home screen is the main page you see when you unlock your phone, and you control which apps appear there.
- On iPhones, you long-press an app in the App Library or App Store, then select "Add to Home Screen" from the menu.
- On Android phones, you long-press an app in the app drawer, then drag it to an empty spot on your home screen.
- You can rearrange apps by long-pressing and dragging them to a new position, and delete them from the home screen without removing them from your phone.
- Some phones let you create folders on the home screen to group similar apps together and save space.
How to add apps on an iPhone
On an iPhone, open the App Library — the last page you reach when you swipe left past all your home screens. It shows all your apps organized by category (Productivity, Entertainment, Games, and so on). Find the app you want to add, then long-press it (press and hold for about a second) until a menu appears.
Tap "Add to Home Screen" from that menu. The app icon will appear on your current home screen. If you want to place it in a specific spot, you can drag it to a different position before you release your finger. If the spot you want is full, the app will push other apps aside to make room.
You can also add apps directly from the App Store. Search for the app, tap the cloud icon with a down arrow (or the plus sign, depending on your iOS version), then tap "Add to Home Screen" when prompted. This is useful if you want to add an app you just downloaded without hunting for it in the App Library first.
How to add apps on an Android phone
On Android, open your app drawer — usually a grid icon at the bottom of your home screen, or swipe up from the bottom to see all your apps. Find the app you want to add, then long-press it (press and hold for about a second) until a menu or set of options appears at the top of the screen.
Look for an option that says "Add to Home Screen," "Add to Home," or sometimes just shows a home icon. Tap it, and the app will appear on your home screen. On some Android phones, you can drag the app directly to your home screen instead of using a menu — just long-press, hold, and drag it upward to the home screen, then release it where you want it to sit.
If you have multiple home screens, you can drag the app to the right or left to move it to a different screen before you release it. Android gives you more flexibility than iPhone in how you arrange things, so experiment to find what works for you.
Rearranging and removing apps from your home screen
Once an app is on your home screen, you can move it around. Long-press the app icon, then drag it to a new spot. If you want to move it to a different home screen, drag it to the edge of the screen and hold it there — the screen will shift to the next page, and you can release it in the new location.
To remove an app from your home screen without deleting it from your phone, long-press the icon and look for "Remove from Home Screen" or a minus sign. The app stays on your phone and in your app library or app drawer — you are only removing the shortcut from the home screen. This is useful when you want to declutter but still keep the app installed.
On iPhones, you can also swipe left on an app icon and tap the trash icon to remove it from the home screen. On Android, some phones let you drag an app to a "Remove" or trash icon that appears at the top of the screen.
Creating folders to organize your home screen
Both iPhones and Android phones let you create folders on your home screen to group related apps together. On an iPhone, drag one app icon onto another app icon — they will combine into a folder. The phone automatically names it based on the app category, but you can rename it by tapping the folder, then tapping the name field and typing a new name.
On Android, the process varies by phone brand. Some phones let you drag one app onto another to create a folder, just like iPhone. Others require you to long-press an empty area of the home screen, select "Create Folder," and then drag apps into it. Check your phone's settings or help menu if the drag-and-drop method does not work.
Folders are helpful if you have many apps but limited home screen space. You might create a folder called "Games," "Social," or "Finance" and put related apps inside. You still tap the folder once to open it, then tap the app you want to use — it takes one extra tap, but keeps your home screen cleaner.
What happens when you update or delete an app
If you update an app from the App Store or Google Play, the icon on your home screen stays in the same place — updates do not move or remove it. The app straightforward works better or has new features the next time you open it.
If you delete an app entirely from your phone, the icon disappears from your home screen automatically. You can reinstall the app later from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android), and then add it back to your home screen using the same steps as before. Deleting an app also removes any data it stored, so be careful with apps that hold important information — some apps let you back up their data before you delete them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the same app to multiple home screens?
No, each app appears only once on your home screens. However, you can create a shortcut to the same app in different folders, or use widgets (small app previews that show live information) to display app content in multiple places. Check your phone's widget options if you want quick access to an app's information without opening it fully.
What is the difference between adding an app and downloading it?
Downloading means getting the app onto your phone from the App Store or Google Play. Adding it to your home screen means creating a shortcut so you can reach it quickly. You can read an app and leave it in your app library without adding it to the home screen, or add it later whenever you want.
Why does my home screen look different from my friend's?
Because you control which apps appear on your home screen. Your friend probably has different apps installed, or has arranged the same apps in a different order. Both of you can customize your home screens however you like — there is no single correct layout.
Can I add web pages or links to my home screen?
Yes. On iPhone, open Safari, go to the webpage you want, tap the Share button, then select "Add to Home Screen." On Android, open Chrome, go to the webpage, tap the menu (three dots), then select "Add to Home Screen." This creates a shortcut that opens that specific webpage when you tap it.
What if I accidentally delete an app from my home screen?
The app is still on your phone — you only removed the shortcut. Open your app library (iPhone) or app drawer (Android), find the app, and add it back to your home screen using the same steps as before. You have not lost anything.