The fastest way to add an app to your home screen
The method depends on whether you use an iPhone or Android phone, but both take less than a minute. On an iPhone, you long-press an empty spot on your home screen, tap the plus sign, find the app, and tap "Add Widget" or "Add App Shortcut". On Android, you long-press the app in your app drawer, tap "Add to Home Screen", and place it where you want. The app itself stays installed in your phone's storage — you are just creating a shortcut to it on the screen you see when you unlock your phone.
If you cannot find the app you want to add, it may not be installed yet. Check your app drawer (the grid icon on Android, or swipe up from the bottom on iPhone) to see what is actually on your phone. If it is not there, you will need to install it first from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store before you can add it to your home screen.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, long-press an empty home screen space, tap the plus sign, search for the app, and choose "Add App Shortcut" to place it on your screen.
- On Android, long-press the app in your app drawer, tap "Add to Home Screen", and confirm the placement.
- Adding an app to your home screen creates a shortcut to an app that is already installed — it does not install the app itself.
- If you cannot find the app in your app drawer, you need to install it from your phone's app store before you can add it to your home screen.
- You can add the same app multiple times to different home screens, and you can remove shortcuts without uninstalling the app.
How to add an app on iPhone
Start by unlocking your iPhone and going to the home screen you want to use. Find an empty spot with no app icon. Press and hold that empty area for about two seconds until a menu appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap the plus sign (it looks like a circle with a plus inside) in the top left corner of the screen.
A search box will appear. Type the name of the app you want to add — for example, "Messages" or "Maps". As you type, matching apps will show up below. Tap the app you want. A new screen will show you options: tap "Add App Shortcut" to place it on your home screen. The shortcut will appear on the home screen you were on when you started. You can then drag it to a different location if you want.
If you want to add a widget instead of just an app shortcut (widgets show live information like weather or calendar events), follow the same steps but tap "Add Widget" instead of "Add App Shortcut". Not all apps have widgets available.
How to add an app on Android
Open your app drawer by tapping the grid icon (usually in the bottom center or corner of your home screen). Find the app you want to add. Press and hold the app icon for about two seconds until a menu appears. Tap "Add to Home Screen" or "Add Shortcut to Home Screen" — the exact wording depends on your phone's version of Android.
Your phone will show you a preview of where the shortcut will land. If that location works for you, release your finger or tap "Add". If you want to place it somewhere else, drag the icon to a different spot on your home screen before releasing. The shortcut is now on your home screen and ready to use.
Some Android phones also let you drag an app directly from the app drawer to your home screen without using the menu. Try pressing and holding an app, then dragging it upward to your home screen. If this works on your phone, it is faster than using the menu.
What to do if the app does not appear in your app drawer
If you cannot find an app you want to add, it is not installed on your phone yet. Open your phone's app store — Google Play Store on Android or Apple App Store on iPhone. Search for the app by name. Tap "Install" (Android) or "Get" (iPhone) and follow the prompts to download it. Once installation finishes, the app will appear in your app drawer and you can add it to your home screen using the steps above.
Some apps may be hidden or disabled on your phone. On Android, go to Settings, tap Apps, find the app, and tap "Enable" if it shows a disabled state. On iPhone, check if the app is in a folder on your home screen or on a different home screen page — swipe left or right to see all your screens.
How to remove an app shortcut from your home screen
Removing a shortcut from your home screen does not uninstall the app — it just takes the icon away. On iPhone, press and hold the app icon, tap "Remove", and choose "Remove from Home Screen". The app stays installed and you can add it back anytime. On Android, press and hold the app icon and tap "Remove from Home Screen" or drag it to a "Remove" button that appears at the top of the screen.
If you want to completely uninstall an app instead of just removing its shortcut, that is a different process. On iPhone, press and hold the app icon, tap "Remove", and choose "Remove App", then "Delete App". On Android, go to Settings, tap Apps, find the app, and tap "Uninstall". Uninstalling removes the app entirely from your phone.
How to organize apps on your home screen
Once you have added apps to your home screen, you can rearrange them. On iPhone, press and hold any app icon until the screen enters edit mode (the icons will jiggle). Drag icons to new positions. When you are done, tap outside the icons or press the home button to exit edit mode. On Android, press and hold an app icon and drag it to a new location — no special edit mode is needed.
Both iPhone and Android let you create folders to group related apps. On iPhone, drag one app onto another app icon to create a folder, then drag more apps into it. On Android, long-press an app and look for a "Create Folder" option, or drag one app onto another to create a folder. Folders help keep your home screen less cluttered, especially if you add many apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the same app to multiple home screens?
Yes. On both iPhone and Android, you can add as many shortcuts to the same app as you want, on different screens or even the same screen. Each shortcut opens the same app, so having multiple shortcuts does not use extra storage or create separate versions of the app.
What is the difference between adding an app and adding a widget?
An app shortcut opens the full app when you tap it. A widget shows live information from the app without opening it — for example, a weather widget shows the current temperature right on your home screen. Not all apps offer widgets, and widgets take up more space than app shortcuts.
Why does my app not show up in the app drawer?
The app may be disabled, hidden in a folder, or on a different home screen page. On Android, check Settings > Apps to see if the app is disabled. On iPhone, swipe through all your home screen pages or check inside folders. If the app is truly not there, you need to install it from your app store first.
Does adding an app to my home screen use more storage space?
No. Adding a shortcut to your home screen does not use any additional storage. The app itself is stored once on your phone, and shortcuts are just links to it. You can add as many shortcuts as you want without affecting your phone's available storage.
Can I add an app to my home screen if I do not have much storage left?
Yes, because adding a shortcut does not use storage. However, if your phone is very low on storage, you may not be able to install new apps in the first place. If you need to install an app but your phone is full, delete files or uninstall apps you do not use to free up space first.