Moving icons on Android is straightforward once you know where to tap
To move an icon on your Android home screen, press and hold the icon until it highlights or shows a menu, then drag it to a new location. Release your finger to drop it in place. The exact steps vary slightly depending on your phone's manufacturer — Samsung phones work differently from Google Pixel phones, which work differently from OnePlus — but the core action is the same: long-press, drag, release.
Most Android phones let you move icons between different home screen pages, create folders to group similar apps, and rearrange widgets (the larger blocks that show weather, calendar events, or news). Some phones also let you hide apps from your home screen entirely while keeping them installed.
Key Takeaways
- Long-press any icon on your home screen until it highlights, then drag it to move it to a new spot on the same page or to a different page.
- Most Android phones let you create folders by dragging one icon onto another, which groups them together and saves space.
- If you see an "X" or trash icon appear while dragging, you can remove the app from your home screen without uninstalling it.
- Widgets (larger app blocks showing live information) move the same way as icons — long-press and drag — but take up more space.
- If your phone has a settings or launcher app, you can usually hide apps from your home screen there instead of moving them one by one.
How to move a single icon to a new spot
Press and hold any icon on your home screen for about one second. The icon will highlight, enlarge, or show a small menu depending on your phone model. Once it's selected, keep your finger on the screen and drag the icon to where you want it. You can move it left or right on the same page, or drag it to the edge of the screen to move it to an adjacent page.
Release your finger to drop the icon in its new location. If you drag it over another icon, most phones will ask whether you want to move it or create a folder. If you accidentally drag it to the wrong spot, just repeat the process to move it again.
Creating folders to group related apps
Folders let you organize apps by category — for example, putting all your social media apps in one folder or all your banking and finance apps in another. To create a folder, long-press one icon, drag it directly on top of another icon, and release. Your phone will automatically create a folder containing both apps.
The folder usually gets a default name based on the app category, but you can rename it. Tap the folder to open it, then look for a name field at the top or a settings icon. Type a new name like "Social" or "Finance" and tap outside the folder to close it. You can keep adding apps to the folder by dragging new icons into it.
Removing icons from your home screen without uninstalling them
If you want to clean up your home screen but don't want to delete an app entirely, you can remove it from view. Long-press the icon and look for an "X", trash icon, or "Remove" option that appears. Tap it, and the icon disappears from your home screen — but the app stays installed on your phone and you can still find it in your app drawer or by searching.
Different manufacturers label this differently. Samsung calls it "Remove from Home Screen." Google Pixel shows an "X" icon. OnePlus may show a trash can. The result is the same: the app is hidden from your home screen but not deleted from your phone.
Moving and resizing widgets
Widgets are larger blocks on your home screen that show live information — a weather widget displays the current temperature, a calendar widget shows upcoming events, a news widget displays headlines. They work similarly to icons but take up more space. Long-press a widget to select it, then drag it to a new location just as you would an icon.
Many widgets can also be resized. After you long-press a widget, you may see small handles or dots around its edges. Drag these handles outward to make the widget larger or inward to make it smaller. Not all widgets support resizing, so if you don't see handles, the widget size is fixed. Release your finger to confirm the new size and position.
Using your phone's app drawer or launcher settings to hide apps
If you have many apps you want to hide, moving them one by one is slow. Most Android phones have an app drawer — a separate screen showing all your installed apps — and some let you hide apps from that drawer entirely through settings. Open your phone's Settings app, look for "Apps" or "Applications," and you may find an option to hide or disable apps from appearing in searches and your app drawer.
Some phones also have a separate launcher app (like Samsung's One UI Launcher or Google's Pixel Launcher) with its own settings. You can usually access launcher settings by long-pressing an empty area of your home screen and tapping "Settings" or "Home Screen Settings." From there, you can hide entire app categories or individual apps without touching your home screen at all.
Differences between Samsung, Google Pixel, and other Android phones
The basic long-press-and-drag method works on all Android phones, but the details differ. Samsung phones show a menu with options like "Remove from Home Screen" and "Edit Home Screen." Google Pixel phones show an "X" icon and a trash can. OnePlus phones may show slightly different icons and labels. The underlying action is identical, but the visual feedback and menu options vary.
If you're unsure what your phone supports, try long-pressing an icon and looking at what appears. Most phones also include a help or tutorial feature in their launcher settings. If you're still stuck, searching for "[Your Phone Model] move icons" will show you screenshots specific to your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move icons between different home screen pages?
Yes. Long-press an icon and drag it to the edge of your screen. Your phone will automatically scroll to the next page, and you can release the icon there. You can move icons forward or backward through as many pages as you have.
What happens if I drag an icon and see a trash can or X?
That's the remove option. If you drag an icon over it and release, the icon disappears from your home screen but the app stays installed. You can still find it in your app drawer or by searching. This is not the same as uninstalling.
Can I undo a move if I put an icon in the wrong spot?
Yes. Just long-press the icon again and drag it to the correct location. There's no permanent change — you can rearrange your home screen as many times as you want.
Do widgets move the same way as icons?
Yes, widgets use the same long-press-and-drag method. Some widgets can also be resized by dragging the handles around their edges, but not all support resizing.
Why can't I move an icon on my home screen?
Your phone may be in a locked or restricted mode. Check your launcher settings for an option like "Lock Home Screen" or "Edit Mode." If that's on, turn it off. Some work phones or devices with parental controls may also restrict home screen changes.