Have you previously locked the Home screen of your phone and now want to change this setting? Fortunately, unlocking the Home screen on Android is pretty simple.
To unlock the Home screen on Android, unlock your device and swipe up from the bottom to open the App Drawer. Tap the Settings app and scroll down to tap “Home screen”. Tap the toggle next to “Lock Home screen layout” to turn it off.
We took the time to write a comprehensive step-by-step guide on unlocking the Home screen on Android. We will also explore the process for locking the Home screen.
What Is a Home Screen Layout?
If no app is open on your Android phone, the Home screen is the first page you see after unlocking your phone. It displays some apps at the bottom of the screen and widgets like weather, date, time, etc.; you can swipe left to see the other Home screen windows.
You can add or delete apps, shortcuts, and widgets from the Home screen and group different apps into a folder to declutter.
However, if you have locked the Home screen layout of your Android device, you cannot move a widget to change its position or change the screen’s layout. Also, you cannot uninstall or move any app to the second Home screen.
Unlocking the Home Screen on Android
If you don’t know how to unlock the Home screen on your Android, our following step-by-step methods will help you do this task easily.
- Press the power button at the side of your Android phone and swipe up from the bottom to access your Home screen apps.
- Tap Settings.
- Scroll down and tap “Home screen”.
- Tap the toggle next to the “Lock Home screen layout” option to turn it off.
Now your Android’s Home screen is unlocked, and you can perform various tasks quickly whenever needed.
Locking the Home Screen on Android
If you are not comfortable using your Android phone in an unlocked state, you can lock the Home screen again with these steps.
- Press the power button at the side of your Android phone and swipe up from the bottom to access your Home screen apps.
- Tap Settings.
- Scroll down and tap “Home Screen”.
- Tap the toggle next to the “Lock Home screen layout” option to turn it on.
You can quickly check whether your Android phone’s Home screen is locked. To do this, long-press an app on the Home screen and drag it to change its position. If you are unable to do so, your Home screen is locked.
Difference Between Lock Screen and Home Screen
The Lock screen appears when you wake up your Android phone for the first time. This feature protects your device and ensures privacy, as nobody can access your phone without the correct PIN or password.
With the Lock screen enabled, you can see notifications and access certain apps like the Camera and Notification panel.
The Home screen appears after you unlock your device. This screen displays all the apps, shortcuts, features, and widgets. You can swipe left or right on your device to view different tabs on the Home screen. After unlocking the Home screen, you can also change the position of the apps and the layout of the screen on your Android phone.
Why Lock the Home Screen on Android
Often, the apps and widgets on the Home screen are accidentally resized or deleted, so you can lock the Home screen to fix all the features. After doing this, you cannot move icons or change the layout.
Once you have locked the Home screen, you can’t add nor remove any app icon, and when you install new apps, their icon will not appear on the Home screen. However, you will still be able to swipe across the tabs on the Home screen.
If you want to remove an app, long-press the icon, and a pop-up indicates that your Home screen is locked. If you still want to remove the app, you can unlock your Home screen from Settings.
Summary
In this guide, we’ve discussed how to unlock the Home screen on Android. We’ve also discussed a method for locking and reasons to lock the Home screen.
Moreover, we’ve shared the difference between the Lock and Home screens.
Hopefully, your question is answered in this article, and now you can quickly move your apps around on the Home screen and change the layout on your Android phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
To move apps on the Home screen, long-press the icon and drag it with your fingers to your desired location.
To group icons, drag and drop one app over the other to automatically create a folder.
