Android devices offer so many customizable options that it is the preferred operating system for thousands of smartphone and tablet users. Among these customizable options are applications.
Once an app is downloaded, it will immediately become part of the home screen or part of the plethora of apps you have already downloaded in a section of your phone known as the app drawer. .
If you're trying to organize your apps or just hide some of them, you have plenty of options to do so on an Android device.
(Did you want to learn more about hiding apps on iPhone instead? We've got you covered!)
Uninstall and disable apps you don't need
Preloaded apps
Android smartphones often come with several apps preloaded. Many of them cannot be removed entirely from the phone. You can âDisableâ these apps from your phone settings. This means that they will no longer run in the background and will no longer appear on the home screen.
To do this:
Step 1
Open your phone's settings (the gear icon located in the top right corner of the screen after pulling from the top or with the other apps on your device)
Step 2
Scroll down until you see Applications or Application Manager (depends on model and software version)
Step 3
Tap the app you want to disable (be careful, some system apps are vital for the functioning of your device, disabling them may lead to software malfunctions)
Step 4
Tap "Disable"
If you accidentally disable an app or notice malfunctions after completing the process, you can follow the steps listed above and click "Enable" or "Activate". This will bring the app back to life on your phone.
Another option to disable an app is to go directly to the icon on the app's home page or folder. Hold your finger on the app and the options will appear; among these there is "deactivate", tap on it to complete the process.
Uninstalling applications
Many apps give you the option to completely remove them from your device. These are easily recognizable because the âUninstallâ option will appear when you perform any of the steps listed above.
Tap "Uninstall" to remove the app and you'll have to go to the PlayStore to download it again if you need it.
Use third-party launchers to hide
There are some useful apps in the Google Play Store to hide apps that you want to keep on your phone but don't want to appear with the rest of your apps.
Downloading a launcher changes the layout and interface of your home screen. A launcher is another way to personalize your phone. For example; The Nova Launcher can be found in the Google Play Store and once downloaded it will allow you to hide apps better than the standard system home screen.
Once downloaded; you'll need to go to the Nova Launcher in Settings and set Nova as your system's home screen. Hiding apps with this launcher is a core feature, which means at the time of this writing, it will cost $4,99 to hide icons in the app drawer.
This launcher allows you to change the name of an application for free. If you're interested in learning more about launchers, we've got you covered.
While most launchers in the Play Store have the ability to hide apps, they each have different functions. If you're using something like Apex or Action Launcher 3, you'll want to check your launcher settings to see if there's a way to hide apps from the app drawer.
To hide apps in the launcher, follow these steps:
- Find the app you want to hide, then long press
- Drag the icon to the "Edit" icon in the upper right corner of the home screen
- A pop-up window will appear with various options
- Uncheck the "Apps" setting
To use your hidden app, find it by name in the app drawer.
You can also hide apps by going to Nova's settings view, tapping on the "Apps and widgets titles" option, and scrolling to the bottom of the menu to find "Hide apps" in the âDrawer groupsâ category.
In the "Hidden Apps" menu, you can check all the apps you want to hide in the Nova drawer.
Keep in mind that while downloading and using a launcher as your default home screen, other elements may also change. Some launchers are battery hogs while others will spam your phone with ads. Before downloading anything like this, be sure to read reviews from Google Play.
Other methods
There are other ways to protect your apps and your privacy. Android is one of the most customizable operating systems out there, which means you can pretty much hide your apps however you want.
Creation of folders
One of the easiest ways to hide apps is to put them in folders. In your app drawer, long press the app you want to hide.
Drag it to another app and it will automatically create a folder. You can customize the name and location of this folder once created.
Third-party applications
There are a number of apps on the Play Store that promise to be able to hide apps from your device, but for the most part they don't work or require root access on your phone â and if you're not rooted, it's easier to just install a third-party launcher to do the same thing.
âApp Lockerâ apps on the Play Store which, while not necessarily hiding your apps on your phone, can at the very least put a password on those specific apps on your phone to protect unidentified users from accessing the apps.
If you're interested in something like this, we suggest using Fingerprint AppLock, a decent app lock tool that can use your fingerprint to unlock any app you deem worthy of protection.
***
Unfortunately, beyond using a third-party launcher, it's difficult to hide apps on your phone without disabling or completely uninstalling them.
But app password protection from intruders is a good compromise that, without completely hiding your apps, will secure your private apps enough that family members, children or intruders can't access your data without your permission.
Before downloading any launchers or apps on your Android device, it is important to read the reviews. Some launchers and apps make it harder to interact with your home screen, while others have added pop-ups.
Frequently Asked Questions
We've covered a lot of information in this article, but there's always room for more. If you have additional questions, here is a section where we have answered the most frequently asked questions.
What if I can't find an app on my Android?
Sometimes apps are very hard to find in the app drawer. You can swipe to access all your apps and type the name in the search bar. Once it appears, long-press it in the search results and tap "Locate App". It will take you there directly.
How do I organize my apps?
Organizing apps is simple, you can long press them and move them to any app drawer page you want. You can add apps to the home screen or remove them according to your needs. Color-coding your apps is a great way to keep everything organized, and it looks really neat.
Why am I getting advertisements on my phone?
As mentioned above, some apps (usually utility apps and third-party launchers) will spam your phone with ads. Follow the above steps to disable apps to locate and remove the problem causing the add-ons. u003ca href=u0022https://www.techjunkie.com/put-samsung-galaxy-s9-safe-mode/u0022u003eYou can use safe mode u003c/au003e to narrow down the source of your problems.
