The latest Android devices keep your apps in a custom order by default. When you install new apps, they appear accordingly. This arrangement makes it easy to move them around without limitations. But it’s also tempting to let them pile up. If you often work from your phone or use many productivity apps, it can be a distraction. An organized screen is visually appealing and memorable. You’ll find apps quicker when you arrange them neatly.

Google Pixel and Samsung phones make reorganizing fun, while some custom Android devices turn it into a challenge. The apps screen is stuck in alphabetical order with no option to customize the layout. But the Android OS is versatile, and you can personalize your phone to suit your tastes. If you want to refurbish your homescreen and apps screen, here are the best ways to put them in order.

Group apps into folders

Select apps on your homescreen and apps screen and categorize them into folders. It keeps them from mixing up and reduces the time to locate them. You can place your favorite games in one folder and productivity tools in another. Afterward, rename them to stand out. A good trick is to reserve the first page of the apps screen for your folders. Then, push the apps you don’t want inside them to the next page if possible. This way, you keep sight of what’s most important to you.

Use the following steps to create the folders and group apps:

1. Swipe up on your homescreen to open the apps screen.
2. Drag and drop one app on top of another to group them.
3. Tap the new folder to give it a different name.
4. Alternatively, long-press an app. Then tap Select.
5. Tap other apps to select them.
6. Tap Create Folder in the upper-right corner.

7. Give your folder a name.
8. Tap + to add more apps to the folder.
9. Tap the gray circle beside + to color the folder.

10. Tap the back button in your navigation bar to save the changes and return to the apps screen.

Use only your homescreen

Having an apps screen and homescreen at the same time may be confusing, especially when you’ve installed many apps. Still, you can eliminate the apps menu so that only the homescreen exists. All your apps appear there, and the search page replaces their original menu when you swipe up. If you change your mind, reverse the procedure, and apps return to the apps screen without losing their initial arrangement. Here’s how to hide the screen:

1. Long-press an empty spot. Then tap Settings. Alternatively, go to Settings > Home screen.

2. Tap Home screen layout.
3. Select Home screen only and apply the settings.

Widgets give you access to an app’s most important features. Rather than open the app, use its widget as a shortcut. For example, Google Calendar has widgets that display your schedule or the month’s view at a glance. Also, Docs has one that lets you create new documents. Widgets apply only to the homescreen, and you can adjust their sizes. Use the following steps to add them:

1. Long-press an empty part of your homescreen.
2. Tap Widgets.
3. Select an app.
4. Tap any of its widgets.
5. Tap Add to pin it to the homescreen.

6. If the widget allows resizing, use the tiny circles on its edges to adjust it.

Lock your homescreen layout

If you pinned your favorite apps, web pages, and widgets to your homescreen, lock them in place to avoid moving them accidentally. Long-pressing the apps still displays options to select, remove, and uninstall them. However, they won’t work. Your device prompts you to unlock the apps first. Follow the steps below to get it done:

1. Long-press a vacant spot on your homescreen.
2. Tap the toggle switch beside Lock Home screen layout.

Sort apps alphabetically

The custom format for sorting apps on Android is great. However, apps appear in the order you install them. You can rearrange them, but sorting them alphabetically is easier. This option also organizes the apps inside folders, so you’re not forced to do it manually. Switching to an alphabetical arrangement doesn’t affect the custom one, and you can revert to it anytime. Use the steps below to sort apps:

1. Swipe up on your screen to open the apps screen.
2. Tap the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap Sort.
4. Select Alphabetical order.

Adjust grid sizes

You may prefer large app icons so that you can see them better. Other times, you want them small so that they fit together on one screen. Either way, you can’t scale them individually. But you can adjust their grid sizes. That is, choosing how many apps you want to appear in rows or columns at a time. Though this feature doesn’t affect the icon size, it gives the illusion of doing so. Afterward, customize the icons to follow a theme if your device allows it.

Android’s default homescreen and apps screen grid size is 5X5, and you can reduce it to 4X5 or increase it to 5X6. For folders, you’re limited to sizes 3X4 and 4X4. These sizes are available on the Android 12 OS and newer versions. Lower versions have fewer options or need third-party launchers to customize the icons. Depending on your device model, you can do it from the homescreen or settings menu. Here’s how:

1. Long-press an empty spot on your homescreen.
2. Tap Settings.

3. Select either the Home screen grid or App screen grid and Folder grid layout options. On some devices, these options are in the Wallpaper & style menu.
4. Select a grid size to preview it. You can’t preview Folder grid sizes.
5. Tap Done to apply the changes.

Uninstall unnecessary apps

There’s no better way to organize your phone than to eliminate unnecessary files. Your phone provides multiple methods to uninstall apps. Remove them from the homescreen and apps screen, settings menu, and Google Play Store. Preinstalled system apps are harder to uninstall, but you can deactivate them so that they don’t work in the background or appear among your apps. Use the following steps to get started:

Uninstall apps from the apps screen

1. Swipe up to open the apps screen.
2. Long-press an app and tap Uninstall.

3. Select OK for confirmation.

Uninstall apps from the homescreen

1. Long-press an app.
2. Tap Uninstall.
3. Select OK for confirmation.

4. To erase widgets and shortcuts, long-press them and tap Remove.

1. Go to Settings > Apps.
2. Select an app from the list.
3. Tap Uninstall.

4. Select OK for confirmation.

Uninstall apps from the Google Play Store.

1. Open Google Play Store.
2. Tap your profile icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Select Manage apps & devices.
4. Tap Manage.

5. Check the boxes beside apps to select them.
6. Tap the trash icon in the upper-right corner.

7. Select Uninstall for confirmation.

Hide apps

If you have sensitive apps on your phone and don’t want anyone snooping around, hide them. Hidden apps don’t appear on the homescreen or apps screen. Use Samsung Secure Folder or the homescreen settings menu to conceal them. Here’s how to use the homescreen:

1. Long-press an empty spot.
2. Select Settings.
3. Tap Hide apps on Home and Apps screens.
4. Select the apps you want to hide.
5. Tap Done.

6. Tap the minus sign beside hidden apps to unhide them.

Clean up apps screen pages

When you uninstall or hide apps in the apps screen, unnecessary empty spaces remain. You could move apps around to cover them up, but that takes time. Instead, use the automatic clean-up feature. Here’s how:

1. Swipe up to open the apps screen.
2. Tap the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Select Clean up pages.
4. Tap OK for confirmation.

Manage homescreen pages

If you eliminated the apps screen or added apps to your homescreen, it may appear cluttered. You can add an extra page and move apps to that page to create more space. Also, if you don’t need a page anymore, delete it. However, doing that removes every app on the page. Manage your homescreen with the following steps:

1. Drag an app toward the right side of your screen to create a new page.
2. Alternatively, long-press an empty space on your homescreen.
3. Swipe left. Then tap +.

4. To move apps to the new page, long-press and hold them. Then, drag them toward the direction of the page.
5. Tap the trash icon above a page.
6. Select Delete for confirmation.

Next up, organize your files

Now that you’ve conquered your app collection, it’s time to arrange your files. Many people dread this part of owning a smartphone because it’s stressful. You must carefully browse through documents, images, and other files to delete the ones you don’t need or move them to different folders. There are smart file managers that simplify the task and optimize your storage. Use them to uncover hidden files, receive clean-up suggestions, and manage apps on your device, among other functionalities.