Apps
Each home screen is set up with a grid where apps can be placed. To move an app, follow these steps:
Step 1. Touch and hold the app.
Step 2. Drag it to an empty area of any home screen.
Step 3. Release the app.
To remove an app from a home screen, follow these steps:
Step 1. Touch and hold the app.
Step 2. Drag it to the trashcan or X icon on the screen.
Step 3. Release the app.
To execute an app, touch it. After the app is running, there are often options which can be configured by touching the menu button.
There are usually three different ways to close an app:
- Touch the Back button continually to reach the home screen. It is common for the program to prompt to exit the app.
- Touch the Home button.
- Touch the Exit option in the menu for the app.
Widgets
Widgets are programs (or pieces of programs) that display information. For example, a weather widget can be placed on the Home screen to display weather conditions. Often, a widget can be touched to launch an associated app. In the case of a weather widget, touching the widget would open a weather app on the full screen with more information and details about the weather. Widgets are helpful because they give you quick access to often-used information or functions. Some examples of popular widgets are:
- Clock - Displays a large version of a customizable clock.
- Weather - Displays current conditions for one or more locations.
- Wi-Fi On/Off - Allows the user to turn Wi-Fi on or off quickly without navigating to the settings menu.
- Power Control - Displays multiple widgets like Wi-Fi On/Off, Bluetooth, and vibrate in a group that is always visible.
- Notes - Allows the user to create notes that are shown on a home screen.
- Facebook - Provides access to Facebook postings and allows the user to post to Facebook quickly.
- Last Call - Displays the last incoming or outgoing call that was received or placed.
There are many other types of widgets that can be used to customize Android screens. Refer to the documentation of programs or Google Play to determine which apps have widgets.
Folders
On some mobile devices, multiple apps can be grouped into folders to help organize them. If folders are not available, an app can be installed to provide this feature. Apps can be grouped in any way you want.
To create a folder on an Android smartphone, follow these steps:
Step 1. Touch and hold an app on a home screen.
Step 2. Drag the app onto another app that you want in the same folder.
Step 3. Release the app.
To create a folder on an Android tablet, follow these steps:
Step 1. Touch and hold an app on a home screen.
Step 2. Drag the app onto the folder icon at the top of the screen.
Step 3. Release the app.
Touch any folder to open it. Touch any app in the folder to open it. To rename a folder, touch the folder, touch the folder name, and type a new name for the folder. To close a folder, touch outside the folder, or touch the Back or Home button. Move folders around on home screens the same way apps are moved.
To remove an app from a folder, follow these steps:
Step 1. Open the folder.
Step 2. Touch and hold the app to remove.
Step 3. Drag the app to an empty area of a home screen.
Step 4. Release the app.
On Android smartphones, if a folder has two apps and one is removed, the folder is removed, but the remaining app replaces the folder on the home screen. On Android tablets, if all apps are removed from a folder, the folder remains. Remove a folder from a home screen the same way apps are removed.
All Apps Icon
The All Apps icon opens the All Apps screen that displays all of the apps that are installed on the device. These are some common tasks that can be performed from the All Apps screen:
- Launch an app - Touch any app to launch it.
- Place apps on a home screen - Touch and hold an app. The home screen is displayed. Release the app on any open area of any home screen.
- Uninstall apps - Touch and hold an app. Drag the app to either the trashcan icon or the X icon.
- Access the Play Store - Touch the menu icon and touch Google Play.
- Access Widgets - Touch the Widgets tab to see all the widgets installed. Place widgets on home screens using the same method for placing apps on the home screens.