I have been utilizing Android since its preliminary launch again in 2008. These early years had been tough going and generally it regarded as if I would made a mistake leaping from Apple. It is now 2024 and I am joyful I caught with my selection.
One of many greatest explanation why I am glad I remained with Android is that the OS could be extremely environment friendly… particularly the house display. The place the iOS is usually a storage sale of icons, Android can just about be precisely what you need.
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However there is a catch. Every producer has its personal tackle Android. What you are able to do with a Pixel, you may not have the ability to do with a Samsung Galaxy (and vice versa). That does not imply there aren’t issues you are able to do that transcend residence display launchers and OEM takes on the platform.
I wish to give you 5 methods you can also make your Android residence display a way more environment friendly interface to your telephone — no matter what gadget you utilize.
With that stated, let’s get to the ideas.
1. Empty your private home display of unused apps
My Android residence display is, for probably the most half, empty (extra on that in a bit). I’ve all the time discovered a house display full of app launchers to not solely be a complicated mess, but in addition redundant. With Android, you’ve gotten the App Drawer, which homes each launcher for each app you’ve gotten. And provided that the App Drawer is only a fast swipe up away, why not maintain your private home display clear and arranged such that you do not instantly see a dumpster full of launchers that has you swiping from web page to web page? At the least the App Drawer is organized alphabetically and searchable.
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To forestall app icons from being added to your private home display, lengthy press the house display, faucet House Settings, after which faucet the On/Off change for “Add app icons to residence display.”
Disable this characteristic to stop app icons from being added to your Android residence display. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
2. Use folders
As I discussed a second in the past, I maintain a really minimal Android residence display. What launchers I do retain are housed in folders, every organized by class. Inside every folder, I solely have launchers that I commonly use, and the folders are all named based on their function (corresponding to Contacts, Social, and Google).
You’ll be able to create a folder by merely dragging one launcher onto one other after which shifting the folder to a place on your private home display that makes it simple to entry. I maintain 5 folders on my residence display they usually all reside on the backside, so I can open them when utilizing the telephone with one hand.
I maintain my residence display clear with the assistance of folders. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
3. Hold widgets to a minimal
Chances are you’ll be tempted to fill your private home display with widgets and that is completely advantageous. But when you’re going to add widgets, not solely do you have to maintain them to a minimal, you also needs to solely use these widgets that serve a selected function for you.
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It’s best to maintain your widgets to a minimal as a result of with so many widgets on your private home display, it will probably change into difficult to long-press your private home display for issues like accessing the house display settings pop-up. Must you wind up with too many widgets, you’d first need to swipe to a different web page to entry that long-press pop-up.
If you cannot entry this pop-up, you’ll have too many widgets on your private home display. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
4. Hold the Google search bar
Some residence display launchers assist you to take away the Google search bar. I might suggest leaving it. Chances are high fairly good that you just search together with your telephone all through the day. With out the search bar on your private home display, you’d first need to open your default net browser after which run the search.
With the search bar, you merely need to faucet and kind your search string. Even higher, if your private home display launcher permits, I might suggest shifting the search bar to the underside of the house display, so you possibly can entry it when utilizing your gadget with one hand.
5. Easy accessibility to the Google App
The Google App could be very useful. Not solely does it offer you fast entry to your Google account administration, nevertheless it additionally provides customized information gadgets and even native climate and sports activities scores (if that issues to you). Some residence display launchers ship with this disabled (some do not even enable it).
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However for people who do enable it, enabling it is going to assist make your private home display a bit extra environment friendly (particularly in the event you prefer to sustain on the information that issues to you). Some residence display launchers will differ on how this characteristic is enabled, however on the Pixel Launcher, it is so simple as lengthy urgent the house display, tapping House Settings, after which tapping the On/Off slider for “Swipe to entry Google app.”
I all the time maintain this characteristic enabled, so a fast right-swipe on my residence display will get me fast entry to related data, knowledge, and extra.
If you’d like fast entry to the Google app, allow this setting. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
And there you’ve gotten it, 5 methods that may assist make your Android residence display extra environment friendly. In fact, not each tip will apply to you, and also you may need even discovered one thing that works higher to your day by day use. Both means, here is to hoping you’ve gotten discovered the perfect setup that helps you extra successfully work together together with your telephone.