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Install the launcher from Google Play, then set it as Android’s Home app in Settings > Apps > Default apps. Depending on your phone, the setting may instead be called Home app, Home screen, Choose default apps, or appear in a manufacturer-specific menu. If Android shows a Home-app chooser when you press Home, select the new launcher and choose Always.
The precise labels differ across phone makers and Android releases, so use the standard path as a starting point rather than a promise that every screen will look identical. You do not need a new phone, special hardware or a repair tool to complete the switch.
What changing the launcher actually does
Android uses a launcher to display the Home screen, app icons, widgets, app drawer and the screen that appears when you press Home. A third-party launcher is simply another app that can provide that Home experience. Installing one does not automatically make it the default on every phone; you normally must select it in Android’s default-app controls.
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Changing the launcher affects the Home experience, not the underlying Android operating system. Your installed apps, accounts and phone settings remain on the device. The replacement may offer its own layout, widgets, gestures or setup choices, but those details belong to the individual app. Android’s default-app setting only determines which app handles the Home action.
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The exact menu names and locations depend on the phone maker and Android version. Google’s Android Help warns that some steps vary because manufacturers modify Android’s software. Treat the paths below as a reliable starting point, then use the search box in Settings for default or home if your labels differ.
Before you start
- Have the phone connected to the internet so Google Play can download the launcher.
- Know the launcher’s exact name before searching Google Play; similarly named apps may appear in results.
- Check the listing’s publisher and the Android version or device requirements shown there. App-specific compatibility, features, permissions and backup behavior vary and are not controlled by Android’s Home setting.
- Keep your current launcher installed until you have tested the replacement. It gives you a straightforward way back if the new Home screen is unfamiliar or does not work as expected.
- Note your phone maker, exact model and Android version. Menu paths can differ even between models from the same manufacturer.
- Make sure you can recognize your existing launcher in the Home-app list. Its name may be the phone maker’s brand or a system label rather than the word “launcher.”
The switching process itself does not require buying a new phone or accessory. The only practical prerequisites are an installed launcher and access to the phone’s Home/default-app control. If the device is managed by an organization or the Home app is locked by manufacturer software, ordinary user instructions may not override that restriction.
Install the launcher from Google Play
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap the search field and enter the launcher’s name.
- Open the correct app listing and review the name and publisher so you do not install a similarly named app by mistake.
- Read the listing far enough to identify any stated device or Android-version requirements. The available features and migration options are specific to that launcher.
- Tap Install and wait for Google Play to finish. Google’s Android instructions document this search-and-install flow, while noting that the surrounding steps may vary by device.
- When installation completes, tap Open if you want to preview or configure the launcher. You can also leave Play Store and change the default first.
Installing the app only makes it available. The Home button may continue opening your old launcher until you select the new one as the default. Opening the app from its Play Store page is not the same as assigning it to the Home action.
What to check on the app listing
Use the current Google Play listing as the place to verify whether the app is available for your phone and Android release. Look at the publisher name and the app’s stated requirements, then decide whether its features match what you need. There is no universal list of launcher features or a guaranteed migration method: one app may offer to import a layout, while another may start with a blank Home screen. Do not assume that a backup made by one launcher can be restored by another.
Set the new launcher as the default Home app
Use the standard Android or Pixel path
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Default apps. On some phones this is labelled Choose default apps.
- Open the Home-related category. Common labels include Home app and Home screen.
- Tap the launcher you installed.
- Press the Home button or use the Home gesture to return to the Home screen. The selected launcher should now appear.
Google’s Pixel guidance documents changing a default app from Settings > Apps > Default apps. That guidance includes a note that some of its steps apply only to Android 14 and later, so an older Pixel or another Android phone may show a different label or location.
If the list contains several Home-capable apps, choose the one whose Google Play listing you just installed. Selecting an entry changes the default; it does not uninstall or modify the other launchers. You can return to this same category later to change the selection again.
Find the setting when the labels differ
If you do not see Default apps, stay in Settings and use its search function. Search for default, home, or launcher, then open the result that controls the Home application. Depending on the software, you may find the control directly under Apps, inside a manufacturer’s home-screen section, or behind a Choose default apps screen.
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Read the result’s description before changing anything. Android Settings may show separate controls for the browser, phone, messaging or other defaults; those are not the Home-app selector. You are looking for the category that names the Home app, Home screen or launcher.
Do not assume that a menu path posted for one model applies to another. Community discussions mention different arrangements on Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme and Xiaomi phones, but those examples can depend on the model, regional software and Android release. Use them only as clues while looking at your own phone’s menus.
If Android offers a chooser after you press Home
Some devices display a prompt asking which app should handle the Home action after a new launcher is installed. If it appears, select the launcher and tap Always to make that choice persistent. This is an optional fallback, not a prompt that every phone is guaranteed to show. If you choose Just once, Android may ask again the next time you press Home.
If no chooser appears, that is not evidence that installation failed. Open the Home/default-app setting directly and make the selection there. Conversely, if the chooser keeps appearing after you chose Always, use the Settings method because the device may not have retained the temporary choice.
Confirm that the switch worked
Press Home several times from different apps. The new launcher should open each time, rather than only when launched from its Play Store page. Open the app drawer and check that your icons and widgets are being presented by the new Home app.
Test from more than one starting point: press Home while viewing an app, while viewing Settings and after returning from another screen. This helps distinguish a real default change from a one-time preview. If the old Home screen appears, return to the Home-app selector and check which entry is marked as active.
If the launcher includes its own first-run setup, complete only the parts you understand. A setup screen may offer to import an existing layout or start fresh; the available choices are specific to that launcher and are not controlled by Android’s default-app setting. If you skip setup, you can usually reopen the launcher later from the app list, but the exact configuration options vary by app.
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Give yourself a way back before making extensive layout changes. Leave the original launcher installed and remember where the Home-app setting is located. A new layout can look empty even when your apps are still installed; that is a launcher presentation issue, not proof that the apps were deleted.
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- Open Settings.
- Go to Apps > Default apps, or use Settings search for default or home.
- Open Home app, Home screen, or the equivalent Home category.
- Select the original launcher from the list.
- Press Home to verify that the previous Home screen opens again.
Pixel Help documents changing a selected default app, and community guidance describes choosing the original launcher from the same type of Home-app list. Keep the third-party launcher installed until you have confirmed the switch back; uninstalling it first can remove the option you were testing.
Switching back does not require deleting the third-party app. Leave it installed if you may test it again, or remove it later through its normal app-management controls once you are satisfied that the original launcher is active. The Home selector should be checked after any uninstall because removing the selected Home app can cause the phone to choose another available option.
Troubleshoot a launcher that does not appear or will not stay selected
| Symptom | What to check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| The launcher is missing from the Home-app list | Installation may not have completed, or you may be viewing a different default-app category. | Return to Google Play and confirm the app shows as installed. Then search Settings for home or default and open the Home-related result. |
| There is no menu called “Default apps” | Your manufacturer may use another label or location. | Look for Choose default apps, Home app, or Home screen. Search Settings instead of following a menu path from another phone. |
| Pressing Home still opens the old launcher | The new app may be installed but not selected as the default. | Reopen the Home-app setting and tap the new launcher. If a chooser appears, select the launcher and choose Always. |
| The chooser appears every time | The selection may have been set to Just once, or the device may not have retained the choice. | Use the Home-app/default-app setting directly and select the launcher there. |
| The new launcher disappears after an update or reset | The phone may have reverted its default-app selection. | Check the Home-app setting again and reselect the launcher if it is still installed. |
| The phone blocks changing the Home app | The available guidance does not establish one universal fix for every device. | Record the phone maker, exact model and Android version, then consult the manufacturer’s current support instructions. |
| The launcher opens once but closes or returns to the old Home screen | The app may not be compatible with the device or may not have been selected through the system control. | Confirm compatibility in the current Play listing, then set it through the Home-app category. If the phone still reverts, use model-specific support. |
When the app is installed but not listed
First verify that Google Play finished installing the app rather than leaving a pending or failed download. If the launcher opens from its Play Store listing but is absent from default-app controls, you may be in the wrong category. Search Settings for home and inspect every result that refers to the Home screen or Home application.
Check the exact app name and publisher again. A similarly named utility may be installed while the actual launcher remains absent. If the listing says the app is unavailable for your device or Android version, the Home selector cannot make it compatible.
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There is no single Android-wide repair sequence established for a launcher that remains absent. Avoid treating advanced changes as routine fixes. The available guidance does not support enabling Developer Options, changing the bootloader, resetting all app preferences, or clearing system-app data simply to switch launchers.
When the phone refuses to retain your choice
Return to the Home-app control and select the launcher again, then test by pressing Home from several apps. If the selection immediately reverts or the launcher is blocked, Android’s general help pages do not provide a universal remedy. Manufacturer software, managed-device policies and model-specific restrictions can affect this behavior, so the phone maker’s current documentation is the appropriate next source.
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Write down the exact wording of the error or the setting that changes back. Include the phone maker, model and Android version when requesting support. Those details matter because a menu example for Android 13, for example, may not match a newer release or a different model from the same brand.
How device differences affect the instructions
Google explicitly qualifies its Android instructions: manufacturers can change the wording and placement of settings. A Pixel may expose the documented Apps > Default apps path, while another phone may place the same control under a Home-screen settings page. Even phones from the same brand can differ by model or Android release.
Community posts can help you recognize alternate labels, but examples tied to Android 13 or older software should not be treated as current universal directions. If a post lists a path for Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme or Xiaomi, compare its model and Android version with yours before relying on it.
When a manufacturer’s instructions conflict with a generic Android path, follow the current instructions for your exact model. Do not infer that every phone sold under one brand uses the same menu. Regional software and later updates can also move a setting without changing the basic task: find the Home/default-app control and select the installed launcher.
What this process does—and does not—change
- It changes which app handles the Home action and displays the normal Home experience.
- It does not require buying a new phone, special hardware or a repair tool.
- It does not guarantee that a particular launcher supports your device or Android version; those details must be checked on the launcher’s current listing.
- It does not guarantee that layouts, widgets or settings from one launcher will migrate to another. Import and backup behavior is app-specific.
- It does not provide a universal method for bypassing enterprise or manufacturer restrictions. If the Home app is locked, obtain model-specific or administrator guidance instead of changing security settings.
- It does not uninstall the previous launcher. The original remains available for switching back unless it has been removed or disabled by the device software.
A reliable switching checklist
- Identify the launcher listing in Google Play and verify its publisher and stated compatibility.
- Install it and wait for the installation to complete.
- Open Settings and search for default, home or launcher if the menu path is not obvious.
- Open Default apps, Choose default apps, Home app or Home screen.
- Select the installed launcher.
- Press Home from more than one app to verify that the choice persists.
- Complete only the launcher’s setup options you understand, and check whether any import feature is offered.
- If you want to return, select the original launcher in the same setting before uninstalling anything.
- If the option is missing or blocked, record the exact model and Android version and consult current manufacturer support.
The safest approach is to use Android’s own Home/default-app control, account for your phone’s model and software version, and treat a chooser prompt as a convenience rather than a feature every device must provide.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does installing a launcher automatically make it the Home app?
No. Installation makes the app available, but most phones still require you to select it under a Home-related default-app setting. Some devices may show a chooser after you press Home; selecting the launcher and tapping Always can set it there.
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On Pixel phones, Google documents Settings > Apps > Default apps. The relevant category may be called Home app or Home screen. Other manufacturers may use Choose default apps or another location, so search Settings for default or home.
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Why does my new launcher not appear in the list?
Confirm that Google Play completed the installation and that you are viewing the Home-related category rather than another default-app category. Search Settings for home or launcher. If it remains absent, check the app listing for device or Android-version compatibility and consult the phone maker’s current support.
What if Android asks me to choose a Home app every time?
You may have selected Just once, or the phone may not have retained the choice. Open the Home-app/default-app setting directly and select the launcher there. The chooser prompt is not guaranteed to behave identically on every device.
Can I switch back to the original launcher?
Yes, provided it remains available. Return to the same Home-app or default-app category and select the original launcher, then press Home to verify it. Keep the third-party launcher installed until you have confirmed the switch.
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Will switching launchers delete my apps or phone settings?
Changing the default Home app changes the Home experience; it does not by itself uninstall your other apps or require a new phone. Layouts, widgets and import options are controlled by each launcher, so migration behavior can differ.
Do I need to buy hardware or a special tool?
No. This is a software installation and settings task. You need the phone, an internet connection for Google Play and access to the device’s Home/default-app controls.
What should I do if the phone blocks changing the Home app?
There is no universal fix established for every model. Record the phone maker, exact model and Android version, then consult current manufacturer instructions or an administrator if the device is managed. Do not routinely change bootloader settings, enable Developer Options or clear system-app data for this task.
Are menu paths posted for Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme or Xiaomi universal?
No. Community examples can vary by model, region and Android release, and older examples may be stale. Use them only as clues and verify the control on your own phone.
The Bottom Line
Install the launcher through Google Play, then select it in the phone’s Home app, Home screen or Default apps setting. Because manufacturers change menu labels and locations, search Settings for default or home when the standard path is missing. Test Home from several apps, keep the original launcher until you are satisfied, and use the same setting to switch back.
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