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I rebuilt my Samsung Galaxy home screen around the apps I actually use, grouped the rest into folders, and left everything else on the Apps screen. The result is a simpler layout that works better for me; Samsung’s guidance explains the organization tools, but it does not establish a measured time saving. The steps below use Samsung’s documented controls. Menu labels can vary by Galaxy model, carrier, and software version.

Start with what belongs on the first screen

The home screen is for the shortcuts and information you want immediately available. The Apps screen holds your installed apps, so clearing a shortcut from the home screen does not remove the app itself. I treated the first screen as a small launchpad rather than a catalog: only apps I reach for often earned a spot there.

Add only the app shortcuts you want

  1. Swipe up or down from the home screen to open the Apps screen.

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  2. Touch and hold an app you want on the home screen, then choose Add to Home. On supported layouts, you can also drag the app to the desired position.

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  3. To clear a shortcut later, touch and hold it and select Remove. This removes the home-screen shortcut, not the installed app. Samsung’s US instructions are at Add app shortcuts on your Galaxy phone or tablet.

Group apps and keep the Favorites row intentional

When two apps serve a related purpose, drag one shortcut onto the other to create a folder. Name the folder so you can recognize its contents at a glance, then move other relevant shortcuts into it. I used folders for apps I still wanted close by but did not need to see individually on the first screen.

Samsung documents a limit of five apps in the Favorites row. If the Apps screen button is placed there, Samsung’s US support instructions say the row can hold four apps instead. That makes Favorites useful for a few frequent destinations rather than overflow storage.

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Add widgets only when they earn their space

  1. Touch and hold an empty part of the home screen, then tap Widgets.

  2. Choose a widget, select a size if prompted, and add it to the screen.

  3. If the widget supports it, resize it or open its settings to configure what it shows.

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A widget is worthwhile when its information or action saves a trip into an app; otherwise, it competes with shortcuts for limited space. You can move or remove widgets later. Removing a widget does not erase the app’s settings. Samsung’s widget and home-screen instructions are in its Galaxy home-screen guide, last updated September 30, 2024.

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Lock the layout when it feels settled

Once your icons and widgets are where you want them, open the home-screen settings and turn on Lock Home screen layout. This helps prevent accidental movement or deletion. The exact route into Home screen settings can differ across Galaxy software versions and models.

Choose between standard One UI and Home Up

For ordinary shortcut, folder, widget, and layout organization, the built-in One UI tools avoid an extra customization layer. If you need more freedom than the standard grid permits, Samsung’s Good Lock module Home Up offers a more flexible route. Samsung describes its DIY Home Screen as allowing apps, widgets, and folders to be freely resized and repositioned. Its other listed options include hiding the Favorites row, adding sticker-layer app shortcuts, and changing home gesture animations. See Samsung’s Home Up announcement dated April 9, 2025.

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  • LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
  • MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
  • NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
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Use Home Up when a specific capability matters to your layout, not just because more settings are available. It adds a setup layer, and the feature set and labels can depend on the installed software and app versions. Samsung’s sources do not provide a comparative usability test showing that either approach is faster for everyone.

Check grid options before planning a layout

Grid choices are version-dependent. Samsung’s One UI 7 instructions say the standard home-screen grid menu does not offer 4×5 or 5×5. For those grids, Samsung documents this route: Good Lock > Home Up > Home screen > Home screen grid. Availability and wording may vary with the Galaxy model, software version, region, and Good Lock/Home Up version, so check the options on your device before arranging a layout around a particular grid.

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A simple rebuild order

  1. Remove home-screen shortcuts you rarely use; keep the apps installed.

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  2. Add back the few apps you open most often and place them where your thumb can reach them comfortably.

  3. Combine related shortcuts into folders and reserve Favorites for the handful of destinations you use constantly.

  4. Add a widget only if it provides useful information or a direct action without opening an app.

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  5. Lock the layout when you are satisfied, and consider Home Up only if the built-in grid cannot deliver the arrangement you want.

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