Can I switch back to the original Samsung launcher later?

Yes. Open the same menu path, Settings ➔ Apps ➔ Choose default apps ➔ Home app, and select the Samsung launcher again. No icons or widgets get removed in the process.

My installed launcher does not show up under Home app, why?

This usually means the app is disabled or needs an update. Check the app in the app list and make sure it is enabled before looking for it again under Home app.

Does changing the launcher affect my app drawer or widget layout?

The layout from the previous launcher is kept in the background but not shown while another launcher is active. Switching back restores the original arrangement in most cases.

Samsung

Samsung: Set the Default Home Screen Launcher

Installing a new launcher from the Play Store does not always make it the active home screen on a Samsung phone. The device keeps falling back to its built-in interface every time you tap the Home button. This happens because the system default app for Home is still locked to the original launcher, not the one you just installed.

Updated: 07.08.20264 min5 steps

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Samsung

Set Default Home Screen Launcher auf Samsung

On Samsung phones, One UI acts as the default launcher and controls the Home screen, app drawer, and gestures. Installing another launcher from the Play Store adds it as an option, but Android does not switch automatically. The system keeps using whichever app is currently set as the default Home app, even after a new launcher is installed and opened once.

To change this, open Settings ➔ Apps ➔ Choose default apps ➔ Home app. This screen lists every launcher installed on the device, including One UI and any third-party app. Tap the launcher you want to use and confirm it as the new default.

If the new launcher does not appear in this list, it usually needs an update or has been disabled in the app info. A missing entry is rarely caused by the Home app setting itself.

Switching back works the same way: open the same menu and select Samsung's own launcher again. No data, widgets, or icons from the previous launcher are deleted during the switch, they simply stop being displayed until you switch back.

Frequently asked questions

The installed launcher only becomes available as an option. Android still uses whatever is set under Settings ➔ Apps ➔ Choose default apps ➔ Home app, so this needs to be changed manually to the new launcher.

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Android 11 · One UI 3

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Display & Home Screen

Samsung: Set the Default Home Screen Launcher

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