Can I still create folders when the home screen layout is locked?

No. Folder creation requires dragging one icon onto another, which is blocked while the layout is locked. Disable the lock first, arrange folders, then lock it again if needed.

What happens to widgets that are already placed when I lock the layout?

Existing widgets stay exactly where they are. Locking only prevents moving, resizing, or removing them by touch; you can still remove a widget through its own long-press menu options if that action is not tied to dragging.

I cannot find the Lock Home screen layout option in Settings. What now?

The option location can vary slightly between device models. If it is missing under Tap on Settings ➔ Tap on Home screen, try accessing home screen settings directly by long-pressing an empty area of the home screen and looking for a settings icon there.

Samsung

Samsung: Lock or Unlock the Home Screen Layout

If apps and widgets keep shifting position on your Samsung home screen, or a new app suddenly lands in the wrong spot, the layout is probably unlocked. This lets the system rearrange icons automatically and lets accidental long-presses move things around. Locking the layout stops both issues at once.

Updated: 07.08.20263 min3 steps

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Samsung

Lock or Unlock Home Screen Layout auf Samsung

On Samsung devices running One UI, the home screen layout can shift without any obvious cause. Newly installed apps get placed automatically, and a slightly too long tap on an icon can drag it into another position. Both behaviors come from the same setting: the home screen layout is unlocked by default.

Locking it disables two things at once. Apps and widgets can no longer be moved by touch, and new apps are no longer added to the home screen automatically after installation. This is useful if you have arranged folders and widgets carefully and want to keep that setup fixed.

To change this, go to Tap on Settings ➔ Tap on Home screen ➔ Enable or disable Lock Home screen layout. Toggling this option on locks the current arrangement immediately; toggling it off allows editing again.

If the App Overview is disabled on your device, locking the home screen layout also removes the option to unlock it from within that view, so use the Settings path described above instead. Unlock the layout again whenever you plan to reorganize icons, add widgets, or install several new apps in a row.

Frequently asked questions

Locking the layout via Tap on Settings ➔ Tap on Home screen ➔ Enable or disable Lock Home screen layout also disables automatic placement of newly installed apps. They still install normally and stay available in the app drawer.

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Android 11 · One UI 3

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Samsung: Lock or Unlock the Home Screen Layout

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