Moving apps on Android is essential for organizing your home screen and optimizing your device. Whether you’re decluttering your home screen, grouping similar apps together, or making your favorite apps more accessible, knowing how to move apps can streamline your mobile experience. Fortunately, moving apps on Android is a straightforward process that can be done in a few simple steps.
To move an app, simply press and hold the app icon on your home screen. After a few seconds, the app icon will start to jiggle, indicating that you’re in edit mode. Without releasing your finger, drag the app icon to the desired location on your home screen. You can move the app to another section of the home screen, or you can create a new folder by dragging the app icon over another app icon. Once you’ve moved the app to the desired location, release your finger and the app will be placed in its new spot.
If you want to move an app from your home screen to a different folder, you can do so by dragging the app icon onto the folder icon. The app will be added to the folder. You can also create a new folder by dragging an app icon over an empty area on your home screen. The new folder will be created automatically. To add more apps to the folder, simply drag and drop them onto the folder icon.
Drag and Drop the App
Of all the methods available, dragging and dropping an app to a new location is perhaps the most straightforward. Follow these simple steps to move an app using drag and drop:
1. **Unlock your device** and navigate to the home screen where the app you want to move is located.
2. **Long-press the app icon** for a few seconds until it starts to “shake.” This will enter the editing mode and reveal additional features.
3. **Tap and hold your finger on the app icon** and drag it across the screen. As you move the app, you’ll see “drop zones” appear in different locations.
4. **Drag the app to the desired drop zone** and release your finger to drop it in that location.
5. **Repeat the process** to move additional apps if needed.
It’s important to note that not all apps can be moved using drag and drop. Some system apps and certain third-party apps may be fixed to specific locations or protected by restrictions. If you’re unable to move an app, it’s likely due to one of these reasons.
In the table below, you’ll find a summarized version of the steps involved in moving an app using drag and drop:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Unlock device and navigate to the home screen. |
| 2 | Long-press the app icon until it “shakes.” |
| 3 | Tap and hold the icon and drag it across the screen. |
| 4 | Drag the app to the desired drop zone and release. |
Use the App Drawer
The app drawer is a convenient way to organize and access all of your apps on your Android device. To move an app using the app drawer, follow these steps:
- Open the app drawer. To do this, tap the app drawer icon on the home screen or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- Find the app you want to move. You can use the search bar to find a specific app or scroll through the list of apps.
- Touch and hold the app icon. The app icon will start to shake.
- Drag the app icon to the desired location. You can drag the app icon to a new location on the home screen or to the app drawer.
- Release the app icon. The app will be moved to the new location.
Customize Your App Drawer
You can customize your app drawer to make it more organized and easier to use. To do this, open the app drawer and tap the three dots in the upper-right corner. From here, you can change the sorting order of the apps, create folders, and hide apps.
Create Folders
Creating folders is a great way to organize your apps. To create a folder, tap and hold an app icon and drag it over another app icon. The two apps will be placed in a new folder. You can continue to add apps to the folder by dragging and dropping them into the folder.
| Sorting Options | Description |
|---|---|
| Alphabetical | Sorts apps alphabetically by app name. |
| Last Used | Sorts apps by the most recently used. |
| Installed Date | Sorts apps by the date they were installed. |
Use the Home Screen Editor
The home screen editor is a powerful tool that allows you to customize the layout of your home screen, including moving apps.
To access the home screen editor, long-press on an empty area of the home screen. This will bring up a menu with several options, including “Home screen settings”. Tap on this option to open the home screen editor.
In the home screen editor, you can drag and drop apps to move them around the home screen. You can also create folders to organize your apps. To create a folder, drag one app on top of another app. This will create a folder containing both apps. You can then drag other apps into the folder to add them.
Here are some additional tips for using the home screen editor:
- You can create multiple home screens by swiping left or right on the home screen.
- You can change the wallpaper of the home screen by tapping on the “Wallpaper” option in the home screen editor.
- You can add widgets to the home screen by tapping on the “Widgets” option in the home screen editor.
Additional Tips for Moving Apps Using the Home Screen Editor:
Here are some additional tips for moving apps using the home screen editor:
Tip Description 1. Use the grid to align apps The home screen editor has a grid that helps you align apps neatly. When you drag an app, the grid will snap to the nearest available space.
2. Create folders to organize apps If you have a lot of apps, you can create folders to organize them. This will make it easier to find the apps you need.
3. Use the search bar to find apps If you can’t find an app on the home screen, you can use the search bar to find it. The search bar is located at the top of the home screen.
Use a Third-Party App
There are a plethora of third-party apps available on the Google Play Store that allow you to move apps around on your Android device. These apps typically offer a range of features, including the ability to create custom app folders, move multiple apps at once, and arrange apps alphabetically or by category. Some popular options include:
App Name Features App Organizer Create custom app folders, move multiple apps at once, and arrange apps alphabetically or by category. App Drawer Organizer Customize the app drawer layout, including the number of rows and columns per page, and arrange apps in a grid or list view. Simple Home Launcher A minimalist home screen launcher that allows you to create custom app folders and widgets, and rearrange apps intuitively. Nova Launcher A highly customizable home screen launcher that provides extensive options for app organization, including the ability to create app folders, hide apps, and arrange apps on a custom grid. To use these apps, simply download them from the Google Play Store and follow the on-screen instructions. Once installed, you can launch the app and begin organizing your apps. Most apps offer a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to move and arrange apps as desired.
Use Google Assistant
Google Assistant can be a convenient way to move an app on your Android device. Here’s how to do it:
■Note:
Google Assistant is only available on devices running Android 5.0 or later.
■ Open the app you want to move.
■ Press and hold the app icon.
■ A menu will appear. Select “Move”.
■ Swipe left or right to select the home screen or app drawer you want to move the app to.
■ Release your finger to drop the app in the desired location.Additional tips:
You can also use Google Assistant to move multiple apps at once. To do this, press and hold one app icon, then tap the other apps you want to move. All of the selected apps will be moved to the new location when you release your finger.
If you want to move an app to a specific location on the home screen, press and hold the app icon, then drag it to the desired location. You can also create folders on your home screen to organize your apps.
To move an app to the app drawer, press and hold the app icon, then drag it to the bottom of the screen. The app will be moved to the app drawer when you release your finger.
Use a Shortcut
You can use a shortcut to move an app if you don’t want to use the home screen. To do this:
1. Tap and hold the app icon you want to move.
2. Drag the icon to the edge of the screen.
3. A menu will appear with options to move the app to the desired location.
4. Select the desired location from the menu.
5. The app will be moved to the selected location.
6. Here are some additional tips for using the shortcut method:
– You can use the shortcut method to move multiple apps at once. To do this, tap and hold one app icon, then tap the other app icons you want to move. The selected apps will be grouped together. You can then drag the group of apps to the desired location.
– You can use the shortcut method to create folders. To do this, drag one app icon on top of another app icon. A folder will be created with the two apps inside. You can then add more apps to the folder by dragging them on top of the folder icon.
– You can use the shortcut method to move apps to the app drawer. To do this, drag the app icon to the bottom of the screen. The app will be moved to the app drawer.Use a Widget
Widgets are interactive shortcuts that you can place on your home screen. They provide quick access to various app functions, including moving the app itself. To use a widget to move an app on Android:
- Long-press an empty space on your home screen.
- Tap Widgets.
- Find the widget for the app you want to move.
- Long-press the widget and drag it to the desired location on your home screen.
- Release your finger to place the widget.
- Tap the app icon inside the widget.
- Drag and drop the app to the new location you want it to be.
Step Description 1 Long-press an empty space on your home screen. 2 Tap Widgets. 3 Find the widget for the app you want to move. 4 Long-press the widget and drag it to the desired location on your home screen. 5 Release your finger to place the widget. 6 Tap the app icon inside the widget. 7 Drag and drop the app to the new location you want it to be. Move App to the Dock
Moving apps onto your dock is an excellent way to quickly access the apps you use the most, especially when multitasking. The Dock is located at the bottom of the screen and can be accessed from any screen.
To move an app onto the Dock, first find the app you want to add on your home screen. Once you have found the app, long-press on it and hold it until a menu pops up.
From the menu, select the option “Add to Dock”. The app will now be added to the Dock.
If your Dock is already full and you want to add another app, you must first remove an app from the Dock to make room. To do this, long-press on an app in the Dock and hold it until a menu pops up.
From the menu, select the option “Remove from Dock”.
Once you have removed an app from the Dock, you can then add the app you want to add.
You can also move apps around on the Dock by long-pressing on them and dragging them to the desired location.
Tips
- You can add up to five apps to the Dock.
- The order of the apps in the Dock can be customized.
- You can remove apps from the Dock by long-pressing on them and dragging them to the “X” icon at the top of the screen.
Troubleshooting
If you are having trouble adding an app to the Dock, try the following steps:
- Make sure that you are not trying to add more than five apps to the Dock.
- Make sure that the app you are trying to add is not already in the Dock.
- Restart your phone.
Move App to a Folder
To move an app to a folder, follow these steps:
1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the app drawer.
2. Tap and hold the app you want to move.
3. Drag the app to the folder you want to move it to.
4. If the folder doesn’t exist, tap and hold the app and then drag it to the home screen.
5. Tap and hold a blank space on the home screen.
6. Tap “Create folder”.
7. Enter a name for the folder.
8. Tap “Create”.
9. Drag the app to the new folder.Step Description 1 Open the app drawer. 2 Tap and hold the app you want to move. 3 Drag the app to the folder you want to move it to. 4 If the folder doesn’t exist, tap and hold the app and then drag it to the home screen. 5 Tap and hold a blank space on the home screen. 6 Tap “Create folder”. 7 Enter a name for the folder. 8 Tap “Create”. 9 Drag the app to the new folder. Disable an App
Disabling an app on Android prevents it from running and accessing system resources. This can be useful for apps that are misbehaving or consuming excessive resources. Here are the detailed steps on how to disable an app:
1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Tap on the “Apps” or “Applications” option.
3. Scroll through the list of installed apps and locate the one you want to disable.
4. Tap on the app name to open its app info page.
5. Tap on the “Disable” button.
6. Confirm the action by tapping on the “OK” button in the pop-up window.Once the app is disabled, it will be grayed out in the app drawer and will not be accessible until you enable it again. Disabling an app does not delete it from your device, so you can re-enable it at any time by following the same steps.
Note: Some system apps may not be able to be disabled.
How to Move an App on Android
Moving apps on your Android device is a simple process that can help you organize your home screen and make your apps easier to find. To move an app, simply follow these steps:
- Press and hold the app icon you want to move.
- Drag the icon to the new location you want it to be.
- Release the icon to drop it in the new location.
You can also move apps to different folders on your home screen. To do this, simply drag the app icon onto the folder icon. The app will be added to the folder.
People Also Ask
How do I move apps to the SD card on my Android phone?
To move apps to the SD card on your Android phone, you need to make sure that your phone supports this feature. To check if your phone supports moving apps to the SD card, go to Settings > Storage. If you see an option to “Move apps to SD card”, then your phone supports this feature.
To move an app to the SD card, simply go to Settings > Apps. Tap on the app you want to move, then tap on the “Storage” option. On the Storage screen, tap on the “Change” button next to the “Storage location” option. Select the SD card from the list of options, then tap on the “Move” button.
How do I move apps to the external storage on my Android phone?
To move apps to the external storage on your Android phone, you need to use a file manager app. There are many different file manager apps available in the Google Play Store, so you can choose one that you like. Once you have installed a file manager app, open it and navigate to the folder where your apps are stored. Typically, this folder is located in the “Internal storage” folder.
Once you have found the folder where your apps are stored, select the apps that you want to move to the external storage. Once you have selected the apps, tap on the “Move” button. The file manager app will then move the selected apps to the external storage.
