You can switch Android’s default launcher without deleting the old one, but the new launcher may not reproduce your existing home-screen layout automatically. Before switching, record your pages and check whether your current launcher offers its own backup or export option. On a Pixel, choose the new home app in Settings > Apps > Default apps; menu names can differ on other devices.
What changes when you switch launchers?
The launcher is the app that provides the home screen. Changing the default tells Android which app to open for that role; it does not, by itself, guarantee that another launcher will have the same arrangement of apps, shortcuts, widgets, or groups. Android’s guidance treats those items as things you can add, move, group, and remove on a home screen: Add apps, shortcuts & widgets to your Home screens.
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Layouts and restore options are app-specific. Google’s device-backup guidance says backups can include apps, app data, and device settings, but also warns: “Not all apps can back up or restore all settings and data.” A Google Account backup therefore is not a promise that a launcher’s exact layout will transfer: Back up or restore data on your Android device.
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- Capture every home-screen page. Take screenshots and note which apps, shortcuts, folders, and widgets belong on each page. Include any placement or grouping that would be difficult to remember.
- Check the current launcher’s settings. Look for a backup, export, or layout-transfer option. If one exists, follow that launcher’s own instructions and confirm where the backup is saved. Availability and restore behavior depend on the app; there is no universal export method established for every launcher.
- Make sure you can restore important widgets and shortcuts. Note the apps or services they come from, since the replacement launcher may require you to add them again and arrange them manually.
How to change the default launcher
On a Pixel phone or Pixel Tablet
- Install the replacement launcher and open it at least once.
- Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- Choose the default-app category for the home app or launcher, then select the launcher you want to use. Google’s Pixel instructions cover setting or clearing default apps here: Set or clear default apps on your Pixel phone or Pixel Tablet.
On other Android devices
Look in Settings for Apps, Default apps, or a home-app/launcher setting; manufacturers may use different labels or locations. Google notes that some steps in its home-screen guidance work only on Android 14 and later, so instructions and available controls can also depend on Android version. If you cannot find the setting, search the device’s Settings for “default apps” or “home app.”
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Check the new home screen and restore what is missing
After selecting the replacement, return to the home screen and compare it with your screenshots. Add or move apps, shortcuts, widgets, and groups as needed. If you made a launcher-specific backup, use that launcher’s restore option and check the result; do not assume Android’s general device backup has restored the layout.
Keep the old launcher installed until you have checked the replacement and recovered anything important. That leaves the previous app available if you need to switch back, though its former layout may still depend on that app’s own data and backup behavior.
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How to choose the launcher again on a Pixel
If you want Android to ask which app to use again, clear the relevant default preference in Settings. Google’s Pixel instructions explain how to clear an app’s defaults; when the same action happens again, the device prompts you to choose an app. See Google’s Pixel default-app instructions for the steps.
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- Add favorite or frequently used apps to the Favorites section at the bottom of the home page;
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