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Install the launcher first, then open Settings and search for Default home app or Home app. Choose the launcher from the matching default-app screen, press Home (or swipe up, depending on your navigation mode), and confirm that the new home screen appears.
What an Android launcher and Home app are
Android uses the word launcher for the app that supplies your Home screen, app list, widgets and the screen shown when you finish using another app. In the system settings, that same role is usually labelled Home app or default home app. Changing the default does not replace Android itself; it tells the operating system which installed app should respond when you go Home.
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The exact menu wording and location depend on the phone maker, Android release, model and sometimes region. Google’s Android Help warns: “Important: Some of these steps may vary based on your device.” For that reason, Settings search is the most reliable starting point rather than memorising one manufacturer’s path.
Before you change the default
Install the launcher completely
Download and install the launcher you want before opening the default-app selector. The launcher must appear as an installed app before Android can offer it as a Home app. If installation is still pending, interrupted or incomplete, the selector may continue to show only the built-in launcher.
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Finish any first-run setup
Some launchers display an onboarding screen the first time they open. Launch the app once and complete or dismiss that setup so it is ready to act as a Home app. This is not a separate default-setting step, but it can make the app easier to identify when several similarly named apps are installed.
Know the name you are selecting
Android lists a launcher by its installed app name. Note that name before entering Settings, especially if you have installed more than one launcher. Do not select an unrelated app simply because its icon looks similar.
Universal method: use Settings search
Use this procedure when you are unsure which menu your phone uses. The labels below are the terms to try in order.
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- Tap the search field or magnifying-glass icon.
- Search for Default home app.
- If there is no useful result, search for Home app.
- Open the result that refers to the default Home app, default launcher or home application. On some phones the result is under Apps or Default apps.
- Tap the currently selected launcher to open the list of available Home apps.
- Select the launcher you installed. Android may immediately make the change or ask you to confirm it.
- Return to the Home screen by tapping the Home button or swiping up from the bottom, according to your navigation mode. The new launcher should appear.
If search returns several similarly named results, choose the one that explicitly controls the Home app or launcher. A setting for the home screen’s layout, wallpaper or icon grid is not the same as the default-app selector.
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Manufacturer menu routes for Android 13 examples
The following routes were reported for Android 13. They are useful starting points, not universal instructions for every model, region or later software version. If a route does not exist on your phone, use the Settings-search method instead.
| Device family | Reported Android 13 path | What to select |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > Home app | Tap Home app, then choose the installed launcher. |
| Oppo, OnePlus and Realme | Settings > Apps > Default App > Home app | Open Home app and select the launcher. |
| Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco | Settings > Home screen > Default launcher | Choose the launcher shown in the default-launcher list. |
| Google Pixel | Search Settings for Default home app, or use Settings > Apps > Default apps > Home app when that route is present. | Select the installed launcher. The same screen can be used to select Pixel Launcher again. |
Menu names can change after an Android update, a manufacturer interface update or a regional software change. A route that works on one model in a family may be absent on another model, even when both report the same Android major version.
How to confirm that the new launcher is active
After selecting the launcher, go to Home. If the new app opens, the default change succeeded. Look for the launcher’s own app list, dock, widget panel or layout as a visual confirmation rather than relying only on the setting’s check mark.
Test the action you normally use to leave an app: tap the three-button-navigation Home button, or swipe up with gesture navigation. Both actions should now open the selected Home app. Opening the launcher directly from the app drawer proves that it is installed, but it does not by itself prove that Android has assigned it as the default.
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If Android presents a chooser asking which Home app to use, select the new launcher and choose the option that makes it the default when that option is offered. If you select the launcher only once without making it the default, the chooser may appear again the next time you press Home.
If the launcher does not appear in the list
A missing launcher option means Android is not currently exposing that installation as an available Home app. Work through these checks in order:
- Open the launcher from the app drawer and verify that installation finished. If the icon is missing, reinstall it and wait for the installation to complete.
- Restart Settings by leaving the app and opening it again, then repeat a search for Default home app and Home app.
- Check Settings > Apps for the launcher’s installed app entry. The exact list and controls vary by device.
- Open the phone maker’s current support instructions for your exact model and software build. There is no single missing-option fix established for every Android device, so a model-specific guide is more reliable than forcing a route from another manufacturer.
Do not assume that an app labelled as a home-screen customization tool can be selected as a launcher. Android’s default list includes apps that declare themselves able to provide the Home role; other customization apps may remain absent by design.
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Changing back to the built-in launcher
You can switch back whenever you want by returning to the same Home app or Default home app setting and selecting the phone’s built-in launcher. On Pixel phones, a Google Pixel Community answer identifies Pixel Launcher in the Home app defaults as the choice for restoring the built-in experience.
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If you are unsure which entry is the original, look for the launcher name associated with the phone maker rather than deleting the new launcher. Selecting the built-in option changes the default; uninstalling the alternative is optional and is not required to restore the original Home app.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens to your layout and widgets
Each launcher maintains its own Home-screen arrangement. Switching launchers can therefore show a different dock, app list, widget placement, icon style or settings panel. This is expected behavior and does not mean the default change failed. Your apps remain installed; the new launcher simply presents them through its own interface.
When you switch back, the previous launcher may restore the layout it stored. If a widget or shortcut is not visible, check that launcher’s own Home screen and widget picker before concluding that the underlying app has been removed.
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Pressing Home still opens the old launcher
- Return to the default-app screen and verify that the new launcher is selected, not merely opened once.
- Use Settings search again; you may have changed a Home-screen appearance setting rather than the system Home app.
- If a chooser appears, make the new launcher the default instead of choosing a one-time option.
- Press Home or swipe up again after leaving Settings to test the assignment.
The setting has a different name
Try the search terms Default home app, Home app and default launcher. If none finds the setting, browse Settings > Apps for Default apps, or look under Settings > Home screen. Manufacturers reorganise these pages, so an unfamiliar label does not indicate that the feature is unavailable.
The launcher opens but immediately closes
That indicates a problem with the launcher app itself rather than proof that Android rejected the default. Open its app entry under Settings > Apps, check whether installation completed and follow the app developer’s current support guidance. If the phone remains usable, select the built-in launcher in the Home app setting while you troubleshoot.
The phone shows only the built-in launcher
Confirm that the alternative appears as an installed app and that its installation is complete. If it is installed but absent from the Home app list, consult the phone maker’s instructions for that model and build. Android does not provide one universal repair sequence for this condition.
You cannot find a Home button
Gesture navigation may hide the traditional buttons. Swipe up from the bottom edge to reach Home. Three-button navigation uses an on-screen Home button. The navigation mode changes how you test the launcher, not which app is selected as the default.
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Device and version caveats
The named manufacturer paths above are Android 13 examples supplied by Google community responses. They should not be treated as guarantees for Android 12, Android 14, newer releases, beta software or a phone sold in another region. System updates can rename Default App to Default apps, move Home app from Apps to Home screen, or alter the search result while preserving the same function.
When instructions from another phone conflict with what you see, trust the labels on your device and start with Settings search. The goal is always the system’s Home-app assignment, regardless of whether the manufacturer calls it a launcher, home application or default home app.
Quick Recap
A quick checklist
- The desired launcher is installed and opens normally.
- You searched Settings for Default home app or Home app.
- You opened the system default-app selector, not a wallpaper or layout page.
- You selected the launcher by its installed app name.
- Pressing Home or swiping up now opens the new Home screen.
- You know where to select the built-in launcher if you want to switch back.
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