Samsung’s One UI separates the Home screen from a full Apps screen. That works if you are happy to swipe through pages of icons, but it can feel slow when you want a simpler, more deliberate way to open apps. Replacing One UI Home with a third-party launcher changes the Home app itself, not just the wallpaper or icon pack. For a familiar app drawer, Nova is the closest match; for a sparse, list-based interface with quick actions, Niagara is the better fit.
What changes when you replace One UI Home?
Samsung’s stock launcher keeps your widgets and shortcuts on the Home screen while the Apps screen holds installed applications. You can create folders and keep frequently used apps in the bottom shortcut row; Samsung describes that row as reserved for “your favorite app shortcuts.” A custom launcher becomes Android’s default Home app, so pressing the Home button or swiping home opens the replacement instead of One UI Home.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This is a reversible software setting. Your apps remain installed, and you can switch back to One UI Home from the same Default apps menu. The practical change is how you find and arrange those apps every time you return to the Home screen.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Choose the launcher by the problem you want to solve
| Need | Better fit | How it handles the app drawer | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| A conventional drawer with pages, sorting and folders | Nova | Offers an optional drawer button, alphabetical sorting, hidden apps and drawer folders. | Gesture navigation can have bugs or behave differently on some Android 11-or-newer devices, according to Nova’s FAQ. |
| Fewer icons and faster access to a small set of apps | Niagara | Uses a sparse, list-oriented layout and a Niagara button that can launch a favorite app, widget, folder or another action. | Its approach is less like Samsung’s multi-page grid, so it requires a change in habits. |
Nova: the familiar replacement
Choose Nova if your complaint is mainly Samsung’s drawer layout. Its controls are aimed at people who still want a recognizable app list but need more control over ordering and visibility. You can keep the drawer button, sort alphabetically, hide apps that do not belong in daily navigation and group related apps in folders. That makes it a practical replacement when you want the stock model with less clutter and more customization.
#1 Best Overall
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Niagara: the minimalist replacement
Choose Niagara if a grid of icons is the problem. Niagara presents apps in a compact list rather than several pages of icons. Its signature Niagara button is a shortcut to a favorite app, widget, folder or other action, so one control can replace several Home-screen shortcuts. This suits a Galaxy that is used for a small number of recurring tasks and does not need every installed app visible at once.
How to replace Samsung’s app drawer
- Install the launcher you want and open it once so Android can register it as a Home app.
- Open Android Settings and go to Apps & notifications.
- Open Advanced, then Default Apps.
- Tap Home app and select Nova Launcher or Niagara Launcher.
- Press the Home button or perform your Home gesture. The selected launcher should now open instead of One UI Home.
Niagara documents this route as Android settings → Apps & notifications → Advanced → Default Apps → Home app → Niagara Launcher. Samsung’s labels can vary with One UI and Android releases, but the setting you need is always the default Home app.
Rank #2
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Tracfone plan required, activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- DISPLAY: Immersive viewing on a 6.7-inch super-bright 120Hz display with powerful stereo speakers and Bass Boost for cinematic entertainment.
- CAMERA SYSTEM: Advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera captures sharp, detailed photos and videos in any lighting condition
- PERFORMANCE: Lightning-fast 5G connectivity paired with a powerful processor and RAM Boost for smooth multitasking.
- BATTERY LIFE: Long-lasting 5000mAh battery with TurboPower charging technology delivers hours of power in minutes.
What to configure after switching
Set up a conventional drawer in Nova
- Keep the drawer button if you prefer tapping an obvious app-list control.
- Use alphabetical sorting to make app locations predictable.
- Hide apps that you rarely open so search and scrolling stay focused.
- Create drawer folders for categories that you want separated without placing every shortcut on the Home screen.
Set up a focused list in Niagara
- Promote only the apps you use repeatedly to the visible list.
- Assign the Niagara button to a favorite app, widget, folder or action that would otherwise require several taps.
- Keep the Home screen sparse and rely on the launcher’s app list for everything else.
Give either layout a short adjustment period before judging it. Nova preserves the mental model of a conventional drawer; Niagara deliberately removes much of the visual inventory. The right choice depends on whether you want better organization or less information on screen.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Why a Galaxy can switch back to One UI Home
The most frustrating failure is not a missing feature but a lost default. Niagara documents a Samsung-specific bug in which the phone can revert the default Home screen. When that happens, Android is still working; One UI Home has simply become the selected Home app again.
Rank #3
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
- Return to Android Settings → Apps & notifications → Advanced → Default Apps → Home app.
- Select your installed launcher again.
- Press Home and confirm that the replacement opens.
- If the manual change does not hold, reboot the phone and repeat the selection. Niagara specifically recommends rebooting when Samsung restores the stock launcher.
Reliability can therefore depend on the Galaxy’s One UI and Android version, not only on the launcher’s features. If staying on the selected Home app is more important than customization, test the setting through a normal day of locking, unlocking and returning Home before reorganizing everything.
Navigation and gesture caveats
Samsung’s stock launcher is integrated with One UI, while a third-party launcher is not. Nova’s FAQ warns that gesture navigation may have bugs or behavior differences on some devices running Android 11 or newer. If a swipe feels inconsistent after switching, compare the same action with Samsung’s three-button navigation or temporarily return to One UI Home. A launcher can be a better app-discovery system while still feeling different at the system-navigation level.
Rank #4
- PRIVACY DISPLAY: Automatically hide your screen from those beside you. The built-in privacy display can be preset¹ to turn on when receiving notifications, typing passwords, or using specific apps
- TYPE IT IN. TRANSFORM IT FAST: Enhance any shot in seconds on your smartphone by using Photo Assist² with Galaxy AI.³ Add objects, restore details, or apply new styles by simply typing or tapping
- NIGHTS, CAPTURED CLEARLY: From gigs to city lights, record and capture moments after dark with clarity using Nightography so your photos and videos stay crisp and clear on your Samsung Galaxy
- MAKE IT. EDIT IT. SHARE IT: Turn everyday moments into something personal with creative tools built right into your mobile phone, whether it’s a special contact photo, custom wallpaper, an invitation or more⁴
- HELP THAT KEEPS UP: Stay in the moment while Now Nudge with Galaxy AI helps you respond faster and stay organized with smart suggestions⁵ that appear exactly when you need them on your phone
Is replacing the drawer worth it?
Replace One UI Home when the separation between Home and Apps feels like unnecessary friction. Nova is the safer conceptual transition for anyone who wants Samsung’s drawer idea with sorting, folders and hidden apps. Niagara is the stronger choice when the goal is to see fewer icons and reach favorite actions quickly. In both cases, the decisive setup step is selecting the launcher as Android’s Home app—and the decisive troubleshooting step is repeating that selection, then rebooting, if a Samsung phone restores One UI Home.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- ACTIVATION Promotion: Includes 1500 min, 1500 texts & 1500 MB Data + add more as you need it
- CAMERA SYSTEM: 50MP Quad Pixel camera. Capture sharper, more vibrant photos day or night with 4x the light sensitivity.
- PERFORMANCE: Blazing-fast Qualcomm performance. Get the speed you need for great entertainment with a Snapdragon 680 processor and 4GB of RAM.
- 64GB built-in storage. Get plenty of room for photos, movies, songs, and apps. Made for US
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
