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Sometimes, the applications on an Android mobile’s home screen tend to disappear. Have you also faced this? Some apps do not show up when you create a shortcut icon. There is a huge commotion when the users cannot find the shortcuts.
The fact that this happens from time to time does not mean your Android phone is defective.
Some users cannot find the apps featured on the home screen even if the installed version appears in the app gallery. So, if you face the same issue, this post will help you as it features the best ways to eradicate this problem.
The Reason Behind the Apps Going Missing
Numerous reasons cause this technical glitch to appear on your home screen where the installed applications disappear.
For Android users, the most likely cause is that the app icon was manually removed from your home screen by you (or someone else). Long-pressing and swiping an app to an X icon above the screen is a simple way to remove it from Android smartphones. Long-pressing the app icon and then selecting “Remove” from the pop-up menu will work for some users. That’s all there is to it.
Also, you may have mistakenly disabled or hidden the app from your launcher, so you may not be able to access it. Apps can be frozen at will on some phones, such as those from TECNO and Infinix. These phones contain a feature called “Freezer.” Unfreezing the app will allow it to run, send notifications, and even appear on your home screen. In addition, it’s possible that your launcher is attempting to elude your presence.
And if you have an iPhone, you may notice that some apps are missing after installing iOS 14. The issue isn’t one of a technical nature, though. There is a new App Library for iPhone users, which functions as a sort of app drawer. Other explanations include manually deleting the apps from your home screen or uninstalling them.
[Fixed] All Apps Disappeared From Home Screen (Android)
It’s simple to get your lost apps back on your home screen now that you know why they went missing in the first place. To begin, we recommend that you restart your phone before attempting any of the alternatives listed below. Restarting your phone may resolve a short-term software issue that is causing your apps to disappear. Then, if you’re an Android user, see the part below about restoring deleted apps; if you’re an iPhone user, skip to the section below that.
Method 1: Re-add the missing app to your home screen
Check your app drawer and add the app icon back to your home screen to make sure you didn’t uninstall the program in the first place. That’s also a piece of cake. A long-press and a dragging action are usually required on most Android launchers in order to bring an app up on top of your home screen. The method is reversed if you use a TECNO or Infinix phone.
Long press the app in your drawer and select ‘Send to desktop’ from the drop-down menu. Your home screen will now display the icon. After then, you’re free to move it around as you choose.
Method 2: Unhide the missing app
If you can’t find the missing app icon in your app drawer, it’s either hidden, deactivated, or uninstalled. Since most launchers allow you to conceal apps from showing up on your device, I figured it wasn’t deleted but rather one of your launcher’s hidden apps. This means you should look in your hidden apps folder if you’ve ever done it previously.
If you’ve never heard of it, you can easily discover it on your launcher.
- The launcher menu may be accessed by long-pressing anywhere on the home screen.
- Changes can be made by selecting Desktop or Launcher.
- Now that you have the launcher settings open, you should be able to discover a way to hide apps in there. You should be able to unhide any app that you’ve hidden from there.
Method 3: Check the Freezer/Disabled apps.
As previously said, you may have unintentionally disabled or frozen the missing app, which is why it isn’t showing up on your home screen. It is possible to re-enable an app even if it has been disabled or frozen, so long as you don’t permanently remove it from your device.
- Take a look at Settings > Apps & Notifications. View a complete list of available applications.
- At the very top of the screen, you’ll find a drop-down menu called ‘All apps.’ Click on that. Afterward, you must select the various ‘Disabled apps’ featured in the drop-down menu.
- You can simply enable the disabled app by selecting it on the screen below.
- Once done, you can long-press on the home screen to select your Desktop Settings option.
- Make sure the ‘Freezer’ option is turned on in the ‘Other settings’ section. After that, return to the home screen.
- Tap on the ‘Freezer’ icon on your home screen.
- To unfreeze the app, tap on any of the missing ones and then click ‘OK’ at the bottom of the screen. You should be able to see the app on your screen at this point.
Method 4: Reset your Launcher
Wait… are you sure you didn’t uninstall the program by accident? It’s a good idea to double-check this before resetting your launcher. Trying to move the app around on the home screen may have resulted in it being uninstalled. Someone else could have done it if you hadn’t.
How do you check if the app is still on your phone? Well, you can go to the Play Store and type the application’s name. Uninstalled apps will have a huge “Install” button under their names. It’s as simple as downloading and manually adding the app icon to your home screen.
If you have the app installed but it does not appear in your launcher, it is possible that your launcher is malfunctioning. Often, resetting the device might resolve these issues. Although your desktop layout and other settings will be lost, you can always start from scratch.”
- Take a look at Settings > Apps & Notifications. View a complete list of available applications.
- Locate and select your launcher from the provided list of options. TECNO, for example, pre-installs HiOS Launcher.
- To access Storage & Cache, tap your launcher and pick it from the screen.
- Finally, press Clear storage to clear the browser’s storage.
- At this point, all of your apps should be visible. Add new app icons to your home screen to get the process started.
