Galaxy S7 Guides

Galaxy S7 home screen

Understand the 8 fundamental items in Galaxy S7 home screen and how to use them: apps, app folders, widgets, screen indicator, favorite apps tray, apps screen icon, Flipboard briefing indicator and edge screen handle (for Galaxy S7 edge only).

Galaxy S7 home screen is an essential part for using Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge. Nobody can skip home screen to use an Android phone.

But different Android vendors may customize the Android home screen in own ways. Samsung is not an exception: it is TouchWiz skin and launcher actually give you quite unique experience,

In this guide, you will get to know Galaxy S7 home screen, how to use app folders on Galaxy S7 home screen, how to remove apps/widgets/app folders from Galaxy S7 home screen, and how to customize Galaxy S7 home screen.

The home screen for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is identical except the edge screen handle (see below). So, this guide applies to both Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge home screen although Galaxy S7 is used in  the text.

Table of Contents hide
1) Get to know Galaxy S7 home screen
1.1) apps
1.2) app folders
1.3) widget
1.4) screen indicator
1.5) favorite apps tray
1.6) apps screen icon
1.7) Flipboard briefing indicator
1.8) edge screen handle (for Galaxy S7 edge only)
2) How to organize apps on Galaxy S7 home screen?
3) How to create app folders on Galaxy S7 home screen?
4) How to remove apps, app folders and widgets from Galaxy S7 home screen
5) How to customize Galaxy S7 home screen?
6) Do you understand each item on Galaxy S7 home screen? Do you know how to organize Galaxy S7 home screen?

Get to know Galaxy S7 home screen

A typical layout of Galaxy S7 home screen is shown below.

There are 8 fundamental components on Galaxy S7 home screen:

  • apps

You can put any apps installed on the phone to Galaxy S7 home screen.  You can tap the icon to start the corresponding app.

Android allows you to add one app multiple times in Galaxy S7 home screen.

By default, all installed apps are listed in Galaxy S7 apps screen.

  • app folders

It is impractical to keep 200 apps in the home screen individually. Galaxy S7 allows you to organize these apps in folders.

You can put similar apps into one app folder in Galaxy S7 home screen.

So, app folders give you a cleaner galaxy S7 home screen.

You can also add app folders from Galaxy S7 apps screen directly to home screen, just like adding an app to home screen.

  • widget

Widget allows you to check specific info through the app without opening the app. For example, nobody wants to open weather app to check weather. You want weather info, not app icon, to be displayed.

Some widgets allow you to re-size them. So, you can easy fit them in Galaxy S7 home screen. Of course, it is up to individual app developer to decide whether the widget is realizable..

Please refer to this guide on how to add, use and manage widgets in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

  • screen indicator

When your Galaxy S7 have multiple home screen panels (aka home screen pages),  home screen indicators (corresponding to each Galaxy S7  home screen page/panel) are very helpful for you to know where you are.

By default, the leftmost page of Galaxy S7 home screen is for Flipboard briefing. A special flipboard briefing indicator (2 lines) can be found. Of course, you can disable flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 by following this guide.

Among other Galaxy S7 home screen panels, one (and only one) panel is defined as “home” of home screen panels. If you keep tapping Home button (see Galaxy S7 and S7 edge layout), you will go to this panel eventually. You can assign any other panels as home panel if you want.

Please refer to this guide on how to assign the home panel for Galaxy S7 home screen.

You can tap any screen indicators to navigate to the corresponding Galaxy S7 home screen panel. The bug, advancing one panel when tapping the screen indicator, which can be  found in Galaxy S6 home screen and Galaxy Note 5, was fixed in Galaxy S7. Actually, Android Marshmallow update for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5 fixed the bug as well.

  • favorite apps tray

Galaxy S7 favorite apps tray docks your frequently used apps or app folders. This favorite apps tray tray will present in all Galaxy S7 home screen panels except flipboard briefing panel.

You can organize the Galaxy S7 favorite apps tray  as you want. Normally, you should put most frequently used apps there so that you can use Galaxy S7 very effectively.

  • apps screen icon

The apps screen icon (9 dots) is a shortcut to Galaxy S7 apps screen (aka app drawer).

Traditionally, apps screen for Android users to list all apps installed on the device. Home screen for users to put frequently used apps and widgets.

In Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge), Samsung allows you to hide apps screen and put all apps in Galaxy S7 home screen  (just like in iPhones). You may follow this guide to hide apps screen on Galaxy S7.

Once Galaxy S7 apps screen is hidden and all apps are put in home screen, apps screen icon will disappear.

  • Flipboard briefing indicator

Flipboard briefing is a controversial feature. Some owners don’t like it since it was introduced.  But Samsung still insists that some owners may like it.

The Flipboard briefing indicator lets you quickly navigate to that panel by tapping the icon.

If you do not like Flipboard briefing, you can follow this guide to disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 home screen,

  • edge screen handle (for Galaxy S7 edge only)

On Galaxy S7 edge, you can swipe this handle to open edge screen.

Please refer to this guide on how to use Galaxy S7 edge screen.

Galaxy S7 home screen layout

How to organize apps on Galaxy S7 home screen?

You can move any apps or widgets to desired locations.

To re-position an app or a widget, tap and hold  the app or widget, move your finger on the screen. You will find the app or widget moves with your finger.

Once you find the desired location, you can release your finger from the screen to drop it there.

How to create app folders on Galaxy S7 home screen?

As mentioned above, you can use app folders to organize apps on Galaxy S7 home screen.

You can create app folders on Galaxy S7 home screen directly as shown below.

To create an app folder, you simply touch and hold (without releasing your finger from the screen) one app, move it on the screen, then drop it on the app icon you want to create an app folder with.

Once an app folder is created, you can rename it or change the background color of the folder icon.

Of course, you can move other apps to this folder as well.

Galaxy S7 home screen: how to create app folder

How to remove apps, app folders  and widgets from Galaxy S7 home screen

The apps in Galaxy S7 home screen are actually shortcuts to actual apps in apps screen.  It is safe to remove the app icon from home screen. You can always add them again to Galaxy S7  home screen.

In other words, when you remove an app from Galaxy S7 home screen, you just remove the shortcut to the app. You did not uninstall the app from the phone.

For widget on Galaxy S7 home screen, it is just an instance of the widget. It is also safe to remove it without uninstalling the app.

To remove an app (or app folder, or widget) from Galaxy S7 home screen, you can tap and hold the app icon (or app folder, or widget) until you see the 2 icons  (Remove and Move apps) appear on the top of the Galaxy S7 home screen as shown below. Don’t release your finger from the screen,

You can then drag the app to the Remove icon to remove it from Galaxy S7 home screen.

Galaxy S7 home screen: how to remove app from galaxy s7 home screen

How to customize Galaxy S7 home screen?

You can customize Galaxy S7 home screen in many ways:

  • you can use Galaxy S7 themes to customize Galaxy S7 home screen. (see this guide)
  • you can use new wallpapers for Galaxy S7 home screen. (see this guide)
  • you can set screen grid to customize the size of app icons on Galaxy S7 home screen. (see this guide)
  • you can create and delete home screen panels for Galaxy S7 home screen (please check this guide).
  • you can customize edge screen for Galaxy S7 edge. (see this guide)
  • you can add widgets to Galaxy S7 home screen as shown in this guide.

Please refer to each guide on how to customize Galaxy S7 home screen.

Do you understand each item on Galaxy S7 home screen? Do you know how to organize Galaxy S7 home screen?

If you have any questions or encounter any problems on Galaxy S7 home screen or Galaxy S7 edge home screen , please let us know in the comment box below.

The community will try to help you.

You can get the official Samsung Galaxy S7 user manual (user guide) in your local language here, and Galaxy S7 edge user manual (user guide) in your local language here.

For other guides on using Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, please check Galaxy S7 online manual page.

For detailed Galaxy S7 how-to guides, please check Galaxy S7 how-to guides page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    Hi Simon, installing a big sd card and moving stuff to it from internal memory seems to have done the trick. I learned a lot from your pages – thank uou!

    Reply

  3. Kathy says

    My memory is close to maxed out. Could that be the problem? I’ve ordered an sd card to install, intending to ease the burden on internal memory. I’ll back up before installing & cross my fingers
    if that doesn’t help, factory reset it is. Thanks, Simon!

    Reply

  6. Kathy says

    Simon, P.S. to my earlier post – I am not using any 3rd party launcher. Losing my customizations after every restart is maddening.

    Reply

  7. Kathy says

    I’ve customized my home screen into several pages by app categories, with widgets & stuff just as I want them. But my phone forgets it all any time I restart the phone. How do I get my changes to stick?

    Reply

  10. Tracie says

    I have a Microsoft apps folder. That was on my phone when I got it. All of a sudden 3 of the Microsoft apps appeared on my regular apps page and no longer in the Microsoft folder. I can add them to the folder again but they still remain on my apps page. I tried to remove them from it but when I click and hold on it o don’t get the option to Remove or Move I get Disable and cancel. Of I disable them they disappear from my apps page but also from my Microsoft folder. Is there a way to remove the icons from my apps page without disabling them?

    Reply

  11. qwyzl says

    I was messing around with my samsung galaxy s7, and now when I hit the back key to get to the home screen, it doesn’t go right to the home screen; the second screen with all the apps shows, then I get to the home screen after pressing the back key again. in other words, in stead of getting right to the home screen, which has a few apps, I have to first pass through the second screen of apps before reaching the actual home screen. I never had to do that before. how can I fix this? thanks.

    Reply

  12. Curious in nebraska says

    How can I find an app if I forget where I put it and if I deleted an app can I get the info on when I deleted or when the deleted app was last used ??

    Reply

  13. Patrice Finkelstein says

    Hi, I have set up my home screen and additional screens with my preferred apps and folders of apps on my galaxy 7 edge.
    If I restart my phone I have to put all those selections back as some of the apps are removed.
    If there a save setting to keep these apps and locations when they phone is powered off?
    Thanks!

    Reply

  15. Candace says

    After i put the apps in move apps tray at the top i cant get it to go back to the normal screen ( galaxy s7)

    Reply

  16. Peter says

    How do i make my phone go back to home screen when i close apps and not to the apps folder on the home screen where i opened the app from? Before the update, when i closed my app it would lead me back to the main page (home screen) but now it leaves me back in the tray where the app i opened is in.

    Reply

  17. Tim says

    Hi. Can anyone help. Not sure what I have done but my + home screen page has gone and I now only have one home screen and can’t add more. All my apps are now on a ‘search app’ page accessed from the bottom centre of my home page. If I scroll left from the home screen I access google and news and can’t scroll right as only one home panel/page.
    How do I get my + home screen back so I can add more home panels for my apps

    Reply

  18. Vas says

    Hi All,

    Is there a a way to have the ‘favorites tray / bottom row of icons’ enable on the ‘Home’ screen – but disabled on other screens – i.e.: when you scroll left or right to screens, 2, 3 and so on?

    Cheers!

    Reply

  19. NMK says

    Dear Simon,can I uncheck or remove time showing alongside battery & mobile signal icons at the very top right corner of my galaxy s7 edge??

    Reply

  22. ken thomas says

    this does not explain how to add a single item to a screen. it has changed from older galaxy phones, and it is entirely nonintuitive and so far i cant find how to do it, this page in no way helped at all. this page helped me zero percent to be able to do anything with my s7 edge.

    Reply

    • Sanginius says

      Go to the page to the right of the home screen, (one of the app pages, dont know its name as im new to Android) hold down the Icon for the app you want on your home page and move it to the left hand side. once its far enough left the screen will change to the one to the left, oor the homepage, depending how many screens to the right you were, then you can drop it in the location you want.

      Reply

  23. Janey says

    The 2 shortcuts to apps I have added to my Galaxy S7 lock screen do not work by tapping twice as in the instructions. Have tried everything, if I swipe them I am taken to the next screen asking for my pin code. I thought the whole point of having the shortcut facility was to gain instant access to my 2 chosen apps from the lock screen. Thank you

    Reply

  24. Jamie Freck says

    Having issues with the home screen options just not showing up. If I touch and hold an icon, I don’t get an option to remove it from my screen, or do anything with it. If I touch and hold on the screen, no options for widgets or settings come up at all.

    Reply

  27. Freddy says

    It is possible to unlock panels like on s4? I mean on main panels you used to be able to swipe endless to the left and repeat panels, now on s7 it looks that its not possible anymore…

    Any ideas?

    Reply

  31. Andre Lopes says

    Under display and wallpaper, my option for Icon backgrounds is greyed out and I can’t change that option. How can I fix that?

    Reply

    • Alan says

      In the home screen hold your finger on a blank part of the screen until you see at the bottom of your screen apps, widgets etc, choose widgets and look for your weather App select it and it will open on your home screen, press the widget to move it where you want.

      Reply

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