How to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update?

Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ allows you to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout so that you will not lose you customization due to accidental touches.

Although it sounds trivial and can be found in some other Android phones, many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners will find this is one of the very useful features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+.

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide shows you how to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update, and what the caveats are if you lock the home screen layout.

Why you may need to lock the home screen layout?

You can customize the Galaxy S9 home screen in many ways. You can use third-party themes, remove Bixby Home from the home screen, change wallpapers, adjust the grid layout, add app folders, pin individual files to the home screen, show photos on Galaxy S9 home screen (using widgets), and manage home screen panels.

Besides, Galaxy S9 and S9+ also support landscape mode of the Galaxy S9 home screen.

But very easily, the customization can be instantly wiped by accidental taps.  For example, your kids may delete the widgets from the screen if they get their hands on the screen.

Many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners want to lock the customization after the initial setup because most owners seldom change the home screen after one or two months.

Now, in the Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout so that you will not lose your customization so easily.

Of course, it only locks the layout. You cannot add or delete app icons or widgets once you lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout. But you can still use Galaxy S9 home screen edit mode to customize the home screen.

How to lock the Galaxy S9 home screen layout?

As other new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, the lock home screen layout feature is not enabled by default.

You need to enable this feature to lock the home screen layout.

In Galaxy s9 Settings, tap Display as shown below.

In the display settings page, as shown in the screenshot above, tap Home screen.

In the home screen settings page, you can then find the option to lock Home screen layout, as shown below.

You can tap the switch to enable it.

If you want to add app icons or widgets to the home screen or want to relocate the apps/widgets, you can use the switch to unlock the home screen layout lock temporarily.  After finishing customization, you may turn it on.

Once you lock the home screen layout, you will not be able to relocate apps or widgets.

For example, as shown in the screenshot above, after you lock the home screen layout and try to move or delete an app icon, you will get the heads-up notification

Can't move item. Home screen layout locked.

If you want to relocate or remove the app icon in the Galaxy S9 home screen, you need to unlock (disable) the home screen layout.

What are the caveats?

As mentioned, this feature only locks the layout of the home screen. It prevents you from adding or removing or relocating the apps and widgets on the home screen.

However, even after you lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout, you may still change the layout in Galaxy S9 home screen edit mode.

For example,  you can still delete a home screen panel in the edit mode even after you lock the home screen layout.

You may also change the layout automatically by changing the home screen grid.  For example,  in one home screen panel, you have 25 app icons in the 5*5 layout. When you change home screen grid from 5*5 to 4*5, the 5 app icons that cannot be fit in the new grid layout will be added to a new screen panel following the current panel.

Now, if you change back to 5*5 home screen grid,  the 5 app icons on the newly created home screen panel will not be restored to the old panel.  It will stay in the new panel. The original panel will still have 20 app icons only (but now with 5 empty slots).

Another caveat of locking Galaxy S9 home screen layout feature is that it is mutually exclusive with Add apps to home screen automatically (for newly installed apps).  It is logical. If you lock the home screen layout, newly installed apps will not be added automatically. You need to unlock the Galaxy S9 home screen layout before you can add any apps to the home screen.

Can you lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout on now? Do you understand the caveats when using this feature?

If you have any questions or encounter any problems when you try to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update,  please let us know them in the comment box below.

The community will help you find the answer.

For the user guide for new features of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, please check Galaxy S9 new features guides page.

For using Galaxy S9 and S9+, please check Galaxy S9 how-to guides page.

For using the Galaxy S9 camera, please check Galaxy S9 camera guides page.

For accessories for Galaxy S9 and S9+, please check Galaxy S9 accessories guides page.

For official Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ user manuals in your language, you may check this page (if your Galaxy S9 or S(+ is running Android Oreo), or this page (if your Galaxy S9 and S9+ have got the Android Pie update).

Detailed how-to guides for new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ be found on this page.