Swipe-deleting Desktop icons

[Teresa Dorminey]

Android tablet w/ V5.1.1 Recently accidentally deleted/removed icons when swiped to change desktop "pages." Don't know why. Searched several times thru every setting and option in SETTINGS but found nothing. Please help.

Add'l info re problem: . Thanks, Diddy, for the reply. I knew that the apps weren't gone, just the icons, but didn't notice until later and couldn't remember what some of them were supposed to be. Already relocated the knowns, but would like to prevent future recurrences. I remember seeing somewhere the option to allow/not allow the swipe removals but can't find it now. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Icons on the homescreens are only shortcuts -- you didn't uninstall those apps. Open your App Drawer (i.e., tap the icon on the bottom row that looks like a grid of dots), find a missing app, long-press it, then drag and drop it back to the homescreen.

 

[Teresa Dorminey]

Add'l info re swipe/delete problem: . Thanks, Diddy, for the reply. I knew that the apps weren't gone, just the icons, but didn't notice until later and couldn't remember what some of them were supposed to be. Already relocated the knowns, but would like to prevent future recurrences. I remember seeing somewhere the option to allow/not allow the swipe removals but can't find it now. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Javier P]

Welcome to the forums. What tablet model do you have and which launcher are you using? Most stock launchers don't include an option to lock your home screens and you'd need to install a custom one, such as Nova.

 

[Teresa Dorminey]

Thanks Javier. I'm running a Kocaso tablet model. MX1082 with v.5.1.1. On continuing my Settings search I stumbled across an option to swipe erase conversations in gmail lists. That may be what I was remembering and misattributed the function/source.

 

[B. Diddy]

I also recommend Nova Launcher. It's one of the best alternate launcher apps, and gives you much more control over how the interface works compared to the stock launcher. And as Javier P mentioned, it has an option to lock the homescreen setup so that you don't accidentally move or remove any icons.

 

[Teresa Dorminey]

Thanks, Diddy! I have installed Nova, as recommended by you and Javier (thanks, Javier) without any issues showing up so far. I did get the screen lock option turned on so happy for now. Hopefully will have no problems learning to 'drive' it, but will be back if I do. Thank you for the excellent help.

 

[Javier P]

Glad it helped! Let us know if you need any help with Nova.