Newbie Question - Customizing the Home Screen

I just got a Nexus 4, which replaces a first-gen HTC EVO (Sprint). I can't figure out how to get the apps I want on the home screen.

When I got the phone, I went to Google Play to have my apps sent to the Nexus. It looks as if GP added them to home screen and subsequent screens in the order that I hit buttons on the GP website. I'd like to know how I can remove the ones I don't want from the home screen and replace them with the half-dozen or so that I use the most. Note that I don't want to delete these apps. I just want their icons elsewhere.

I tried dragging them icons, but there's no vacant space on subsequent screens to drag them to. My other mobile device is an iPad, where it's easy to create another empty screen to drag apps to. Does the N4 have a feature like that?

Thanks.

To delete apps from a home screen, press and hold on it until a trash can appears, then drag it to the trash can until it turns red, and release. The trash can will be either on the top or bottom of the screen, I can't quite remember (and my launcher replacement doesn't use it). You can add apps the same way: press and hold on a blank spot on the screen until the submenu pops up, select App, then tap on the app you want to add.

As for adding home screens, look into third party launchers like [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] (which is what I use). The basic version is free and allows you to add home screens easily from within its settings. You can also tweak other things, such as moving, resizing, or even eliminating the default Google search bar from the top of the screen. Nova Launcher has the benefit of looking and operating almost exactly like stock Android.

To delete the shortcut from your home screen, long press the one you don't want and drag it to the trash can or remove icon that appears. This does not delete the app, you can still access it from the app drawer. To put one on your screen, go into your app drawer and long press, a shortcut will appear on your home screen. Once you have space. Then you can drag the around and place them where you like. If you drag one and drop it right on top of another it will create a folder for you.

Thanks!

There's a setting in the Play store app to switch off the default behaviour of adding a shortcut to downloaded apps on the home screen

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Originally Posted by Citizen Coyote [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

As for adding home screens, look into third party launchers like [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] (which is what I use). The basic version is free and allows you to add home screens easily from within its settings. You can also tweak other things, such as moving, resizing, or even eliminating the default Google search bar from the top of the screen. Nova Launcher has the benefit of looking and operating almost exactly like stock Android.

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I installed Nova Launcher. When I'm exiting out of an app, I now get a choice of which launcher. If I pick NL and say Always, how do I get my stock launcher back if for whatever reason I decide to go back to it.? Thanks.

Sent from my totally awesome Sprint Galaxy Nexus, even if I don't know all its secrets yet.

Go to settings > application manager > all > TWHome.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

To switch back to the regular stock launcher, settings>apps. Scroll to the launcher app, in your case nova, click, scroll down and hit clear defaults. When you hit the home button again it will ask you what launcher to use again.

Correct settings>apps should work and the default launcher is mediocre so I would recommend Nova. GoLauncher is a even better option IMHO

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Originally Posted by Alex trebek [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

Correct settings>apps should work and the default launcher is mediocre so I would recommend Nova. GoLauncher is a even better option IMHO

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All this time I've thought these launcher things and all the different home screens I've seen images of were due to rooting. This is amazing. I love Android! I'm so boring though I didn't even increase my number of home screens. Just got rid of the search bar at the top of all but the main home page and changed the one I kept back to ICS, when it was transparent.

Sent from my totally awesome Sprint Galaxy Nexus, even if I don't know all its secrets yet.

Haha yea. It took me a while to figure out I didn't have to root, but I still did.