[cybernutte]

I've been looking at the thread where people have posted screenshots of their home page. I notice that many people have just the icons without text identifying each icon. On my home screen, there's both text and icons. How do I arrange to have just icons with no name underneath them?

[EviI]

Sometimes, the apps also have widgets that have the icon but no text.

[Jay Sacks]

Think you need a launcher like Apex or Nova. You can hold on the icon and one of the options is edit. That lets you either change the icon name or remove it.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using AC Forums mobile app

[B. Diddy]

Think you need a launcher like Apex or Nova. You can hold on the icon and one of the options is edit. That lets you either change the icon name or remove it.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using AC Forums mobile app

Actually, on Nova Launcher, there's a setting where you can turn off Icon Labels. Unfortunately, it also turns off labels for folders as well, so you could work around it by editing the app shortcuts only and making the labels blank.

[cybernutte]

Thanks, guys, for your responses. I use a launcher (LaunchBar Commander) on my computers, where I prefer a mostly-clean desktop, but right now I rather like the fact that on my Nexus 7, all the apps to which I want quick access have their icons right on my home screen. I don't have to first click on a launcher and then select the app I want. Or does a launcher work differently from this?

Also, is it possible to edit the app shortcuts without having a launcher?

Again, thanks for your help.

[B. Diddy]

A 3rd party launcher simply replaces the stock launcher--when you use it for the first time, Android will ask you which launcher you want to use when you press the Home key, and when you specify the 3rd party one "All the time" (instead of "Just once"), it will always be active until you uninstall it or select a different one. You can't edit the app shortcuts with the stock launcher.

[Little Darwin]

A third party launcher replaces the default launcher. In other words, a product like Nova takes over managing your device's home screens, and in doing so they offer whatever enhancements the developer has implemented.

They are easy enough to try, and there are mechanisms to fall back to the default launcher.

The only down side, is that typically you need to repopulate the new screens, but this is a small price to pay if the new launcher has the capabilities you want.

[cybernutte]

Thanks, B . Diddy and Little Darwin, for your helpful follow-up replies. Perhaps I'll give Nova a try.