Why won't shortcuts and widgets appear on my home screen?

[AC Question]

Why won't shortcuts and widgets appear on home screen?

Recently upgraded HTC one M8s to Android 6. Now shortcuts and widgets e.g. music playlists and bookmarks do not add to home screen panels. Also, "quick text" in SMS doesn't work - text message just reverts to all message page or screen goes blank.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! When you say that shortcuts don't get added to the homescreen, are you talking about app shortcut icons? How far can you get in the process? Can you get to the App Drawer, long-press an app, and drag the icon to the homescreen--but the shortcut doesn't get created?

Try wiping the cache partition: https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-10672. The steps for the M8 ought to work for the M8s.

 

[ncjm55]

Adding apps to the home screen isn't a problem. The problem comes when I try to add a shortcut or a widget. For instance, I try to add a music playlist, I get the next screen asking which playlist, I select the playlist then it doesn't appear on the panel screen. The same thing happens with trying to create shortcuts for either a direct message or a direct dial to an individual contact. Similarly when I choose to add a widget such as HTC internet bookmarks nothing appears on the panel screen. Strangely if I add more and more widgets I get the expected message that there is no more room on that panel. So, they must be adding but they do not appear and they therefore aren't active. I've wiped the cache partition twice and the problem persists.

 

[B. Diddy]

See if it works in Safe Mode: https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-10853

 

[ncjm55]

That doesn't work either. Exactly the same things happen.

 

[ncjm55]

Thanks for that. Now after re-starting from Safe Mode the widgets which were working - e.g. analog clock and BBC weather have now disappeared from the Home Screen and trying to put them back results in the same situation - that is they are not visible and active but the panel seems to record their presence as no further widgets can be added due to "insufficient space" being available.

Please don't give the next stock answer - try a factory reset. That really should not be necessary

 

[B. Diddy]

Well, "stock answers" are commonly given first because they often help in the face of various issues. I really wish that I could give you the exact answer on the first try, but if I could do that, I'd be a rich man.

The behavior you're experiencing is highly suggestive of a problem with the firmware--which could mean some sort of corruption that developed, or (more likely) a bug in the update. In an ideal world, a factory reset should never be necessary, but sometimes it just has to be done. Or you could look into reflashing the stock ROM. Good luck!

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Is this working for other people with your device and same software version?

 

[J Dubbs]

Thanks for that. Now after re-starting from Safe Mode the widgets which were working - e.g. analog clock and BBC weather have now disappeared from the Home Screen and trying to put them back results in the same situation - that is they are not visible and active but the panel seems to record their presence as no further widgets can be added due to "insufficient space" being available.

Please don't give the next stock answer - try a factory reset. That really should not be necessary

I didn't think a factory reset should be necessary when I upgraded to 6 either.....and still don't, but it was to get my phone running right. That's just the way it is sometimes

On a side note I'm not sure if this is just a MXPE thing or a 6.0 thing, but when I add shortcuts to apps it goes to my home screen, when I add shortcuts to contacts or anything non app related it created a second screen to the right. So I started out with 2 screens....weather/news screen to the left, main screen, and now a screen to the right that has all my non app shortcuts. I haven't added any widgets to my home screen yet so don't know about that. Check the screen dots bottom of home screen or try and swipe left.....you might have a new screen you weren't aware of.
Of course I could be way off base here......this is my first android phone in years. A lot has changed

 

[B. Diddy]

On a side note I'm not sure if this is just a MXPE thing or a 6.0 thing, but when I add shortcuts to apps it goes to my home screen, when I add shortcuts to contacts or anything non app related it created a second screen to the right.

It's definitely not a Marshmallow thing, because I can mix and match app shortcuts and Direct Dial widgets (or other widgets) within the same screen. One possible explanation is if the contact shortcut you're adding is larger than 1x1--if it is, and if there isn't room for on your main homescreen, then it would be added to the next homescreen.

 

[Javier P]

I didn't think a factory reset should be necessary when I upgraded to 6 either.....and still don't, but it was to get my phone running right. That's just the way it is sometimes

On a side note I'm not sure if this is just a MXPE thing or a 6.0 thing, but when I add shortcuts to apps it goes to my home screen, when I add shortcuts to contacts or anything non app related it created a second screen to the right. So I started out with 2 screens....weather/news screen to the left, main screen, and now a screen to the right that has all my non app shortcuts. I haven't added any widgets to my home screen yet so don't know about that. Check the screen dots bottom of home screen or try and swipe left.....you might have a new screen you weren't aware of.
Of course I could be way off base here......this is my first android phone in years. A lot has changed

I think it depends which way you add the contact widget. Are you trying to add it from the Contacts app? If so, try this instead. Long press on your home screen, tap on widgets, scroll down, long press on 'contact' or 'direct dial' and drag it to the screen.