Galaxy S4: Touchwiz won't stay as default launcher!

[iiari]

Re: Touchwiz wont stay as default launcher!

Ok, here's my update with this problem...

After "fixing" it by uninstalling the Google Search update, I did the OTA 4.4 update. This amazingly seemed to fix the problem for 2 days until I restarted my phone. THEN IT CAME BACK!! To make it worse, uninstalling the Google search update DID NOT work for this for 4.4, so I'm screwed. Went down to the Sprint Repair store where the tech told me it's "hopeless" and that his own phone is affected and he's just "living with it."

90% of what I do is voice activated Google search while driving and I refuse to "live with it." I'm trying to find someone to root my phone and delete Touchwiz Easy. If I can't do this in a week, I'm just going to junk the phone and buy a Nexus 5. Anyone find any other solution???

 

[sandra211]

I don't understand why these S4 owners who have had the disliked Touchwiz, don't view this as a welcome opportunity to use a launcher from pre-S4 days or to research it & just pick one! Since I got my S4, I never accepted Touchwiz for even 1 day! I'm astonished!

Posted via Android Central App

 

[sandra211]

I never needed any action to disable Touchwiz-once I installed my launcher of choice, I just went from there, setting my S4 as I wanted it & never looked back. Perhaps I was just lucky but I'm an avid user, never had 1 day with any mysterious issue so, I'd say, just select what you think you'd like & move on-you. I got my S4 in June & I think if issues were to arise, I'd know about it by now. It happens I DO have a major issue but has zero to do with launchers. Good luck!

Posted via Android Central App

 

[zseetter]

So, the problem hopefully finished. Finally I don't know what was the solution.
I suggest everybody who facing this problem to downgrade and stop the google seach bar, wipe dalvik, and the cache partition...

 

[iiari]

I don't understand why these S4 owners who have had the disliked Touchwiz, don't view this as a welcome opportunity to use a launcher from pre-S4 days or to research it & just pick one! Since I got my S4, I never accepted Touchwiz for even 1 day! I'm astonished!

That's one of the first thing many of us tried. The problem is that if you install a third launcher, it'll give you THREE choices. Easy, standard, or the new launcher. Want to install 4 more launchers, it'll give you that many more options when using the home button. It's absolutely maddening. The few of us affected (including tech support people I know) seem to indicate it's hopeless. The only solution I'd heard work is someone who rooted their phone and deleted touchwiz easy. I haven't been able to successfully root my phone, though

The only thing that works is not using Google Search or Google Now, but if you're avoiding that, you're avoiding a bit part of the Android experience.

 

[iiari]

Ok, on another forum "galaxys4forums.com" someone posted a fix today on one of the threads, and it WORKED FOR ME!!!!

Press the following: Settings/ More/ Default applications/ Home/TouchWize home, then reboot your phone.

Interestingly, this is amongst the million things that didn't work for me with Android 4.3, but it does fix it for me with 4.4. Go figure. But (for now) it works!!

 

[bchildress]

Mine is fixed after I went to that same path and discovered another "launcher" called Hotmail Connect. It really appearsit's an interaction between Google Search and another ill-behaving app. The problem is figuring out what that app is. (Note 3)

 

[mwrmt]

^^^That has helped me with the latest update, but now how do I get into my Hotmail account as that was my way of doing so? This is so freaking frustrating.

Makes me want to toss and never use a bloody cell phone ever again!!!!

 

[Jan Urbanek]

Re: Touchwiz won't stay as default launcher!

Assuming that the settings info is similar to the Note 3, I would go to Settings, General, Default applications, Home, and look to see if you have any unexpected home launchers in the list - if so, uninstall them. That's where I found hotmail connect , and that fixed my problem.

Mine too - happy NOW - latest Update Kitkat (Android 4.4.2) and Google Now and the Devil was a App called LoudRIngtones listed in the default Homescreens - wth had that to be there? Clicked on the Trashcan behind it and De-installed it. That worked and the Problem is solved, THANKS A LOT - you made my Day and my Night a whole week along 52 times in the next year at least.

 

[AniPetunia]

This worked, Thanks!

 

[Imre Fabian1]

I had the same problem with my Sony Xperia Z, after the last Android update (4.3).
Lokesh solution worked also for me.
Unbelievable that Google makes this rubbish and tests it not thoroughly!
It will take some time before I trust updates from Google again!

 

[garypip]

Re: Touchwiz wont stay as default launcher!

Install "Launcher Switcher" from app store (yes the Chinese author)
Run the app and see what programs are registered as launchers.
If you see an app that's not a launcher, delete the app.

All should be good now.

 

[Drnavz]

Re: Touchwiz wont stay as default launcher!

Install "Launcher Switcher" from app store (yes the Chinese author)
Run the app and see what programs are registered as launchers.
If you see an app that's not a launcher, delete the app.

All should be good now.

The Google uninstall was not working and I was getting frustrated with having to click for times each time I hit the home button...but garypip method worked for me!! Downloaded the launcher switcher..saw that a hotmail app was showing up as a launcher ..deleted it and voila everything is back to normal!!!I can even use the latest Google..no problem!!! Thank you thank you Thank you!!!

 

[YoungUce]

I've been having the same problem after receiving a replacement s4 mini from Sprint and this issue has been driving me crazy! Anyways, after trying multiple solutions from the forum the one that worked for me came from garypip, so thank you!! Because this has been such an ordeal I felt the need to register and post this response for those experiencing the same thing. After installing Launcher Switcher from the play store I found the Piano Lessons app listed with both touch wiz/touch wiz easy and nova as launchers. After uninstalling piano lessons I have not experienced the same issue of asking to choose my default launcher after praying the home key. Thanks again garypip!

 

[Dan Henderson]

I had the same problem with my Sony Xperia Z, after the last Android update (4.3).
Lokesh solution worked also for me.
Unbelievable that Google makes this rubbish and tests it not thoroughly!
It will take some time before I trust updates from Google again!

I saw several posts with similar sentiments in this thread. I'd just like to point out that this issue is not the fault of Google, but of the hardware manufacturer that wrote the particular UI (e.g. Samsung::Touchwiz). Unless any Nexus 4/5/7/10 owners have experienced the same issue? Those are the only devices that run a pure Google-written launcher. (Actually, there might be one more vanilla Android that came out recently that isn't a Nexus, I think I read that.)

 

[iiari]

I'd just like to point out that this issue is not the fault of Google, but of the hardware manufacturer that wrote the particular UI (e.g. Samsung::Touchwiz).

Only kinda true in my mind. You would think Google would test the search app (which appeared to trigger this defect for many) more carefully on one of the world's best selling smartphones. Just sayin'...

Also, as a Nexus 7 owner, despite how much I love the device, even vanilla Android can have it's issues, trust me...

 

[Ben Weatherby]

Re: Touchwiz wont stay as default launcher!

So, in case anyone else has tried un-updating Google Search, switching from Easy Mode back to TouchWiz Home, clearing the cache to TouchWiz Home (which also clears all the hard work you've done to re-arranging all your icons the way you like them!), and even backing up and restoring your entire phone & OS (& somehow accidentally deleting all of your app data such as game progress, etc), and still having this bloody pop-up show up all the freakin time.... I finally found out what was glitching for me, and by extension, maybe some of you as well

What I noticed was that when I went to Settings -> General -> Default Applications -> Home, it wouldn't save the selection of TouchWiz Home! I could select it, but if I exited and re-entered, it was unselected again! It would save the selection of Easy Mode, but not TouchWiz Home. I also had an app called Crop Circles Up To Date which had a Home screen option as well (though I never tried it), so I figured I might as well try deleting that app and see what happens, et voila! All my problems solved Hope that helps someone out there....

 

[drsfelix]

Remove google search , leave on desktop a browser icon like chrome or Firefox. Go to settings / my device / apply easy mode . Switch your phone off . When coming back choose your launcher to the option you prefer and never put google search back !!

 

[Tony Lea1]

None of these fixes worked for me. Not the Google search solution either. What I did find was that it was an app I downloaded yesterday that was causing the problem. It was the "Connect for Hotmail" app. Once I uninstalled it everything was resolved (just like the guy with the pizza app) lol

 

[Steven Roussos]

I also tried other fixes to no avail, but I had noticed while trying to set the default home app to Touchwiz it would be unset when going back to the setting page later. I also wondered about why the heck Loud Ringtones had an entry there. Seems THAT bug somehow causes the Home App choice setting to NOT get savedproperly. Hence it looses it even when fixes SEEM to have worked but then fail on going to Lock screen and back.
SO: Deleting the exteraneous Home Screen app "Lous Ringtones" and I expect any others that end up there resulted in the choice on this page of which Home Screen App to use STICKING and I have not seen the prompt again, even after Lock/Unlock or reboot.

Thanks for the tip! MAN I was gettting sick of that really stupid bug!