How to Add & Remove Widgets from an Android homescreen

June 4, 2020 / By

This brief tutorial will show you how to add and/or remove Widgets to/from your Android home screen.

    Due to the large number of Android phones and tablets, the screenshots used in this tutorial will probably not match your device exactly. With that said, they’ll be similar enough that you shouldn’t have any trouble following along.

  1. On your Android home screen, tap any blank or “empty” area and hold down your finger.

    2. an Android home screen

  2. The screen will change slightly and a few new items will appear – tap the Widgets button.

    3. an Android home screen with the widgets option displayed

  3. You’ll be presented with a list of all the installed Widgets on your Android device. Select the one you want to add to your home screen by tapping it and keeping your finger held down. In this example, I’ll be adding a Digital Clock widget.

    4. the add widgets to the Android home screen section

  4. Now the widget will appear on your home screen. Release your finger from the screen on the location where you’d like the widget to reside. If it wasn’t placed exactly where you want it, tap and hold your finger down on the widget itself. “Drag and drop” it to the location where you want it.

    5. an Android home screen with a widget added

  5. Should you decide you want to remove the widget from your home screen, tap it and hold your finger down. Somewhere on your screen you’ll see aa X Remove or Trash can icon. Drag and drop the widget to that Remove or Trash and it’ll be deleted from your home screen. Note: it won’t actually delete the widget, it’ll just remove it from the home screen. You can always add it back again.

    6. removing a widget from an Android home screen

  6. Now you can add and remove widgets from your Android home screen!

If you’d like to add a little more flash to your Android home screen, try adding a Live Wallpaper.

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27 thoughts on “How to Add & Remove Widgets from an Android homescreen”

  3. Patricia Huffman

    Thank you so much! I was halfway there, trying to remove widgets by tapping and holding, but my finger covered the trash can and I didn’t know it was there.

  7. Cheryl H

    Thanks so much. I am VERY new to android and NOT very savvy with things like this. I need it all explained like I was a two year old. This helped me sooooo much! Thank you!

  19. kathym

    Thank you! This is the ONLY place I have been able to find what I thought would be a very simple answer. They tell you how to put them on, but no where do they tell you how to get rid of them!

  20. Shan

    I can see the trashcan, but am unable to drag it to it successfully. Usually, another icon gets selected when I drag, or the app bar pops up. I am unable to drag the facebook widget to the trashcan. Argh!

  22. Britt

    thanks so much! just got my DROID yesterday and am still playing around with it. Thanks for the help!

  24. Katy

    OMG, this was sooo helpful! Couldn’t find anything on Motorola or Verizon site. This is awesome!!

  27. DESTINEE

    THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I was driving myself crazy tryn to figure it out on my own. This just saved me time on hold!

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