A Business Technology Place

How to delete unused Android home screens

Posted on by Posted in Technology 34 Comments

I was working with a new Android tablet and consolidated app icons to a few home screens which left a few empty screens. It took me a while but I finally figured out two ways to get the home screen menu to come up so that I could delete empty screens.

The tablet is running Android version 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Method 1

  1. Place two fingers simultaneously on the screen as if they are on opposite corners of a square.
  2. While pressing on the screen move the two fingers towards each other (towards the center of your imaginary square).
  3. This should popup all the Android home screens as rectangles.
  4. Drag the unwanted screens to the trashcan icon.

Method 2 (See Update)

  1. Tap and hold a single finger on an empty space of a home screen
  2. This will bring up a menu. Select “Add to Home screen”
  3. Next select “Page”
  4. This should popup all the Android home screens as rectangles.
  5. Drag the unwanted screens to the trashcan icon

Update 1.21.14

I tried both of the methods on a Samsung Galaxy S2 with Android 4.1.2. Method 1 works but method 2 does not work.

  • Danielle

    I have the kyocera rise same android update…neither of these work :/

  • Danielle

    I have the kyocera rise same android update…neither of these work :/

  • Danielle

    I have the kyocera rise same android update…neither of these work :/

  • Guest

    you probably cant remove home screens on your device

  • Guest

    you probably cant remove home screens on your device

  • Guest

    you probably cant remove home screens on your device

  • leddy

    you probably cant delete home screens on your device

  • erin

    Thank you!!! wonderful advice

  • erin

    Thank you!!! wonderful advice

  • erin

    Thank you!!! wonderful advice

  • erin

    Thank you!!! wonderful advice

  • Celia

    Thank you Thank you THANK YOU! This was driving me nuts!

  • Tato

    Thank you very much !

  • m. reele

    Fantastic post… extremely helpful!
    Thank you.

  • Rigel

    THANK GOD YOU FIGURED THIS OUT! THANK YPU VERY MUCH ! GOD BLESS!

  • James Black

    THAINKS!!! I got a headache, looking out for this!!! I’m disappointed of “hidden” options…

  • james

    Neither of these methods work. Selecting “page” from the home screen just added a new page. Now I have double the same problem. Thanks a lot.

  • I’m sorry to hear you had problems with these methods James. I just updated the post with my results from a phone with Android 4.1.2. Method 1 works, but method 2 did not work on that version. Check the version of your Android device as it is working for other readers.

  • mani

    Thanks so much. the method 1 worked.

  • bob

    Kinda late to the party. Galaxy Tab 3 and the pinch method works. What also works is while on the page you press menu and select edit page.

    Who da thunk it wiz that easier. šŸ˜‰

    Bob

  • PG

    Thank you. You’ve alleviated my OCD

  • Gene Climer

    Nice. Thanks!

  • Gregory Mark Adam

    Thank you worked a treat

  • lg optimus

    THANKYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! YOU ARE A SAINT! MOTHER TERESA STEP ASIDE!

  • Angry

    Yet another example of how designers are burying very important functions into stupid gestures and their ideas of how people should use computers. You can easily create more screens just by accident, but now in android 4.4, you can’t even use the second option mentioned here to get rid of extra screens. Must be the same people who made Windows 8 (garbage), and every stupid piece of software out now. If it doesn’t make any sense, that’s what they move forward on. “Yeah, uh, you delete screens by drawing the letter Q while holding the power button and shaking the device. You didn’t figure that out on your own?” Their next idea will be “E-MOTIONS”. If you want to shut down, you need to bend over like you’re puking, and the built in camera will recognize a shutdown command.
    Just give us back menus and icons. That’s what works!!!!!!

  • AhM00

    Thank you so much

  • Annika

    None of these work at all… Crap… This is bugging me.

  • A.Spark

    IT WORKED! Thanks~
    Method one people. You should see all the “home screens” at once (in a grid), as opposed to side by side. And if u try to drag one of the screens, a trash can will pop up at the top of the screen.

  • nĀ°1 worked perfectly, thx!

  • Erica

    ty ty ty this was so easy why doesn’t this stupid phone come with any useful directions!

  • shinel

    Thank you very much.

  • Paul J Marston

    I found you have to tap and hold the empty screen not just once (which produces the Trash can but not functional) but then again (screen becomes mobile and can move to the Tradh).

  • Carol-Beth Cundy

    Brilliant it worked fine first time on my Galaxy Fame although I hate this phone it’s the world’s worst phone. Thank you

  • Facundo

    thanks! šŸ˜€