Dino

How to change your default launcher on Android

By Dinoy Raj, maker of Dino Minimalist Launcher · Updated · 4 min read

Your launcher is the app that shows your home screen and app list. Android lets you replace it with any launcher from Google Play, such as a minimalist launcher, and go back to the original whenever you like. Changing it does not delete apps, photos or data.

These steps use Dino Minimalist Launcher as the example, but they work for any launcher.

The quickest way

  1. Install Dino Minimalist Launcher from Google Play.
  2. Press the Home button, or swipe up from the bottom edge if you use gesture navigation.
  3. If Android asks which app to use for Home, choose Dino and tap Always.

Not every phone asks. If yours goes straight to the old home screen, use the Settings route below.

From Settings (Pixel and most Android phones)

  1. Open Settings → Apps.
  2. Tap Default apps.
  3. Tap Home app and choose Dino.

Samsung Galaxy

  1. Open Settings → Apps.
  2. Tap Choose default apps (called Default apps on some versions).
  3. Tap Home app and choose Dino.

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO

  1. Open Settings → Apps.
  2. Look for Default apps (on some versions it is under Manage apps or the menu in its top corner).
  3. Tap Home screen or Launcher and choose Dino.

OnePlus, Motorola, Nothing and other phones

Menus move between Android versions and phone makers. The reliable shortcut is the search bar at the top of Settings: search for “Home app” or “default apps” and open the result.

How to switch back

Go to the same Home app setting and pick your previous launcher, such as Pixel Launcher, One UI Home or System launcher. Uninstalling a launcher also returns you to the phone’s original one. Your apps and data are not touched either way.

Troubleshooting

  • The phone keeps going back to the old launcher: make sure you chose Always, not Just once, or set it in Settings as above.
  • Gesture navigation changed or stopped working: some phones, including some Xiaomi models, limit full-screen gestures with third-party launchers. Check Settings → System navigation (or Display → Navigation bar).
  • Your old layout looks different when you switch back: the original launcher keeps its own layout, so it is still there when you return.

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