One UI 7 Home Screen Settings to Change
To get the most out of Samsung’s One UI 7, you should change a handful of home screen settings—like disabling the app icon labels, switching to a denser grid, and turning off the Search bar—to reduce clutter and speed up navigation. This guide walks through the most useful tweaks, explains what each one does, and shows exactly where to find them in the Settings and Home Screen menus.
Why Bother Changing Home Screen Settings?
One UI 7 (based on Android 15) introduced a refreshed look with larger icons, more whitespace, and new animation options. While the default setup is clean, it often sacrifices information density and one-handed reach. Many users find that a few simple adjustments make the phone feel faster and more personal. Since Samsung allows deep customization without third-party launchers, you can achieve a near-stock Android experience or a highly optimized layout entirely within the system settings.
Accessing the Home Screen Settings
There are two main ways to reach these options:
- Long-press an empty area on the home screen, then tap the Settings icon (gear) in the bottom-right corner of the pop-up menu.
- Go to Settings > Home screen from the main system Settings app.
Both routes open the same screen, where you’ll find most of the toggles and options described below. Some settings (like icon shape) are under the separate Theme Park module in Good Lock, but the core ones are all here.
Top Settings to Change
Here are the most impactful changes, ordered roughly by how much they improve daily use:
- Home screen grid – Switch from 4×5 to 4×6 or 5×5 to fit more apps per screen. Go to Home screen > Home screen grid and pick a denser option. This reduces the need to swipe between pages.
- App icon labels – Turn off Icon labels under Home screen to remove text under each app. This declutters the screen, especially with colorful icons. You’ll rely on visual recognition, which most people adapt to within a few days.
- App icon size – In the same menu, adjust the slider to make icons smaller or larger. Smaller icons pair well with a denser grid; larger icons help if you have vision difficulties.
- Search bar – Disable the persistent Google Search bar at the bottom of the home screen. Toggle off Search bar under Home screen. You can still access search by swiping down on the home screen or using the App drawer’s search.
- Notification badges – Choose Show with number or Show without number under Notification badges. Numbers are more informative, but some prefer the cleaner dot.
- Swipe down for notification panel – In Home screen > Swipe down for notification panel, select Show notification panel. This lets you swipe down anywhere on the home screen to see notifications, saving a thumb stretch to the top.
- App drawer button – Toggle App drawer button to show or hide the icon that opens the full app list. Hiding it can make the dock look cleaner, but you’ll need to swipe up to access the drawer.
How to Choose the Right Grid and Icon Size
The best grid depends on your eyesight and hand size. A 4×5 grid (default) shows 20 apps per screen, but icons are large and easy to hit. A 5×5 grid shows 25 apps, making each icon slightly smaller—still comfortable for most people. If you have large hands or prefer fewer accidental presses, stick with 4×5 or 5×4. For maximum density, 5×6 (available on some devices) shows 30 apps, but icons become quite small.
Icon size is independent of grid size. You can have a 5×5 grid with slightly larger icons if you reduce the grid spacing (via Good Lock’s Home Up module). Without Good Lock, the slider in Home screen > App icon size offers three steps: Small, Medium, Large. Medium is the default; Small works well with a 5×5 grid.
Common Problems and Fixes
Some users report that after changing the grid, widgets resize or move unexpectedly. This is normal—One UI reflows widgets to fit the new grid. You may need to reposition them manually.
Another issue: if you turn off icon labels, the app names disappear from the home screen, but they still appear in the App drawer and in folders. If you later forget what an icon is, long-press it to see the name in a tooltip.
If the Search bar toggle is grayed out, it’s because you’re using a third-party launcher. The setting only applies to the default One UI home screen.
Comparison: One UI 7 vs. Previous Versions
One UI 7 brought a more dramatic visual overhaul than One UI 6. The default icon size is larger, and the notification panel has been redesigned. However, the home screen settings options are largely the same, with a few additions like the new “Swipe down for notification panel� behavior that now includes a “Show clipboard� option when you swipe down from the top-right. If you’re upgrading from One UI 5 or 6, your old settings will carry over, but you may notice the new default grid feels more spacious—so you might want to reapply your preferred density.
Safety and Performance Considerations
Changing home screen settings has no negative impact on battery life or performance. These are purely cosmetic and organizational tweaks. However, using a denser grid with many widgets can increase memory usage slightly, but not enough to notice on modern devices. If you experience lag after changing settings, try restarting the phone or clearing the Home Screen app’s cache (Settings > Apps > Samsung One UI Home > Storage > Clear cache).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reset home screen settings to default?
Go to Settings > Home screen, scroll to the bottom, and tap Reset. This restores the grid, icon size, and all toggles to factory defaults, but does not delete your app shortcuts or widgets.
Can I change the icon shape (circle, square, etc.)?
Yes, but not in the standard Home screen settings. You need the Good Lock app (from the Galaxy Store) and its Theme Park module. There, you can choose from various icon shapes and even create custom ones.
Why is my Search bar not going away?
If you’re using a third-party launcher like Nova or Microsoft Launcher, the One UI settings won’t affect it. You must either switch back to the default launcher or change the search bar setting within that launcher’s own preferences.
Will changing the grid affect widget sizes?
Yes. Widgets are designed to fit a certain number of grid cells. When you change the grid, widgets may resize to fit the new cell dimensions. You can often long-press a widget and select “Resize� to adjust it manually.
Does disabling icon labels speed up the phone?
No, it has no measurable effect on performance. It only reduces visual clutter, which can make the phone feel faster because you’ll find apps more quickly by recognizing icons rather than reading text.
Can I have different grids on the home screen and app drawer?
Yes. The Home screen grid setting applies only to the home screens. The App drawer grid is set separately under Settings > Home screen > App drawer grid. You can use a 4×5 on the main screen and a 5×6 in the drawer, for example.
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