My phone’s home screen used to be cluttered with my favorite apps. But I still wasted time navigating through them to perform simple tasks.
I’d tap an application, scroll through its menus, and repeat the same steps to access a feature. Adding shortcuts to the home screen changed that routine.
Instead of opening an app and searching for what I need, I can jump to specific actions with a single tap.
After you get used to having your most-used functions where you need them, going back to the old way feels unnecessarily tedious.
I added my most-used app actions to the home screen
Everything is one tap away
Many Android apps have built-in shortcuts that appear when you long-press their icons. These shortcuts let you jump to specific actions, such as creating a new note or starting navigation.
To do this, long-press an app icon and look through the available shortcuts. If you find one you want to keep handy, long-press that shortcut and drag it to an empty spot on the home screen.
For example, I added shortcuts to add a new contact, compose an email in Gmail, navigate home in Google Maps, scan documents in Google Drive, record a new audio note in Google Keep, and create a blank document in Google Docs.
Website shortcuts for pages I visit regularly
I don’t need bookmarks
Not everything I need has a dedicated app, and I don’t want to install one just to access a particular service or web page. That’s where website shortcuts come in handy.
I add frequently visited websites, online tools, and specific web pages to my phone’s home screen and open them with a single tap. This saves me from opening Chrome, typing a web address, or searching through my bookmarks every time I need something.
I find this useful for websites I visit regularly but do not need an app for, such as online utilities, work-related dashboards, reference pages, and web services.
To create one, open the web page in a browser, tap the three-dot menu icon, and select Add to home screen or Install and create shortcut, depending on the browser.
I added shortcuts to files and folders
My important files are one tap away
Instead of opening a file manager or Google Drive and browsing through several folders to find them, I have shortcuts to frequently accessed content on my home screen.
To do this, open the Drive app, find the file you want quick access to, tap the three-dot menu icon next to it, and select Add to home screen.
The file gets its own icon on the home screen, letting you open important PDFs, documents, or spreadsheets with a single tap instead of searching through Drive each time.
If you use a Samsung phone, there’s another option. Samsung’s My Files app lets you add shortcuts to individual files and folders on the home screen, so you can open a frequently used PDF, document, or folder without searching.
Shortcuts to settings I frequently change
They’re easier to reach
I change certain phone settings more often than others, and navigating through the Settings app every time gets tedious.
You can create home screen shortcuts that take you to individual settings pages instead of opening the main Settings menu. For example, I have shortcuts to Wi-Fi and display settings.
On Pixel phones and some Android devices, you can add a shortcut using the Settings shortcut widget. Long-press an empty area of the home screen, select Widgets, find Settings, and drag the shortcut widget onto the screen.
You can then choose which settings page you want it to open. Options and setup process vary by manufacturer, so this feature may not be available on every Android phone.
Samsung Galaxy users have another option through Good Lock. Its RegiStar module lets you create shortcuts to individual Settings pages and place them on your home screen.
My home screen is now more useful than ever
With Android shortcuts, I can now jump straight to web pages, files, and settings without opening apps and navigating through their menus.
Whether it’s composing an email, scanning a document, opening an important PDF, or navigating home, I can get there with a single tap.
Not every app supports shortcuts, and some options depend on the phone or launcher. Still, there are enough ways to customize the home screen that it’s worth exploring what’s available.
