You can return to your phone's built-in Home app without uninstalling the launcher you tried. On Pixel, Google documents Settings > Apps > Default apps; other Android brands and versions can use different labels. Search Settings for Home app, default apps, or launcher. If your phone has no Settings search, browse Apps or Home screen settings. Google's Pixel instructions explain the default-app menu, and Android's Home screen help notes that steps can vary by device.
The built-in launcher may be called Pixel Launcher, One UI Home, System Launcher, MIUI System Launcher, HyperOS Launcher, ColorOS System Launcher, or another brand-specific name. Labels can change by model and Android version.
Change the Home app
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Search for Home app, default apps, or launcher. If Settings has no search, browse Apps or Home screen settings.
- Open the Home app or default-app setting. On Pixel, look under Apps > Default apps.
- Select the Home app that came with your phone. Its name depends on the manufacturer and model.
- Return to Home and confirm that the built-in screen appears. Depending on your navigation mode, tap Home or swipe up from the bottom.
If Android asks whether to use it Just once or Always, choose Always to keep it as the default. Some phones apply the change immediately instead of showing this prompt.
Your old stock layout may return as you left it. Widgets may need time to refresh, and a major system update may have changed parts of the layout.
Do not uninstall before switching
Change the default first. This keeps Settings and Home easy to reach if the uninstaller closes the current launcher. After confirming the stock Home works, you can keep the third-party launcher installed, clear its default, or uninstall it.
Keeping it installed preserves its local layout and settings unless Android or a cleanup tool clears its data. If you might return, use the launcher's local backup before uninstalling.
If the stock launcher is missing
Search Settings > Apps > See all apps and include system apps if your phone offers that filter. Find the built-in launcher and check whether it is disabled. Re-enable it if Android allows that action.
Do not download a random APK that claims to be your system launcher. System packages are signed for a specific manufacturer and software build. Installing the wrong package can fail or create a second, unrelated app.
If a work administrator, parental-control service, kiosk mode, or device policy controls Home, the menu may be locked. Contact the person or organization that manages the device rather than trying to bypass the policy.
If there is no Home app menu
Search Settings for Home screen, default launcher, or choose default apps. Some manufacturers place the Home choice under Apps, while others use a separate Home screen settings page. If your phone shows a chooser when you return Home, select the built-in launcher and choose Always when that option appears.
On Pixel, Google also documents clearing an app's defaults under Settings > Apps > [app name] > Open by default > Clear default preferences. This can make Android ask again, but other brands may use a different route or omit the button. Check your phone maker's support instructions if the setting is missing.
Remove optional permissions separately
Changing Home does not always remove permissions you granted to the previous launcher. Review its App info page and turn off any optional Accessibility Service, notification access, location, or other special access you no longer want.
If you plan to uninstall it, Android removes its ordinary app permissions with the package, but special settings are still worth reviewing. Delete any exported local backup manually only if you no longer need it.
What remains after switching
Installed apps and their data stay in place. Hiding an app in a launcher does not uninstall it. Android's wallpaper normally remains unless one launcher used its own in-app background. Favorites, local renames, and custom blocks belong to each launcher and do not automatically transfer.
Before trying another launcher
Read what an Android launcher changes and check permissions, privacy, backup, reboot behavior, and the manual Home-setting path. Test a launcher with Just once first if Android offers that choice.
Returning to the stock launcher is a normal Android setting change, not a failure. A third-party launcher should make that exit clear and should never require you to delete it just to recover your original Home screen.
After the switch, restart once and test Home again. Also open the recent-apps screen and a notification before returning Home. These checks confirm that Android saved the default rather than launching the stock app only for one visit. If the chooser returns, repeat the selection and use Always instead of Just once.
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