Managing apps across Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, and smart TVs involves more than just downloading and opening them. This guide covers the complete app management toolkit: what the Android app drawer is and how it works on Samsung One UI and Vivo, how to hide and unhide apps, how to lock apps on Android, what offloading an app means on iPhone, how to force close apps on Windows and Mac, how to delete apps on Roku and Samsung TV, background app refresh explained, and how to change app icons on iOS 26 and Windows 11.
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What Is the Android App Drawer?
The Android app drawer is the full list of all installed apps on your Android device — accessible separately from the home screen. While your home screen shows only the apps and widgets you have manually placed there, the app drawer shows every installed app in one organized place.
Unlike iPhones (where all apps appear on home screen pages), Android separates the home screen from the full app list. This keeps your home screen clean — only showing shortcuts you choose — while the app drawer gives access to everything installed.
How to Open the App Drawer on Android
- Swipe up from the bottom of your home screen (most Android phones)
- Or tap the grid icon (⠿) in the dock at the bottom of the screen
- On older Android: tap the circle or square button in the navigation bar
| Android Brand | App Drawer Method |
| Samsung One UI | Swipe up on home screen; or tap the Apps button in dock |
| Vivo (Funtouch OS) | Swipe up from home screen; or pinch-to-zoom to open |
| Xiaomi (MIUI) | Swipe down on home screen; or swipe up from dock |
| OnePlus (OxygenOS) | Swipe up from home screen |
| Google Pixel (stock Android) | Swipe up from home screen |
| Android 10 (stock) | Swipe up from bottom of home screen |
Samsung One UI App Drawer
On Samsung One UI (Galaxy phones), the app drawer opens by swiping up on the home screen. You can customize the app drawer layout via Settings → Home Screen → App Grid — choosing between 4×5, 4×6, or 5×6 grid layouts. Samsung One UI also lets you sort app drawer apps by installation date or alphabetically, and create folders inside the app drawer by dragging one app onto another.
Android 10 App Drawer and Recent Apps
Android 10 introduced gesture navigation that changed how the app drawer and recent apps work. With gesture navigation enabled: swipe up from the bottom to go home, swipe up and hold to open the app drawer, and swipe up from the bottom and pause to open recent apps. Android 10 recent apps show as a scrollable card stack — swipe left/right to browse open apps, swipe up on a card to close it, or tap ‘Clear All’ to close all recent apps at once.
How to Hide Apps on Android — Hide Apps and Hide Icon
Hiding apps on Android removes them from the home screen and app drawer without uninstalling them. This is useful for hiding pre-installed bloatware, personal apps, or apps you do not want others to see.
Hide Apps on Samsung One UI
- Open Settings → Home Screen
- Scroll to ‘Hide apps on Home and Apps screens’
- Select the apps you want to hide
- Tap Apply — apps disappear from both home screen and app drawer
Hide Apps on Stock Android / Google Pixel
- Long-press the app icon on your home screen
- Tap ‘Remove from Home screen’ to remove from home screen only
- To hide from the app drawer: go to Settings → Apps → tap the app → Disable (for system apps) or use a launcher like Nova Launcher that supports app hiding
Third-Party App Hiding Solutions
- Nova Launcher (free/paid): Most popular custom launcher; Settings → App Drawer → Hidden Apps — hide any app from the drawer
- Microsoft Launcher: Supports app hiding in drawer settings
- Secure Folder (Samsung): Moves apps into an encrypted secure area, hiding them behind a PIN/biometric
- Calculator+ / disguised vault apps: Popular method to hide photos and apps behind a working calculator interface
How to Unhide Apps on Android and iPhone
Unhide Apps on Samsung One UI
- Go to Settings → Home Screen
- Tap ‘Hide apps on Home and Apps screens’
- Deselect the apps you want to unhide
- Tap Apply — apps reappear in the app drawer
Unhide an App on iPhone
On iPhone, apps cannot be truly hidden without Screen Time restrictions. To restore an app to your home screen after removing it:
- Open the App Library (swipe left past all home screen pages)
- Find the app in the App Library
- Long-press the app and tap ‘Add to Home Screen’
- The app icon reappears on your home screen
If an app is hidden via Screen Time: Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allowed Apps → re-enable the app.
How to Lock Apps on Android
Locking apps on Android requires a PIN, password, or fingerprint before someone can open specific apps. Methods vary by Android version and manufacturer:
Samsung App Lock (Built-in)
- Open Settings → Biometrics and Security
- Tap ‘App Lock’
- Set up a PIN or use your existing screen lock
- Toggle on any apps you want to lock
Stock Android App Lock — Google Play Protect Method
Stock Android (Pixel, Android 13/14/15) does not have a native app lock feature. For app locking on stock Android: use a third-party launcher or app lock app from the Play Store. Recommended: AppLock by DoMobile (free, 1 billion+ downloads), or use Android’s built-in Screen Pinning (Settings → Security → Screen Pinning) which locks the screen to one app until a PIN is entered to exit.
What Does Offload App Mean on iPhone?
‘Offload App’ on iPhone removes the app itself from storage while keeping the app’s data and documents. When you re-download the app later, your data is restored exactly where you left off. Offloading is useful when you are low on storage but do not want to permanently delete an app and its associated data.
| Offload App | Delete App | |
| App removed from storage | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| App data/documents kept | ✅ Yes | ❌ No — data deleted |
| App icon on home screen | ✅ Yes (grayed out) | ❌ No |
| Re-download restores data | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Storage saved | Partial (app only) | Full (app + data) |
To offload an app: Settings → General → iPhone Storage → tap any app → Offload App. To enable automatic offloading of unused apps: Settings → App Store → Offload Unused Apps (toggle on).
How to Force Close an App on Windows
If an app freezes or stops responding on Windows, force closing it ends the process immediately:
Method 1 — Task Manager (Fastest)
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly
- Find the frozen app in the ‘Processes’ tab
- Right-click → End Task
Method 2 — Alt + F4
- Click on the frozen app window to make it active
- Press Alt + F4 — this closes the active window
- If the app is fully frozen, Alt + F4 may not work — use Task Manager instead
Method 3 — Command Prompt
Open Command Prompt (Win+R → cmd → Enter) and type: taskkill /f /im [appname].exe (replace [appname] with the actual process name from Task Manager). Example: taskkill /f /im chrome.exe to force close Google Chrome.
‘This app can’t run on your PC’ error: this Windows error appears when you try to run a 32-bit app on Windows ARM, or when running an incompatible installer. Solutions: check if a native ARM64 version exists, run the program compatibility troubleshooter (right-click the app → Troubleshoot Compatibility), or use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) for Linux applications.
How to Force Quit an App on Mac
Method 1 — Force Quit Menu (Easiest)
- Press Command + Option + Escape
- Select the frozen app from the list
- Click ‘Force Quit’
Method 2 — Activity Monitor
- Open Activity Monitor (Spotlight: Cmd+Space → ‘Activity Monitor’)
- Find the frozen app
- Click the X button in the top-left of Activity Monitor
- Click ‘Force Quit’
Method 3 — Terminal
Open Terminal and type: killall [AppName] (example: killall Safari). For exact process names, use: ps aux | grep [appname] to find the PID, then: kill -9 [PID].
How to Delete Apps on Roku
- On your Roku remote, navigate to the channel/app you want to remove
- Press the asterisk (*) button on the remote — this opens the options menu
- Select ‘Remove channel’
- Confirm by selecting ‘Remove’
The app is immediately removed from your Roku. To reinstall it, go to the Roku Channel Store. Note: removing a channel on Roku does not cancel any subscription associated with it — cancel subscriptions separately through your account settings or the app provider’s website.
How to Delete Apps on Samsung TV
- Press the Home button on your Samsung remote
- Navigate to the Apps section
- Click the Settings gear icon (top-right of the Apps screen)
- Select the app you want to delete
- Click ‘Delete’ and confirm
Pre-installed Samsung TV apps (like Samsung TV Plus, SmartThings) cannot be deleted — only third-party downloaded apps can be removed. If the Delete option is grayed out, the app is a system app.
What Is Background App Refresh?
Background App Refresh is an iPhone and iPad feature that allows apps to update their content, sync data, and receive notifications while running in the background — even when you are not actively using them. When enabled, apps like Mail, News, Weather, and social media apps periodically check for new content so information is ready when you open them.
| Setting | What It Does |
| Background App Refresh: Off | Apps only update when you open them; saves battery |
| Background App Refresh: Wi-Fi | Apps refresh only on Wi-Fi; saves mobile data |
| Background App Refresh: Wi-Fi & Data | Apps refresh on both Wi-Fi and cellular data |
To manage Background App Refresh: Settings → General → Background App Refresh. Turn it off globally to maximize battery life, or disable it per-app for apps that do not need live updates. Turning off Background App Refresh for social media apps (Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok) significantly improves iPhone battery life without meaningfully affecting usability — you only miss pre-loaded content.
How to Change App Icons on iOS 26 and Windows 11
Change App Icons on iOS 26
iOS 26 introduced Liquid Glass icons as the new default design, but you can still customize app icons:
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Tap the + button to create a new shortcut
- Tap ‘Add Action’ → search for ‘Open App’ → select your target app
- Tap the icon next to the shortcut name → ‘Add to Home Screen’
- Tap the icon area and select a photo or emoji as the new icon
- This creates a home screen shortcut with your custom icon
Change App Icon on Windows 11 Taskbar
- Right-click the app in your taskbar or Start menu
- Select ‘Open file location’
- Right-click the app shortcut → Properties
- Click ‘Change Icon’ → browse to your custom .ico file
- Click OK → Apply
For pinned taskbar apps on Windows 11: unpin the app, change the shortcut icon via its Properties, then re-pin it. Third-party tools like IconPackager or Rainmeter allow system-wide icon theme changes on Windows 11.
For the best study apps, AI productivity tools, and tech app recommendations for 2026, see our guide to the best study, AI, productivity, music, and development apps 2026.
For official Android app management documentation, see Android Help — manage apps on your Android device. For Apple’s official iPhone storage and offloading guide, see Apple Support — check and manage iPhone storage.
For iOS 26 features, new icons, and iPhone compatibility guide, see our article on iOS 26 features, why Apple skipped to 26, Liquid Glass icons, and compatible iPhones.
Bottom Line
| Open Android app drawer | Swipe up from home screen (most Android phones) |
| Samsung One UI app drawer | Swipe up on home screen or tap Apps icon in dock |
| Hide apps on Android | Settings → Home Screen → Hide apps (Samsung); Nova Launcher for stock Android |
| Unhide apps on iPhone | App Library → long-press → Add to Home Screen |
| Lock apps on Android | Samsung: Settings → Biometrics → App Lock; Stock: AppLock by DoMobile |
| Offload app (iPhone) | Removes app, keeps data; Settings → General → iPhone Storage |
| Force close Windows | Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Task Manager → End Task |
| Force quit Mac | Cmd+Option+Esc → select app → Force Quit |
| Delete app on Roku | Navigate to app → press * → Remove channel |
| Delete app on Samsung TV | Home → Apps → Settings → select app → Delete |
| Background app refresh | Settings → General → Background App Refresh; turn off to save battery |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Android app drawer?
The Android app drawer is a scrollable list of all installed apps on your Android phone, accessed by swiping up from the home screen. Unlike the home screen (which only shows apps you have manually placed there), the app drawer shows every installed app. Samsung calls it the Apps screen; other Android manufacturers use similar terminology. The app drawer keeps the home screen clean while providing full access to all apps.
How do I hide apps on Android without deleting them?
To hide apps on Samsung One UI: go to Settings → Home Screen → Hide apps. On stock Android or other brands, use Nova Launcher (a free custom launcher) — in Nova Settings, go to App Drawer → Hidden Apps and select apps to hide. Samsung also offers Secure Folder (Settings → Biometrics and Security → Secure Folder) which moves apps into a private encrypted space hidden behind a PIN. Hidden apps remain installed and functional — they are simply not visible in the home screen or app drawer.
What does offload app mean on iPhone?
Offloading an app on iPhone removes the app file from your device’s storage while preserving all its data and documents. The app icon remains on your home screen with a small download arrow indicating it has been offloaded. When you tap it, the app re-downloads and your data is exactly as you left it. Offloading saves storage space without losing your data — useful for games or apps with save data you want to keep but do not use frequently. To offload: Settings → General → iPhone Storage → tap any app → Offload App.
How do I force close an app on Windows?
The fastest way to force close a frozen app on Windows is Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find the app in the Processes tab, right-click it, and select End Task. Alt + F4 also closes the active window but may not work if the app is completely frozen. For command-line force closing: open Command Prompt and type ‘taskkill /f /im [processname].exe’. Task Manager is the most reliable method for all frozen app situations.
How do I delete apps on Roku?
To remove an app from Roku: on your Roku home screen, navigate to the channel you want to remove using the directional pad. Press the asterisk (*) button on your Roku remote to open the options menu. Select ‘Remove channel’ and confirm. The app is removed from your Roku immediately. To reinstall it later, visit the Roku Channel Store. Removing a channel does not cancel any associated subscription — cancel those separately through the app’s website or your Roku account settings.
