The Pixel 9 home screen layout looks simple out of the box: At a Glance across the top, a grid of apps, a favorites row and a search bar at the bottom. Almost every part of it can be changed, from how many apps fit in a row to the shape of every icon.
This guide covers every home screen setting on the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold and 9a, which all use Google’s Pixel Launcher. It focuses on Pixel 9 phones running Android 17, which began rolling out to supported Pixel devices in June 2026. Some settings may appear differently depending on your software version and available updates, and where older updates use different menu names, we point that out.
Searching for the “Android 9 home screen layout”? Most people mean the Google Pixel 9, which is what this guide covers. If your phone actually runs Android 9 (Pie), skip to the FAQ at the end.
Did your layout change on its own? This guide is about setting up your home screen the way you like it. If icons, widgets or your old arrangement suddenly disappeared, follow our guide to get your old Android home screen layout back instead.
The Parts of the Pixel 9 Home Screen
The settings use these names, so it helps to know what each part is called:
- At a Glance: the date, weather and reminders at the top. You can change what it shows, but you can’t move it (Google Pixel Help).
- App grid: your home screen pages of apps, folders and widgets.
- Favorites row: the row of apps at the bottom, sometimes called the dock. It stays the same on every page.
- Search bar: the bar at the very bottom. You can change its look and shortcuts.
- All apps: the app drawer. Swipe up from the bottom of the home screen to see every app on your phone.
- Google Discover: a news feed that opens when you swipe right from your main home screen, if it’s turned on.
Where Every Pixel 9 Layout Setting Lives
Almost every layout change starts the same way: touch and hold an empty spot on the home screen. A small menu opens with three options: Wallpaper & style, Widgets and Home settings.
Use this table to jump straight to the setting you want:
| What you want to change | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| How many apps fit on the screen (and icon size) | Wallpaper & style > Layout |
| Icon shape | Wallpaper & style > Icons > Shape |
| Icon style | Wallpaper & style > Icons > Style |
| App names under icons | Wallpaper & style > Icons > Names |
| Wallpaper | Wallpaper & style > Change wallpaper |
| AI or emoji wallpaper | Wallpaper & style > More wallpapers |
| System colors | Wallpaper & style > Colors |
| Widgets | Touch and hold an empty spot > Widgets |
| At a Glance | Touch and hold At a Glance > Customize |
| Search bar look and shortcuts | Touch and hold the search bar > Widget settings |
| App suggestions | Touch and hold an empty spot > Home settings > Suggestions |
| Google Discover feed | Touch and hold an empty spot > Home settings > Swipe to access Google app |
| Hide apps | Settings > Security & privacy > Private space |
| Navigation buttons or gestures | Settings > System > Navigation mode |
How to Change the App Grid on Pixel 9
The grid decides how many apps fit across and down your home screen, which also sets how big the icons are (Google Pixel Help).
- Touch and hold an empty spot on the home screen.
- Tap Wallpaper & style.
- Tap Layout at the bottom.
- Choose a grid size, then tap Apply.
Your Pixel may offer several grid layouts, including options such as 4 × 4, 4 × 5 and 5 × 5. A grid with fewer columns generally displays larger icons, while a denser grid fits more apps on the home screen. The exact options can differ by device and software version, and on older updates the menu is called App grid instead of Layout.
Here’s how those example grids compare (the first number is columns, the second is rows):
| Example grid | Icon size | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 4 | Largest | Easy tapping and a clean, uncluttered look |
| 4 × 5 | Large | Big icons with one extra row of apps |
| 5 × 5 | Smaller | Fitting the most apps on each page |
Changing the grid only changes icon size and spacing on the home screen. If you want everything bigger, including menus and text, change Display size and text in Settings instead.
How to Change Icon Shape and Style
Recent Android updates give Pixel phones far more control over icons. Everything lives under Wallpaper & style > Icons (Google Pixel Help).
Change the icon shape
- Touch and hold an empty spot, then tap Wallpaper & style.
- Tap Icons, then Shape.
- Pick a shape and tap Apply.
You can choose from shapes such as circle, square, four-sided cookie, seven-sided cookie and arch. Folders follow the shape too, but icons in the All apps list keep their normal look.
Change the icon style
- Go to Wallpaper & style > Icons > Style.
- Choose Default, Minimal or Create your own.
With Create your own, tap Create icons, choose a style, then tap Download and Apply. Your custom icons are made in the background, and you’ll get a notification when they’re ready. They’re saved, so you can switch back to them later.
On older updates, you’ll find a single Themed icons toggle in Wallpaper & style instead. Turning it on recolors your icons to match your wallpaper’s color theme.
Hide app names
On Android 17, you can remove the text under each icon for a cleaner look. Go to Wallpaper & style > Icons, open the Names tab and turn off Show app names. It works best when your home screen only holds apps you recognize at a glance.
Try a theme pack
Theme packs change your wallpaper, icons, GIFs and sounds in one go. Go to Wallpaper & style > Theme pack, pick a design and tap Download. When the notification arrives, tap Apply now; if you don’t, the pack is applied automatically at 3:00 a.m.
Theme pack availability can vary by device, region and software version. If you don’t see Theme pack under Wallpaper & style, make sure your Pixel has the latest system update and that Theme pack updates are installed from the Play Store (Manage apps & device > Updates available) (Google Pixel Help).
How to Add, Move and Organize Apps
These steps work the same on every Pixel 9 model (Google Pixel Help):
- Add an app: swipe up to open All apps, then touch and drag the app onto your home screen.
- Add a shortcut: touch and hold an app. If it has shortcuts, touch and hold one and drag it into place.
- Make a folder: drag one app onto another, then drag in more. Tap the folder to type a name or pick a suggested one.
- Add a page: drag an app to the right until a blank page appears. A page disappears by itself once it’s empty.
- Remove an app from the home screen: touch and hold it and drag it to Remove. This keeps the app installed; Uninstall deletes it from your phone.
Prefer a tidy app list? Here’s how to arrange apps alphabetically on Android.
How to Hide Apps on Pixel 9
Pixel Launcher doesn’t have a simple “hide app” option like some other phones. Instead, the Pixel 9 uses private space, a separate, locked area for apps you want to keep out of sight. It needs Android 15 or later, which every Pixel 9 model has (Google Pixel Help).
- Open Settings and tap Security & privacy.
- Under Privacy, tap Private space and confirm with your screen lock.
- Tap Set up, then follow the prompts and choose whether to use your screen lock or a separate PIN, pattern or password.
To add an app, open All apps, touch and hold the app and tap Install app in Private space. This installs a separate copy, so your existing app and its data stay where they are.
To find private space later, scroll down in All apps. To hide it completely, open it, tap the Settings icon and turn on Hide private space when it’s locked.
How to Set Up the Favorites Row
When app suggestions are on, your Pixel fills empty spots in the favorites row with apps it suggests. To choose every favorite yourself, turn suggestions off first (Google Pixel Help):
- Touch and hold an empty spot and tap Home settings.
- Tap Suggestions and turn off Suggestions on home screen.
- Swipe up, touch and hold an app, and drag it into an empty spot in the favorites row.
Want to keep suggestions? Touch and hold a suggested app and tap Pin to keep it, or drag it to Don’t suggest app to block it.
How to Add and Resize Widgets
- Touch and hold an empty spot and tap Widgets. You can also touch and hold an app and tap Widgets.
- Find the app, or type its name in the search box, and tap it to see its widgets.
- Touch and hold a widget and drag it into place.
Widgets need free space on the grid, so if one won’t fit, move a few icons out of the way first.
To resize a widget, touch and hold it, then lift your finger. If it can be resized, dots appear on its edges. Drag the dots, then tap outside the widget to finish (Google Pixel Help).
If a widget has gone missing, our guide to restoring disappeared widgets will help you find it.
At a Glance, the Search Bar and Home Settings
- At a Glance: touch and hold it, tap Customize, then tap the Settings icon to choose what it shows, such as the date, weather, calendar events and flight details.
- Search bar: touch and hold it and tap Widget settings to change its theme and shortcuts.
- Home settings: touch and hold an empty spot and tap Home settings. This is where you control app suggestions in All apps and on the home screen, along with a few other home screen options such as rotation.
- Google Discover feed: in Home settings, turn Swipe to access Google app on or off. When it’s on, swiping right from your main home screen opens your Discover news feed.
Wallpaper and Colors
Your wallpaper also sets the colors used across your Pixel’s menus and icons (Google Pixel Help).
- Wallpaper: go to Wallpaper & style > Change wallpaper, choose Home screen or Lock screen, pick a photo or a category, then tap Preview and Apply. Some categories offer a daily wallpaper that changes on its own.
- AI and emoji wallpapers: tap More wallpapers in Wallpaper & style to create your own wallpaper with AI or from emojis.
- Colors: go to Wallpaper & style > Colors, pick a palette that matches your wallpaper or tap Other colors, then tap Apply.
Gesture or Button Navigation
Your Pixel 9 uses gesture navigation by default. If you prefer Back, Home and Recents buttons at the bottom of the screen, go to Settings > System > Navigation mode and choose 3-button navigation (Google Pixel Help). New to gestures? Start with these Android gestures every user should know.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Extra Home Screen Options
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold uses the same settings as the rest of the series, plus two extras for its large inner screen (Android Police):
- Keep the taskbar on screen: swipe up slightly from the bottom to show the taskbar, touch and hold its divider line, then turn on Always show Taskbar.
- Save app pairs: open two apps in split screen, swipe up to Recents and tap Save app pair. A shortcut that opens both apps side by side appears on your home screen.
3 Pixel 9 Home Screen Layout Ideas
- Clean single page: use a 4 × 5 grid, hide app names and keep only your daily apps on page one. Everything else lives in All apps. Turn off home screen suggestions so your favorites row never changes.
- Widget first: keep At a Glance plus one or two widgets, such as calendar and weather, on page one. Put your apps into named folders on page two.
- One-handed: keep your most-used apps in the bottom rows and the favorites row, where your thumb reaches easily, and leave the top of the screen for widgets.
Looking for more? Try these Android customization tricks most people never try.
How to Reset Your Pixel 9 Home Screen Layout
Important: Clearing Pixel Launcher’s storage removes your saved home screen arrangement, including icon positions, folders and widgets. Your installed apps and personal files remain intact, but you’ll need to rebuild your home screen manually. There’s no undo, so take screenshots of each page before proceeding.
If you’d rather start over with the default layout, clear Pixel Launcher’s storage. Go to Settings > Apps, open Pixel Launcher (you may need to show all apps first), tap Storage & cache, then Clear storage.
If your home screen changed on its own, with missing icons, a new grid or another launcher in charge, try the gentler fixes in our restore guide, linked at the top of this article, before resetting. Helping someone with an iPhone too? See how to restore your home screen on Android or iPhone.
The Bottom Line
Nearly every change to your Pixel 9 home screen layout starts with one move: touch and hold an empty spot. Start with Layout to set the icon size, pick an icon shape and style, then set up your favorites row and add one or two widgets. If you ever want a fresh start, clearing Pixel Launcher’s storage takes you back to the default layout.
FAQ
Is this the same as the Android 9 home screen layout?
Not quite. Android 9 (Pie) is a version of Android from 2018, while the Pixel 9 is a 2024 phone that now runs Android 17. Phones on Android 9 have older, simpler home screen menus that vary by brand, and Pixel phones didn’t get a grid size option until late 2020. On an Android 9 phone, touch and hold an empty spot on the home screen to see which options your launcher offers.
How do I make app icons bigger on my Pixel 9?
Choose a grid with fewer columns under Wallpaper & style > Layout. If you want text and menus bigger too, adjust Display size and text in Settings.
Can I move At a Glance on a Pixel 9?
No. At a Glance always sits at the top of your first home screen page. You can still choose what it shows by touching and holding it and tapping Customize.
Why can’t I add apps to the favorites row?
App suggestions are probably on. Go to Home settings > Suggestions and turn off Suggestions on home screen, then drag apps into the empty spots.
How do I hide apps on my Pixel 9?
Use private space. Go to Settings > Security & privacy > Private space, set it up, then install the apps you want to keep private inside it. You can hide the whole space when it’s locked.
How do I reset my Pixel 9 home screen to the default layout?
Clear Pixel Launcher’s storage under Settings > Apps > Pixel Launcher > Storage & cache. Your apps stay installed, but your folders, icon positions and widget placement are erased, so screenshot each page first.
Can I lock my Pixel 9 home screen layout?
The Pixel’s built-in launcher doesn’t have a layout lock like Samsung’s. To stop accidental changes, keep a screenshot of each page, or read our tips on how to stop icons from moving on Android.
Can I use a different launcher on a Pixel 9?
Yes. Install a launcher from the Play Store, then set it as your default under Settings > Apps > Default apps > Home app (Google Pixel Help). To go back, choose Pixel Launcher in the same menu.
Do icon shapes change the All apps list too?
No. The shape you pick applies to your home screen and folders. Icons in the All apps list keep their standard look.
Louis Mugan is a seasoned technology writer with a talent for turning complicated ideas into clear, practical guidance. He focuses on helping everyday readers stay confident in a world where tech moves fast. His style is approachable, steady, and built on real understanding.
He has spent years writing for platforms like EasyTechLife, where he covers gadgets, software, digital trends, and everyday tech solutions. His articles focus on clarity, real-world usefulness, and helping people understand how technology actually fits into their lives.
Outside of his regular columns, Louis explores emerging tools, reviews products, and experiments with new tech so his readers don’t have to. His steady, friendly approach has made him a reliable voice for anyone trying to keep up with modern technology. get in touch at louismugan@gmail.com
