topic Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen in Z Series

Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

Katiinas — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 20:30:37 GMT

Hi everyone,

So this is a strange one. I can't seem to find any info on the internet about this, thought might give it a shot here.

After I've turned my phone back on, for some reason I can no longer add any Applications to my Home Screen, nor can I remove them..

All Icons that were brought up via 'drag upwards to add to Home Screen' dissapeared leaving only widgets and couple of default icons I had kept.

Whenver I drag application up icon cannot cross the line between 'menu' and 'Add to Home Screen'. Icon goes back down when roughly 1/4th of the icon gets above the mentioned line.

I have tried (because why not) 'Xperia Home -> Clear data' to reset Home screen, it seems that now only available icons I can have are the default ones (Music, Album, Video, Google).

Downloading and Installing new app does set Icon on Home Screen, however it cannot be removed.

I've done the Touchscreen Test in Diagnostics, I can clear all screen with ease. Did dead pixel test - also fine.

Besides that I don't have any other faults with my phone, but MicroSD which doesn't hold, instead keeps popping out. I've wraped it in thin layer of paper and just jammed it in there (Maybe 3 months ago). Before 'Home Screen problem' I had removed MicroSD with pincers. That's why phone was off and after turning it back on again this happened.

If you anymore info of any kind I could provide for this issue, I would gladly do.

Also if there is no 'solve' would there be any kind of 'walk around'? Maybe I could add/remove icons from homescreen some other way?

Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

Uliwooly — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 21:31:08 GMT

@Katiinas

Settings > apps > all > home > clear data > restart the phone

Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

Katiinas — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 22:30:24 GMT

Did that already. It returned back to default apps on Home Screen. Still can't remove any apps from Home Screen since that drag and drop to 'remove' doesn't work.

Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

Uliwooly — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 22:41:08 GMT

@Katiinas

what if you pinch zoom > remove that page of the home launcher?

Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

_alexdon_ — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 23:20:09 GMT

Have you checked home settings? There is something called add icons to home screen, have you enabled it?

Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

Jake-SonyXperia — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 03:03:23 GMT

Hi Katiinas,

Welcome to the community,

Can you boot to Safemode and let us know if the issue continues?

Safemode

Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

Katiinas — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 07:54:08 GMT

@uliwooly yeah, that does remove the whole pane and I think I can use it as a way to remove Icons from Home Screen. Thanks.

@alexdon Home Settings has just two settings. Allow rotation and size of the icons. (I access it by holding on screen > Home Settings.

@Jake-SonyXperiaSupport yes issue still persists in Safemode.

Also what I've noticed is if I choose to sort menu by 'Most Used' or 'alphabetical' I can add Icons straight to Home Screen without drag and drop to 'Add to Home Screen'

Hover on personalised view drag and drop to add won't work and drag and drop and Home Screen to remove won't work.

Re: Can no longer add/remove Apps to/from Home Screen

Jake-SonyXperia — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 00:43:20 GMT

This is a rather odd case, it seems as though you have an issue with the Software which goes past third party.

Honestly I would suggest performing a software repair on the device after a backup to the handset.

Backup

Software repair

Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

Moobot — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 13:06:25 GMT

Hi,

I can no longer add or remove apps from the home screen using long press and drag and drop.

While in the app screen, if I long press and drag an app icon to the top of the screen, I see the text 'Add to home screen' but however much I move it around at the top it won't change to the home screen to drop it on.

The same issue when I'm trying to remove an app from the home screens. I drag the icon to where it says 'Remove from home screen', but it doesn't change to red colour, as it used to, so I cannot remove it.

I can still add and remove widgets from the home screens, as it goes red and deletes when dragging a widget to 'Remove from home screen' at the top of screen.

I have tried repairing with PC companion but its still the same, also with a 'clean' repair without importing any apps or settings. I also tried doing a factory re-set from android menu, but it's still the same.

Thanks for any help.

Max

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

Jonas — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 13:35:48 GMT

Hi @Moobot, welcome to our forum!

I'm sorry to hear about that.

Since the widgets are usually bigger in size than the app icons, I would recommend that you try the touch test in your phone which you can find in the service menu.

Open up the phone application and type in *#*#7378423#*#* > Service test > Touch > Free drawing test. Can you draw at all areas on the top of your screen?

If you aren't able to draw at all parts, please get in contact Local support team and they will be able to assist you with having the phone sent in to an authorized service centre.

Let me know how it goes!

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

Moobot — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 14:07:39 GMT

Hi Jonas,

So it looks like I have issues with the touch screen at the top then:

Thanks, I will contact support.

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

Jonas — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 15:12:33 GMT

No problem at all!

Best of luck with the repair and if there is anything else I can assist you with, just let me know!

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

Xperiaxz3 — Wed, 17 May 2017 22:08:04 GMT

I did a factory reset 12 days ago. Big mistake.

Can't add or remove items from home screen due to the icons not registering as I drop them over the top of the screen. Used to highlight red and... Work.

Now also my screen is behaving like these diagnostics below. I can't type q or w without getting both at the same time. And I get double a's.

I'd like to point out that the touchscreen went wonky after a FACTORY RESET.

Also the Sony companion software is so buggy it crashes when I plug the phone in. Unbelievable.

[edit] same problems in Safe mode

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

avril151 — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 19:57:23 GMT

i have the same isdue with my xa1 since the last update.. top of screen and sides arent working correctly

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

Javix — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:37:04 GMT

I have the same issue. I cannot remove shorcuts on Home screen.

I cannot either use bottom part (Home, Back and active apps button).

Is it true the sreen should be replaced??

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

CoprTopr — Sat, 24 Nov 2018 17:20:26 GMT

This seems to be a more widespread issue than individual screen problems. I have performed all the diagnostic tests on the screen, and they were all fine. The only shortcuts that can be added are apps that have widgets available (and many apps don't have them), or pre-installed apps. This is very frustrating. I've tried adding from the home screen, long-pressing on the app shortcut in the app-drawer, and from the menu within each app (which doesn't always exist). This seems to be either an intentional omission of the capability or an unintended oversight which has not yet been corrected.

Re: Cannot add or remove Apps to home screens

leodanshah — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 16:37:29 GMT

Im having the same problem on my xperia z3 dual, im only able to add or remove icons to and from homescreen only when i slingshoot them with speed,otherwise they dont seem to bother. Pretty strange eh!

Would love to go back to normal though.