app to keep home screen fixed and so it cant be changed

kala85

I need an app that will disable the feature on android phones which allows apps to be dragged and dropped. I need some sort of app that will keep my homescreens fixed and the same. The reason being is that I am giving my old android phone to my dad and I want to make it as basic as possible to work it.

On my home screen is all I need is incoming texts and emails , phonebook and ability to make calls. I dont want it to accidently change as he wont be able to figure it out?

Any recommendations.

Dozen Wicked Words

Holo launcher can lock home screen and its apps.

irishpancake

Is the phone running at least ICS (4.0) or above??

It could be Ginger Bread(2.3) or even Froyo(2.2), and then my suggested Launcher, Apex, will not run.

But if the phone is ICS or above, Apex Free will do what you want:

Apex Launcher helps you create a customized homescreen experience on your Android (4.0+) device.
Features:
- Customizable homescreen grid size and up to 9 homescreens
- Scrollable dock with up to 7 icons per page and up to 5 pages
- Infinite & elastic scrolling (homescreen, drawer and dock)
- Fancy transition effects (tablet, cube, etc.)
- Hide elements as you want (persistent search bar, status bar, or even the dock)
- Customizable icons and labels for shortcuts and folders
- Choose different folder preview styles and background
- Multiple drawer styles (transparent/opaque, horizontal/vertical, paginated/continuous)
- Drawer apps sorting (title, install date, mostly used)
- Hide apps from the drawer
- Lock your desktop to prevent accidental changes
- Enjoy homescreen gestures (pinch, swipe up/down, double tap)
- Advanced theme engine (icon packs, skins, etc.)
- Backup/restore settings and data
- Optimized for both phones and tablets
- Lots of other customization options!

Not taking away from the other suggested Launcher, Holo, which will run on all versions of Android, from Froyo up to Jellybean, and this home screen lock feature is available.

You will have to make sure the new launcher is set as default, and that you don't remove, or freeze the original launcher, as it will be a system app,and your new launcher will be a user app, which could be uninstalled, leaving you in a bit of a pickle, with no launcher......

There are ways around this, like moving the new launcher into system, but you need to be rooted, so probably for your Dad not so important.

But, if you need any further help or advice, just post here, and I and others will help.

Cheers.

BTW, my son gave me his Android, believe it or not, his S3, cos he is moving back to iPhoney.....can't hack it!!!

neonman

As the others have pointed out download a launcher. I personally use Nova Launcher prime.

It even allows you to cut down the number of screens to just one so your dad will only have the one screen to use and it also allows you to lock it down so he can't make changes.

biebiebie

Go Launder EX, well 50M+ downloads and 4.6/5 can't be too far wrong now can't it

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gau.go.launcherex

irishpancake

biebiebie wrote: »

Go Launder EX, well 50M+ downloads and 4.6/5 can't be too far wrong now can't it

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gau.go.launcherex

You would be right if the topic was just about the "best launcher" for my Android phone or Tablet.......no doubt Go is very good, I use Go HD on my Tablet, and it is fast, configurable and flexible.

But I think what the OP wants is as much simplicity as possible, for the use of his Dad, with one Home screen, which will have all the Apps he needs to use on there, and no possibility of removing them, or to set it up with many pages, devoted to separate functions, folders, etc...

like all those functions people normally want from a Launcher, he doesn't want.

So, the simpler, the better, IMO, although.....

I will say to the OP, I am a 59 yr old guy, who got my phone from my son, like he is doing, and I would be very annoyed if he had tried to lock down any function of the device...

us oldies have very inquisitive minds too, and we can handle stuff much easier than our kids give us credit for!!!