3 Easy Ways to Remove Widgets from Your Android Phone

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Quickly uninstall widgets from your home screen and lock screen

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: June 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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Removing Widgets from the Home Screen

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Uninstalling Widgets from Settings

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Uninstalling Widgets from the Play Store

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Q&A

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Tips

If you're tired of widgets cluttering your Home screen, you can remove them with a simple long-press and drag. If you'd prefer to delete widgets and their corresponding app from your device entirely, you can do so from Settings or the Google Play Store. This wikiHow article teaches you how to remove widgets from Android.

Things You Should Know

You can remove Android widgets from the home screen by long-pressing and dragging.
If you want to remove the widget from your device, you can do so in Settings.
You can also use the Google Play Store to remove unwanted widgets and apps.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing Widgets from the Home Screen

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Since the Home screen comprises multiple pages, you may have to swipe left or right to find the widget(s) you want to delete.
It should be highlighted, and a menu will pop up.

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Tap Remove. The icon will vary depending on your launcher, so it can be either a trashcan or an x. If you don't see either icon or no menu, drag your finger with the widget to the top of your screen, and one of those icons will appear. Let go and drop the widget on top of the trashcan icon, and it will be removed from your Home screen.^{[1]
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- For example, if you're using a Pixel phone, tap and hold the widget, then drag it to the x icon on the screen. If you're using the Nova launcher, tap and hold the widget, then tap Remove.^{[2]
  X
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- Repeat this process for any widget on your Home screen that you want to remove.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Uninstalling Widgets from Settings

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You can tap this gear icon on your Home screen or within the Quick Settings panel.
This option may also be entitled Application Manager.
The list is sorted alphabetically, but if you know the name of the app that controls the widget that you want to delete, you can use the search bar at the top of your screen.
If you originally installed the app from the Google Play Store, you can uninstall it. However, if your app came pre-installed on your phone, uninstalling it may not be possible. In this case, disable them instead to remove the widget.
Your widget should be uninstalled immediately as the app is uninstalled.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Uninstalling Widgets from the Play Store

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This app icon features a multi-colored "Play" symbol.
It's in the top right corner of your screen and will prompt a menu to appear.
It's usually the first option in the third grouping of menu options.
You'll see this at the top of your screen next to Overview. This displays all your downloaded apps and widgets.
Tap the filter icon to the right of "Apps & games" to change the sort order between Name, Most Used, Least Used, Recently Updated, and Size.
It's usually below the app name. Once you confirm your action, the selected app and associated widget should be uninstalled.

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Question

My widget (time and weather) will not uninstall by dragging it. Also, I cannot figure out what app it is as none appear to have either of those words in them.

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Many apps, like the default clock and weather apps, have multiple widgets available for each of them, and their app counterparts cannot be deleted. In this case, disable them instead to remove the widget. You can find more about disabling apps at wikihow.com/Disable-Apps-on-an-Android-Device

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How do I know which app yo uninstall for a clock widget?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Many apps, like the default clock and weather apps, have multiple widgets available for each of them, and their app counterparts cannot be deleted. In this case, disable them instead to remove the widget. You can find more about disabling apps at wikihow.com/Disable-Apps-on-an-Android-Device

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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Not Helpful 3 Helpful 1
Question

How do I remove the News Feeds from my Android device?

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Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Many apps, like the default clock and weather apps, have multiple widgets available for each of them, and their app counterparts cannot be deleted. In this case, disable them instead to remove the widget. You can find more about disabling apps at wikihow.com/Disable-Apps-on-an-Android-Device

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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Tips

Removing a widget from your Home screen will not uninstall it, and the widget in question will continue to take up memory.

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You can restore removed (but not uninstalled) widgets from the Widget section of the App menu.

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You can uninstall some widgets from your App Drawer, but not all widgets will appear there.

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