The fastest way to add an app to your Samsung TV home screen

Open the app you want to pin, then press the Tools button on your Samsung remote — it looks like a wrench or toolbox icon, usually near the top. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen. Select Add to Home, and the app moves to your home screen immediately. That's the whole process.

If you don't see the Tools button menu, or if the app doesn't have an "Add to Home" option, you can do it manually instead. Go to your home screen, find the app in your app list, press and hold it with your remote, then select Add to Home Screen from the menu that appears. The app will show up on your home screen within a second or two.

Key Takeaways

  • The Tools button (wrench icon) on your remote opens a quick menu to add the current app to your home screen in one step.
  • If Tools doesn't work, you can press and hold any app in your app list to bring up a menu with an "Add to Home Screen" option.
  • Apps you add to your home screen stay there until you remove them — they don't disappear after updates or restarts.
  • Your Samsung TV home screen can hold dozens of app tiles, and you can rearrange them by pressing and holding an app, then moving it with your remote.

Finding the Tools button on your Samsung remote

The Tools button is one of the fastest ways to manage apps on your Samsung TV. On most Samsung remotes made in the last five years, it's a small icon near the top of the remote that looks like a wrench, a toolbox, or sometimes three horizontal lines. Press it while an app is open, and a menu bar appears at the bottom of your screen with options like "Add to Home", "View Details", and "Rate This App".

If you can't find a Tools button on your remote, or if pressing it doesn't bring up a menu, your remote model may not have this feature. Older Samsung remotes and some budget models skip it. In that case, use the press-and-hold method described in the next section instead.

Using press and hold to add apps manually

Go to your home screen by pressing the Home button on your remote. Then navigate to Apps — this is usually a tile or menu option on the left side of your home screen. Scroll through your app list until you find the app you want to add.

Once you've found it, press and hold the app tile with your remote's center button or select button. A small menu will pop up with options. Look for Add to Home Screen and select it. The app will appear on your home screen right away, usually at the end of your existing apps or in an empty space you choose.

Moving and organizing apps on your home screen

After you add an app, you can move it anywhere on your home screen. Press and hold the app tile, and your remote will enter move mode — the app tile will highlight or show a move cursor. Use your remote's arrow buttons to slide the app left, right, up, or down to the spot you want. Press select or the center button again to drop it in place.

You can rearrange apps as many times as you want. There's no limit to how many you can add to your home screen, though most people keep between 10 and 20 frequently used apps visible and leave the rest in the Apps menu. If your home screen gets crowded, you can also remove apps by pressing and holding them and selecting Remove from Home Screen.

What happens to apps after you add them

Apps you add to your home screen stay there permanently until you remove them. They won't disappear after a TV update, a restart, or a power outage. If an app gets a software update, the updated version will still be on your home screen in the same spot — the tile itself doesn't move or change position.

If you uninstall an app completely from your TV, it will also disappear from your home screen. But simply removing an app from your home screen doesn't uninstall it — it just hides it from the home screen view. You can always add it back later by going to Apps and using the press-and-hold method again.

Troubleshooting when an app won't add to your home screen

Some apps, particularly system apps that come built into your Samsung TV, may not have an "Add to Home" option. These are usually apps like Settings, SmartThings, or Samsung's own services. They're designed to stay in the Apps menu and can't be pinned to the home screen.

If an app you downloaded from the Samsung App Store won't add to your home screen, try restarting your TV. Unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for it to fully load. Then try adding the app again using either the Tools button or the press-and-hold method. If it still doesn't work, the app may have a bug — check the Samsung App Store to see if an update is available, or try uninstalling and reinstalling it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add the same app to my home screen more than once?

No. Samsung TV home screens don't allow duplicate app tiles. If you try to add an app that's already on your home screen, nothing will happen. You can only have one tile per app, though you can move it around as much as you want.

What's the difference between adding an app and downloading it?

Downloading an app installs it on your TV so you can use it. Adding an app to your home screen just puts a shortcut on your main screen so you can launch it faster. You have to download an app first before you can add it to your home screen.

Will adding apps to my home screen slow down my TV?

No. Adding apps to your home screen doesn't affect your TV's performance. Your TV only runs the apps you actually open. Having 50 app tiles on your home screen won't make your TV slower than having 5.

Can I add apps from outside the Samsung App Store?

Most Samsung TVs only let you download apps from the official Samsung App Store, so you can only add those apps to your home screen. Some older models or developer-enabled TVs can sideload apps, but that's a separate process and not recommended for most users.