Have your app names suddenly disappeared from your Samsung Galaxy A36 5G home screen? You’re not alone — this issue is more common than most users think. The good news is that it’s rarely a serious malfunction and can usually be fixed with a few settings adjustments. Missing app labels are often caused by a toggle setting in One UI, a launcher cache glitch, or after a recent system update.
As a mobile technician would explain, the home screen icons are handled by Samsung’s One UI Home launcher, which can temporarily misbehave when cached data becomes corrupted or certain display settings are altered. Fortunately, there are clear, step-by-step methods to restore them without resetting your device or losing personal data.
Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Toggle App Labels (Most Common Fix)
The first and most effective step is ensuring that “App labels” are turned on.
Path:
- Settings > Home screen > App labels > Toggle ON.
This feature controls whether app names appear under icons. If turned off accidentally — often during customization or theme changes — all labels will vanish. Once re-enabled, you’ll see your app names return instantly.
2. Long-Press Home Screen Access
If navigating menus feels confusing, use this shortcut:
Long-press an empty space on your home screen > Tap Home screen settings > Enable App labels or Show icon names. This direct access ensures you’re modifying the right launcher layer without digging through general settings.
3. Clear One UI Home Cache and Data
Over time, launcher data can become outdated or corrupted. Clearing it forces One UI Home to rebuild cleanly.
Steps:
- Go to Settings > Apps > One UI Home.
- Tap Storage.
- Choose Clear cache, then Clear data.
- Reboot your phone.
Note: This resets your home screen layout, but your installed apps remain safe. After restarting, re-enable “App labels” to confirm the fix.
4. Check Hidden or Disabled Apps
Sometimes app icons and their labels disappear because they’ve been hidden or disabled.
Check this:
- Open the app drawer > Tap the three-dot menu > Select Home screen settings or Hide apps.
- Uncheck any apps that shouldn’t be hidden.
- Also, go to Settings > Apps and look for any “Disabled” apps — re-enable them if needed.
Once unhidden, app names will reappear automatically.
5. Test with an Alternative Launcher
If labels remain missing even after resets, try using a different launcher such as Nova Launcher or Lawnchair. If app names appear in these launchers, the problem lies in Samsung’s One UI Home itself — not the Android system or your apps. This step is diagnostic and helps isolate the issue.
6. Update System and Apps
Samsung frequently updates One UI and Android to improve stability. An outdated launcher or system build may cause display glitches.
Do this:
- Go to Settings > Software update > Download and install.
- Open Play Store > Manage apps & device > Update all.
Updating ensures that launcher bugs or compatibility issues are patched automatically.
7. Reset Home Screen Layout or Factory Reset (Last Resort)
If all else fails, reset your home screen layout:
Path:
- Settings > Home screen > Layout > Reset home screen layout.
This reverts your icon arrangement and brings back default app names. Only consider a factory reset if your device exhibits multiple visual or performance issues — and always back up your data first.
If your Galaxy A36 5G is also showing unexpected behavior like certain apps closing by themselves, you might want to check our detailed troubleshooting guide to keep everything running smoothly.
Why This Happens (Technical Insight)
From a technical standpoint, One UI Home manages your home screen grid and icon rendering through cached data. When this cache is corrupted — for example, after a firmware update, theme modification, or memory error — the launcher may fail to load label metadata, resulting in blank icons.
Samsung’s interface includes a dedicated “App labels” toggle for aesthetic flexibility. Accidentally disabling it hides all text identifiers beneath icons. Additionally, Android’s resource management may suppress labels when icons are scaled or customized through third-party themes.
According to a study in Experimental Psychology / Human-Computer Interaction conducted at Staffordshire University, consistent icon labeling improves user recognition speed and task accuracy in mobile navigation. Thus, restoring visible app names not only resolves aesthetic inconsistencies but also directly enhances usability and cognitive efficiency.
Prevention Tips
- Avoid switching between multiple launchers frequently.
- Keep One UI and Android regularly updated.
- Periodically clear launcher cache to prevent corruption.
- Back up your home layout using Samsung Smart Switch or your Samsung Account.
- Use themes and icon packs from trusted sources only.
Conclusion
When app names disappear from your Samsung Galaxy A36 5G home screen, the fix is usually just a few taps away. Start by enabling App labels, clear your One UI Home cache if needed, and ensure your apps aren’t hidden. In almost all cases, these steps fully restore icon text without affecting your data or system performance.
Understanding why this happens — and how One UI manages its visual elements — helps prevent it in the future. As proven by usability research, clearly labeled icons enhance both recognition speed and navigation efficiency. Your Galaxy A36 5G will not only look organized again but also perform intuitively, just the way it was designed to.
FAQ
1. Where can I find the “App labels” option?
Go to Settings > Home screen > App labels, or long-press the home screen and open Home screen settings.
2. Will clearing One UI Home data delete my apps?
No. It only resets your layout and widget placement — your installed apps remain intact.
3. Why did my app names disappear after a software update?
Updates can sometimes modify launcher behavior or reset visual preferences. Simply re-enable App labels and restart your device.
4. Can this issue damage my phone?
No. Missing labels are purely a UI setting problem, not a hardware or data issue.
