Changing the Home app on a Google Pixel does not uninstall your apps or erase their data. It changes which app appears when Android returns to Home.
The usual path
Try Settings → Apps → Default apps → Home app. Manufacturer wording can move after a software update, so search Settings for “Home app,” “Launcher,” or “Default apps” if you do not see the same labels.
Before you switch
- Keep the stock launcher installed.
- Take screenshots of any layout you may want to rebuild.
- Export a backup if your current launcher supports one.
- Make sure you know the Settings path back to the Home-app chooser.
Switching back
- Open the Home-app chooser.
- Select the manufacturer launcher.
- Press Home and confirm the new default opens.
- Test widgets, search, notification dots, gestures, and reboot behavior.
If Android asks which launcher to use every time, clear competing defaults and make the choice again from Settings rather than relying only on the Home-button prompt.
Minimalistic is one example of a third-party Home app. The same switching rule applies to any launcher: keep the stock launcher installed, make one change at a time, and know the path back to Android’s default-app settings before you start.
Migration rule: change one layer at a time
First set the launcher as Home and test navigation. Then add favorites, then widgets, then icon pack, then gestures, then focus/hidden-app rules. Keep the stock launcher installed until the new setup survives a reboot and a normal day.