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Can’t see app icons on your Pixel phone? You’re not alone
July 16, 2025
A weird bug has befallen Pixel smartphones, making app icons disappear from the phones. Pixel devices on Android 10 with the December 2019 security patch seem to be affected.
9to5Googlereports that the the bug makes app icons invisible on the Pixel Launcher. Instead of the icon, a blank space appears with the name of the app and the background wallpaper on the phone takes over the empty space. However, users are still able to open the app by tapping its name.
AReddit userposted a short video showcasing this bug on their Pixel 2 XL. You can see the video below.
The Pixel Launcher bug becomes more difficult to deal with when viewing apps in the Favorites tray. Since there are no app labels there, one gets the impression that the app was completely deleted.
There is no set pattern to how this new bug affects app icons on Pixel phones. However,9to5Googlereports that it usually falls upon recently used apps.
Currently, the bug has been reported on thePixel 2,Pixel 3, andPixel 4series of smartphones. People who have reported the disappearing apps issue are encountering it around the time they restart their phones.
What’s the fix?
Google is yet to acknowledge the bug, but since it’s a small one, we expect it to get resolved in the next update. Until then, it’s worth a shot to reset your home screen launcher.
To reset your home screen launcher, head toSettings>Apps & notifications>App info. Here, select thePixel Launcherand go toStorage. HitClear dataand check if your app icons have reappeared. If not, you’ll just have to wait for Google to roll out a solution.
Have you experienced disappearing app icons on your Pixel smartphone? Tip us off in the comments section if you’ve been able to resolve the issue.
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