Many of you might find your apps greyed out on Android, one of the most significant issues. Why do people suffer that they cannot open that app, and why is it happening?
Hey everyone, this is Kunal, and in today’s article, I will tell you why apps greyed out on Android and how you can fix the grey apps on it.
This is going to be a complete and quick comprehensive guide. I searched for the same term on YouTube, found irrelevant videos, and even found some blogs I thought I would write about greyed-out apps on Android.
So there are multiple reasons why you see grey app icons. Sometimes, it’s because there is a limitation on the app, the app is broken, or even the Launcher app needs to be fixed.
I will tell you more reasons ahead, but before anything, let’s quickly see how to fix it:
How to Fix Greyed App Icons Android
As previously said, there could be multiple reasons behind it, but there are a few things that you need to do to fix it or at least ensure that it’s working correctly;
1. Grey Icon & Well Being
When users are on digital Detox or want to limit the app timer, they set something into the digital wellbeing app. Suppose someone wants to use Instagram for 10 minutes a day. They would set it up.
How can a person use Instagram for 10 minutes? Strange?
If you have imposed a fixed time limit on each app inside the digital well-being app. But this app will be greyed out or turn into a grey icon when that time limit is reached.
Suppose you had given someone time to use you only for 5 minutes in digital welding. Now those 5 minutes have been completed. Now after the completion of 5 minutes, whenever you go to the drawer automatically, you will see it grey in color, which means it will turn wholly grey or colorless in short.
My Honest Experience with Greyed-Out Apps
Now, below, I am sharing a few screenshots with you. I have set a particular time limit for using Instagram Because I have scrolled a lot previously, so I have set a limit.
As you can see, I have reached my limit of 30 minutes to use Instagram, and afterward, you can see the Instagram app is in grey in my app drawer.
This is entire because of the digital well-being app because the app has control over your device.
To Fix it, remove the app timer or increase the time limit of the app from the Digital Well-Being app.
I probably spend most of the time on it, but then I figure out the digital wellbeing app settings, which help me to control my time.
More than that, I spent a lot of time watching the well-being. Here is an article that will let you know how much data you consume on YouTube.
It is used to check screen usage time for those who are leaving under the rocks.
2. Broken App Icons
We often do not know, but whenever we uninstall, update, or clear all its data, another thing happens: your launcher also updates it inside your system.
If you have reached the time limit of using an app in digital well-being, then obviously, this is why your apps are greyed out.
Do This
If that’s not the case, clear the cache data of the default launcher application because when you update, install, or clear all data of any particular app, the launcher itself refreshes the app.
But when it doesn’t refresh, those apps mostly become colorless in short grey.
Here you have to either clear the cache of the default launcher app or perform a restart on your Android. Doing this will clear the cache and fix the lag on Android. Or you can simultaneously change or uninstall the launcher.
But how do you find out which is the default launcher on an Android:
Find Out Default Launcher
To find the default launcher app on your Android device, go to “Settings,” select “Apps,” locate your launcher app, and look for “Set as default” or “Clear defaults.”
Or Samsung users can get into “default apps ‘, and look for the Home app.
Note that the steps may vary slightly depending on your Android version and device manufacturer.
But if you are more interested in installing or customizing your Android home screen, here is a list of the 11 best Android Launcher apps you must try.
How to Clear Cache Data of Default Launcher
- Open mobile settings.
- Get into All Apps.
- Find and select the launcher.
- Tap on storage from the app info.
- Tap clear cache and confirm.
3. New Android Updates
Picture this: you’ve just updated your Android device to the latest and greatest version and are excited to see what’s new. You check out your home screen, only to find that some of your favorite app icons are now greyed out. What gives?
It turns out that Google has introduced a fancy new feature with Android 12 called themed icons. This feature matches the colors of your app icons with your wallpaper, making your phone look even more extraordinary. But here’s the catch – only some app developers have jumped on board. Read more about this.
Even though Google has updated Android 13 to fix this issue, app developers still need to update their icons to support the Material You feature. So if you’re wondering why some of your app icons are still greyed out, blame the developers!
I was researching this article and found some people are searching for the same thing, so I found out about any source from Google support.
Many Android users may experience greyed-out app icons, which can be caused by various reasons such as app limitations, broken app icons, or new Android updates. To fix this issue, users can clear the cache data of the default launcher app or restart their devices. If app limitations cause the greyed-out icons, users can adjust the time limit in the Digital Wellbeing app. Additionally, some app developers may still need to update their icons to support the Material You feature, which can cause app icons to appear greyed out.
Conclusion
All right, let’s make it super fun and engaging! Imagine you’re a detective whose mission is to solve the case of the greyed-out apps on Android. You put on your detective hat and start investigating the case.
First, you discover multiple reasons why apps turn grey on Android. It could be because of the digital well-being app, broken app icons, or a new Android update. But fear not, detective, because there are solutions to each issue.
If the digital well-being app is the culprit, you’ve reached the time limit for using a specific app. So all you have to do is adjust the digital well-being settings or wait until the next day to use the app again.
If the app icon is broken, the launcher app is not refreshing suitably. To fix this, you can clear the cache data of the default launcher app or restart your Android device.
And if a new Android update causes the issue, not all app developers have updated their icons to support the latest features. So you must wait until the app developers catch up with the new update.
Case closed! But in the meantime, you can explore some cool Android launcher apps to customize your home screen and make it look even more fabulous! And remember detective, always check for updates and keep your apps in tip-top shape to avoid any greyed-out app icons in the future.
