If you own an older smartphone that has stopped receiving security updates, you may notice some weird glitches from time to time. Some Android users report that their smartphone’s home screen gets filled with Duplicate Icons for a certain app out of the blue. There may be several reasons behind this problem. In this article, we bring you the best ways to remove duplicate app icons on your Android smartphone.

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Check for Malware

Suspicious malware can creep into your phone from various sources and severely inhibit your smartphone’s ability to function properly. As a general rule of thumb, don’t download apps from third-party marketplaces and don’t click on shady links to reduce the risk of a malware attack. To scan your smartphone for malware, download the Malwarebytes Mobile Security app. Perform a deep scan of your smartphone using the app and remove all the malware you find on it.

Clear app cache

Clear the cache of the app that is producing duplicate icons on the home screen. Temporary files in the cache are known to corrupt over time and create unnatural issues on your phone. Here’s how you can clear the app cache.

Step 1: Go to Settings and select Apps.

Step 2: Select the app that is malfunctioning.

Step 3: Select Storage.

Step 4: Tap on ‘Clear Cache’.

Reinstall the app

If you are seeing duplicate icons for one particular app, it is possible that the apk file of the app installed on your phone may be faulty. Corrupted files can act unnaturally and create duplicate icons. To fix this, simply uninstall the app from your phone and download it again from the Google Play Store. You can uninstall the app from Settings or by simply long-pressing the icon on the app drawer and selecting ‘Uninstall’.

Update the app

Perhaps the issue lies with the app version and not the apk file. It is not uncommon for unexpected bugs to spring up from time to time. Usually, app developers fix these bugs with a swift update. To update an app, simply go to the Google Play Store, search for the app, and select ‘Update’ from the app page.

Update the OS

If the issue doesn’t like on the app’s end, it is possible that your phone’s OS may be at fault. This can be fixed by updating the system OS from Settings. Here’s how you can do that.

Step 1: Go to Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down and select ‘About Phone’.

Step 3: Select ‘Software Information’. This is where you’ll be able to see the Android version running on your smartphone. 

Step 4: To update the OS to the latest version, go to Settings and select ‘Software Update’.

Step 5: Click on ‘Download and update’ to install the latest OS version on your smartphone. 

Uninstall third-party launchers

If you use any third-party Android launchers or app drawer substitutes, uninstall them from your phone. Apps like Nova Launcher, Niagra Launcher, and Smart Launcher are fun to use, but they may cause your app icons to duplicate when they start malfunctioning. Go to Settings>Apps>[Your Android Launcher] and tap on Uninstall at the bottom of the screen.

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Conclusion

These are the best ways to remove duplicate app icons from your Android smartphone. You can also try performing a factory reset as a last-ditch measure. Make sure you back up your phone’s data before factory resetting it. If the issue still persists after you’ve tried all these fixes, take your phone to a professional repair centre for further diagnosis. 

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