No worries — that's actually a pretty common (and fixable) problem. Here’s what probably happened: either the Camera app shortcut was accidentally removed, disabled, or hidden. Let’s walk through how to get it back:
1. Search for the Camera App
Swipe up on your home screen to open the Apps drawer.
Tap the Search bar at the top.
Type Camera.
If you see it, long-press the Camera icon and choose "Add to Home".
2. Check if the Camera App is Disabled
Open Settings > Apps.
Tap the filter icon (it looks like three lines or dots) and choose "Show system apps" (just in case).
Scroll down and find Camera.
If it says "Disabled", tap it and press Enable.
3. Reset Home Screen Layout (If Needed)
If the Camera app is really missing and you can’t find it at all:
Go to Settings > Home screen.
Tap Reset Home Screen Layout. (This will reset the layout back to default, but no apps will be deleted — it'll just put them back where they originally were.)
4. Use the Camera from Quick Access
Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings.
See if the Camera shortcut is there (you can also add it to Quick Settings if you want quicker access in the meantime).
Would you like me to also show you how to lock the Camera app to the home screen so it doesn’t disappear again? (Takes just a few seconds and saves you the hassle in the future.)
Thanks, but no luck. The camera's enabled; I don't see a reset option for the layout in Settings > Home Screen, just choice between Home Screen Only and the other; and no camera shortcut in quick access.
Of course — I’ll walk you through it step-by-step, nice and simple.
First question so I guide you right: Do you want to start with the “Reset Home Screen Layout” option first? (it’s the fastest and usually works to bring the Camera icon back)
If yes, here’s exactly what you do:
How to Reset Home Screen Layout on Samsung
Open Settings (Swipe down from the top, tap the gear icon.)
Scroll down and tap on "Home Screen" (If you don’t see it right away, search “Home Screen” in the Settings search bar.)
Scroll all the way down and tap "Reset Home Screen Layout" (It might ask you to confirm — go ahead and confirm.)
Check your home screen after reset
Your apps will go back to how they were when you first got the phone.
The Camera icon should be back!
IMPORTANT:
No apps will be deleted, just moved back to their original spots.
If you had any fancy folders or layouts, you might have to reorganize a bit after.
Want to go ahead and try that now? (And if that doesn’t work, I’ll walk you through the next step — no worries.) Just tell me when you’re ready!
Perfect, thanks — the Galaxy S20 — good phone, and it should definitely be fixable.
Since you’re on an S20, the steps I gave you (Reset Home Screen Layout) work exactly the same way. Here’s a slightly cleaned-up version just for the S20:
How to Reset Home Screen Layout (Galaxy S20)
Open your Settings app (Swipe down from the top, tap the gear icon.)
Scroll down and tap "Display"
Tap "Home Screen"
Scroll down and tap "Reset Home Screen Layout" (You’ll see a confirmation popup — tap Reset.)
Go back to your Home Screen and check
Look for the Camera icon — it should be back on your first page or near the bottom!
If the Camera icon is still missing after this, don't worry. Next I’ll walk you through checking if the Camera app is disabled (it sometimes happens even on S20).
