# Where did the text message icon on my Home Screen go? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2024, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825 "2024-01-09T12:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/1 "2024-01-09T12:05:36Z")
I’ve been using an iPhone for several years now and last night when I pulled it out of my pocket, the messages icon was missing. I have to go into the App Store and search for “messages” to open the app (it works fine from there, but I WANT MY LITTLE GREEN SPEECH BALLOON BACK). TIA for any assistance anyone can offer. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/2 "2024-01-09T12:11:09Z")
Google says, > **Reinstall the Message app on iPhone**. Open the App Store app \>tap the search icon and type Message in the search field. Locate the missing message app icon and tap the cloud icon next to it to download. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/3 "2024-01-09T12:17:30Z")
But I’m not getting a cloud icon. Just a button that says “open.” ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/4 "2024-01-09T12:19:22Z")
Did you go into settings, check your list of apps, and find it there? If so, delete it and, when you go back to the app store, you will be able to download it again. It will probably then appear once again on the main screen. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/5 "2024-01-09T12:20:41Z")
I think if you long-tap (i.e. tap and hold) the message icon, you can drag it to the bottom and it will stay on your home screen again. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/6 "2024-01-09T12:25:18Z")
It’s not giving me any way to delete the app (actually, it’s in “settings” with other non-deletable features such as Safari). iPhone 13 version iOS 17.1.2 ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/7 "2024-01-09T12:34:40Z")
Ok good to know the next update does weird things to icons. Have you looked in your apps library on your phone? It’s there if the store just gives you the open button instead of the download cloud. Just keep swiping you screen right to left till you see every app you have in organized into folders(it should say “app library” at the top of the screen). The icon should be in a folder labeled “social” or something like that. Did you by chance mean 17.2.1(which I have)?. Long press on the icon and select place on home screen from the menu that will pop up. Also when was the last time you restarted the phone. I find that ios gets unstable after a couple of days. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/8 "2024-01-09T12:40:37Z")
> [@DorkVader](#): > > Ok good to know the next update does weird things to icons. > > Have you looked in your apps library on your phone? Thanks! That did it. Now I can go to bed. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/9 "2024-01-09T12:41:41Z")
As I ready myself for work…Le Sigh… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-text-message-icon-on-my-home-screen-go/995825/10 "2024-01-10T11:03:53Z")
> [@DorkVader](#): > > Did you by chance mean 17.2.1(which I have)? Nope.17.1.2. I just rechecked it. My phone sometimes misses the updates because I work from 2230-0700 and I tend not be be on WiFi at Apple’s preferred auto-update time.