Creating an “Object Sharing” setup requires more than simply clearing the visible screen. Similar to deleting a desktop shortcut while leaving the source file intact, merely removing icons leaves metadata, defined styles, and unused resources in the application's storage. To ensure a lightweight, conflict-free distribution file (best effort “clean slate”), a thorough “Clean Room Protocol” is required to purge these background remnants.

Before initiating the purge, create a backup of the current configuration to prevent accidental data loss.

1. Enter Edit mode (long-press empty area or use pinch-in gesture).
2. Go to Main menu > Backup center.
   1. Select the Add icon to initiate a new backup.
   2. Select New backup.
   3. The Title dialog defaults to backup_yyyymmdd. Change this to Safety_Pre_Wipe_yyyymmdd.
   4. Select OK to save.
      1. Verification: Confirm the new file appears at the top of the backup list before proceeding.
3. Optional but recommended:
   1. Export the safety backup:
      1. Tap the 3-dot menu to the right of the Safety_Pre_Wipe… backup.
      2. Select Export backup.
      3. Navigate to a secure storage location (SD Card or Cloud) and save.
      4. Reasoning: This ensures that even if you accidentally delete files in the following steps, your original setup is safe outside the app.

To achieve a true zero-state, the cleaning process must address both visible elements and internal definitions.

This phase focuses on removing active elements from the workspace and resetting core resource pointers to their lightest defaults.

1. Clear Screen Objects:
   1. Navigate to the “Home” page.
   2. Long-press any object (icon, widget, or graphic) to select it.
   3. In the Object Design menu (top), tap the Delete icon .
   4. Repeat this process until the page is completely empty.
      1. Hidden Objects Check: Check for invisible elements (like transparent spacers) by tapping empty areas in Edit mode.
      2. Batch Delete: To verify the page is empty and clear everything at once:
         1. Tap the Select icon in the top-left corner.
         2. Drag a selection box from the upper-right to the lower-left corner.
         3. If any objects are caught, tap the Delete icon.
2. Purge Resource Containers (Pages):
   1. Open the Page Manager using the pinch-in gesture to view the setup's pages .
   2. Tap the Edit icon .
   3. Horizontally scroll through the pages.
      1. Delete all pages, except the one designated as “Home”.
      2. Tap the Delete icon and confirm.
      3. A single-page setup is now shown.
   4. Tap the Option icon on the remaining page.
      1. Set Label to Home. Tap OK.

This is where actual personal data hides. Total Launcher keeps a library of every image or icon ever imported, even if it was deleted from the screen.

1. Tap the Main Menu icon .
2. Select “Resources”.
   1. For each of the resource areas shown (•Shape, •Image, •Dynamic image, •Shadow, •Typeface, •Sound, •Window, •Sequence):
      1. Tap the category to review the list.
      2. Tap and hold a single object to enter selection mode.
      3. Tap the “Select All” icon (✔✔) in the top-right corner.
      4. Tap the Delete icon in the bottom-right.
         1. This can be later verified by using a file manager (such as miXplorer) to inspect the system folders as follows:
            1. Backup: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups
            2. Dynamic Images: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/dynamicimages
            3. Fonts: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/fonts
            4. Images: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/images
            5. Sequences: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/sequences
            6. Shadows: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/shadows
            7. Shapes: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/shapes
            8. Sounds: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/ sounds
            9. Windows: /Internal_storage/Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/.NameOfBackupFile/wnds
         2. Total Launcher will strictly prevent the deletion of system defaults (built-in assets) or resources currently in use by the active Home page. If it refuses to delete an item, it is likely a required dependency—leave it.
      5. Repeat for all remaining categories.
3. Reset Launcher Options: (Resetting to neutral defaults)
   1. Navigate to Main menu > Launcher options:
      1. Select “Behavior”:
         1. General: Uncheck all boxes.
         2. App Drawer:
            1. Sort order: Set to Name.
            2. Reset icon and label: Tap and confirm (removes custom renaming).
            3. Badge Count: Turn all switches OFF.
         3. Advanced:
            1. Lock level: Set to Weak.
            2. Password: Clear any text (Ensure it is empty).
            3. Menu lock: Unchecked.
            4. GPS interval: Set to 0 (or default).
      2. UI & Animation:
         1. Wallpaper: Select No wallpaper.
         2. Animation: Set to System default.
         3. Status bar & Navigation bar: Uncheck (Hide) for a clean look, or Check for default.
         4. Sliding Drawer: Uncheck all directions except “On the bottom” (this ensures the user can swipe up to see their apps).
      3. Icon style:
         1. Label: Set to Show.
         2. Text color: Set to White (#FFFFFFFF).
      4. Key & Gestures:
         1. Home key: Set to Select action (or Do Nothing).
         2. Back key: Set to System default.
      5. Backup Center:
         1. Do NOT delete your backups here. The export process only captures the *current* layout, not the list of backups stored on your device. Deleting these puts your own data at risk with no benefit to the shared file.
4. Clear App Drawer Metadata:
   1. Open the App Drawer using a swipe up (or use the assigned gesture).
   2. Enter Edit Mode with a long-press an empty area or toggle the Edit switch.
   3. Select the drawer by tap/hold on the edge boundary of the drawer where the apps are listed. A selection box will appear around the grid of icons.
   4. Tap the Options icon on the top toolbar.
   5. Look for “App group”.
      1. Scenario A: If “App group” is visible, set it to “All apps”.
      2. Scenario B: If “App group” is MISSING (as is common in some setups), look for the checkbox Group items. Ensure it is Unchecked. This confirms the widget is displaying a flat list of apps, which is the correct default behavior.
5. Clean Up Custom Items (Crucial Step):
   1. Close the options menu and look at the App Drawer grid.
   2. If any custom folders like “Social”, “Games”, or “Banking” are visible
      1. Select these custom folders and tap Delete.
   3. The App Drawer should only display the raw list of apps installed on the device. It should not contain any organized folders, as those are personal preferences that would be saved in the backup.

This step ensures the file is valid and contains no personal data.

1. Method A: Standard Export (Try this first)
   1. Go to Backup center > Add > New backup.
   2. Name it Clean_Slate_yyyymmdd.
   3. Tap the 3-dot menu > Export backup.
   4. Check the file size: If the resulting file is 0 bytes, the export failed (common with empty shells). Proceed to Method B.
2. Method B: Manual Export (The Reliable Method for Empty Shells)
   1. Open the file manager (e.g., miXplorer).
   2. Navigate to: `Android/data/com.ss.launcher2/files/backups/`
   3. Tap to open the folder `.Clean_Slate_…` (do not select the folder itself).
   4. Select all contents manually by tapping.
   5. Archive the Contents:
      1. Tap Menu (3 dots) > Archive.
      2. Configure the Archive Dialog:
         1. Enter the name: `Clean_Slate_Shell.zip`.
         2. Format: Ensure Zip is selected.
         3. Compression: Leave as Deflate.
         4. Password/Key: Leave Blank.
         5. Delete source: Ensure this is Unchecked.
   6. Tap OK.
   7. There is now a valid `Clean_Slate_Shell.zip` located inside the backup folder. Move this file to the Downloads folder for easy sharing.

1. Inspection (The Autopsy):
   1. Tap on your new ZIP file to view its contents.
   2. Open the `images` subfolder.
      1. This folder should be empty. If files here, they are personal images overlooked previously. Go back to Phase 2.

If Method B in Phase 3 was used, the file is already packed and ready. Move it to a public folder (like Downloads) for easy sharing.

Before distributing, verify the shell functions as a neutral base on a device.

1. Import the Shell:
   1. In Total Launcher, go to Backup center > Import backup.
   2. Select your `Clean_Slate_Shell.zip`.
   3. Tap Restore.
2. Evaluate:
   1. Check that the screen is empty.
   2. Open the App Drawer to ensure it loads the current device's installed apps (verifying the “All apps” group is active).
   3. Note: When navigating to Add > Graphic and viewing the “Saved” tab, the presence of personal icons, photos or objects may appear. Do not worry. This tab is simply a file viewer looking at a specific folder on the current device. It is a local library, not part of the setup.
3. Restore Your Daily Setup:
   1. Go to Backup center.
   2. Locate your Safety_Pre_Wipe… backup.
   3. Tap Restore