**** WARNING : If you don't furnish a way to get to your other apps or settings then your phone will be stuck with this app forever ***
Ok it worked. Here is the process.
1) Create your apk.
2) Dump the .apk using apktool: apktool -d apkfile.apk (it will put it into a folder same name as your apk file, goto that folder)
3) Modify the manifest as follows;
4) Find this activity tag " <activity android:configChanges=..." in my case it was the first instance
5) Within that tag you will find one or more <intent-filter> tags.
6) After the last </intent-filter> add:
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.HOME"/>
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
</intent-filter>
7) Rebuild the .apk using apktool b .
8) It will create a .apk file in a folder called "dist"
9) Copy that file to your android phone
10)
Use this app (Or whatever other way you can) to sign the app
11) Install the app
12) When the app runs it asks you to make it the home app.
