How to Hide Apps on Your iPhone (Without Actually Deleting Them)

Keeping your iPhone organized isn’t just about aesthetics; it can also improve efficiency and streamline your workflow. An essential part of this organization is managing your apps. While deleting unused apps is a good practice, what about those you use occasionally but don’t want cluttering your home screen? Thankfully, iPhones offer several ways to hide apps without permanently removing them, giving you the best of both worlds: a clean interface and easy access to your entire app library.

Understanding Why You Might Want to Hide Apps:

How to Hide Apps on Your iPhone (Without Actually Deleting Them)

Before rushing into the methods, let’s explore some common reasons to hide apps on your iPhone:

  • Declutter your home screen: This can be particularly beneficial if you have many apps, making it easier to find the ones you use frequently.
  • Maintain privacy: If you have apps containing sensitive information, hiding them from your home screen can offer a layer of privacy, especially if you share your phone with others.
  • Organize by use case: You can create folders containing specific groups of apps and hide folders you don’t need on your main screen.

Methods to Hide Apps on Your iPhone:

1. Removing Apps from the Home Screen:

This is the simplest and most common method. Here’s how:

  • Step 1: Locate the app you want to hide on your home screen.
  • Step 2: Tap and hold the app icon until it jiggles.
  • Step 3: A menu will appear. Select “Remove App.”
  • Step 4: Choose “Remove from Home Screen” to confirm.

Important Note: This method doesn’t delete the app. It simply removes the icon from your home screen. You can still access the app through the App Library, which we’ll discuss later.

2. Hiding Entire Pages of Apps:

This method is useful if you have a large number of apps and want to hide entire groups you don’t use frequently. Here’s how:

  • Step 1: Pinch your fingers together on the home screen to enter “jiggle mode.”
  • Step 2: At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see dots representing all your home screen pages.
  • Step 3: Tap the dots to get an overview of all your pages.
  • Step 4: Uncheck the boxes for the pages you want to hide and tap “Done.”

3. Preventing Apps from Appearing in Search:

While hiding an app from your home screen prevents immediate visual access, it might still appear in search results. To prevent this:

  • Step 1: Open your iPhone’s Settings app.
  • Step 2: Navigate to “Siri & Search.”
  • Step 3: Scroll down and find the app you want to hide from search.
  • Step 4: Toggle off the “Show App in Search” option.

Using App Folders:

This method involves creating folders to categorize your apps and then hiding those folders when not needed. Here’s how:

  • Step 1: Drag and drop an app icon onto another to create a folder.
  • Step 2: Add more relevant apps to the folder.
  • Step 3: Use the methods mentioned earlier to hide the folder from your home screen.

Accessing Hidden Apps:

Don’t worry about losing access to your hidden apps. Here’s how to find them:

  • App Library: Swipe right past your last home screen page until you reach the App Library. This is a searchable list of all your apps, including hidden ones.
  • Search: Swipe down on your home screen to access the search bar. You can still search for hidden apps here.

Hide purchases from the App Store

If you don’t want to see an app in your list of purchases in the App Store, hide it. If you want to redownload the app, unhide it first.

What happens when you hide an app in your purchase list

When you hide an app in your purchase list, it no longer appears in the list of your purchases that’s in the App Store. The app will still appear in your complete purchase history in Settings. And if you use Family Sharing, family members can’t redownload the app from your list of shared purchases.

Hiding an app won’t remove it from your device, a family member’s device, or other devices that are signed in with your Apple ID. If you want to remove an app from the Home Screen, customize the Home Screen on your iPhone.

Hide apps on your iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the App Store app.
  2. Tap the account button, or your photo or initials, at the top of the screen.
  3. Tap Purchased. If you use Family Sharing, tap My Purchases.
  4. Find the app that you want, then swipe left on it and tap Hide.
  5. Tap Done.

Unhide apps on your iPhone or iPad

If you deleted an app from your iPhone or iPad, the app doesn’t automatically reappear on your Home Screen when you unhide it. Instead, redownload the app from the App Store. You don’t have to buy the app again.

  1. Open the App Store app.
  2. Tap the account button, or your photo or initials, at the top of the screen.
  3. Tap your name or Apple ID. You might be asked to sign in with your Apple ID.
  4. Scroll down and tap Hidden Purchases.
  5. Find the app that you want, then tap Unhide.
  6. To return to the App Store, tap Account Settings, then tap Done.
  7. Search for the app, then tap the download button.

Hide apps on your Mac

  1. On your Mac, open the App Store. If you’re not already signed in, click Sign In at the bottom of the sidebar, then enter your Apple ID and password.
  2. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar. Your purchased apps appear.
  3. Hold your pointer over the app and look for the more options button. Click the more options button, then choose Hide Purchase.
  4. When you’re asked if you’re sure you want to hide the app, click Hide Purchase.

Unhide apps on your Mac

  1. On your Mac, open the App Store.
  2. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then click Account Settings or View Information at the top of the screen. If prompted, sign in with your Apple ID.
  3. Scroll to Hidden Items or Hidden Purchases, then click Manage.
  4. Find the app that you want to unhide.
  5. Click Unhide, then click Done. The app reappears in your Purchased list. You can click the download button to redownload the app to your Mac.

Why hide your apps

  • Parental Controls: If you’re a parent, consider using parental controls to restrict access to specific apps, offering an additional layer of security beyond simply hiding them.
  • Alternative App Management Solutions: While Apple doesn’t offer native app-hiding features beyond those mentioned, third-party solutions might be available through the App Store. However, exercise caution and conduct thorough research before using such solutions, as they might pose security risks.

Benefits of Hiding Apps:

  • Improved Organization: Hiding infrequently used apps declutters your home screen, making it easier to find the apps you need quickly.
  • Enhanced Privacy: Hiding sensitive apps can protect your personal information by making them less readily accessible.
  • Reduced Clutter: Hiding unused apps creates a cleaner and more visually appealing home screen.

Limitations

  • Accessibility: Hidden apps remain accessible through the App Library and search, so they’re not truly hidden but rather concealed.
  • Third-Party Apps: Some third-party apps might not offer the ability to hide them entirely, even if you remove them from the home screen.
  • Parental Controls: If you’re using parental controls, remember that hiding apps might not restrict access completely, depending on the restrictions set.

Conclusion:

By understanding these methods and the rationale behind hiding apps, you can effectively personalize your iPhone’s user experience, striking a balance between organization and accessibility. Remember, the best approach depends on your individual needs and preferences. Start experimenting and discover what works best for you in keeping your iPhone organized and efficient.

FAQ

How do I hide apps on my iPhone without deleting iOS?

How to hide apps so they don’t show up in search

  1. Open the Settings app and scroll down to tap Siri & Search.
  2. In the menu that opens, scroll down and select the app that you want to hide from search.
  3. Tap the Show App in Search toggle so it turns gray.
How do I hide apps shortcuts on my iPhone?

To do it, open the Shortcuts app and create a new ‘Add Action’ shortcut from the Scripting category. You will then tap Open App and select the app you want to hide. Next, at the top of the screen, ‘Rename’ and ‘Choose Icon’ for the app. Once done, tap ‘Add to Home Screen.

How do I hide recently added apps on my iPhone?

Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap on “General.” Tap on “Multitasking & Dock.” Toggle off the “Show Suggested and Recent Apps” switch.

Where is the hidden folder on iPhone?

Find the Hidden album

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. Tap the Albums tab.
  3. Scroll down and look for the Hidden album under Utilities. On iPad, you might need to tap the sidebar icon in the upper-left corner first to see your albums.
Can you hide apps on IOS 12?

Step 1: Press and hold on an empty portion of your home screen. Step 2: Your home screen will enter “jiggle mode”, where all the app icons start jiggling, indicating they can be edited. Step 3: Choose the Minus (-) icon by any app you want to hide, and go through the same process as for hiding a single app.

What is the best app to hide apps on iPhone?

#1 App Lock & Hide App will help you hide all apps that you don’t want others to know you’re using. In addition, it also adds security features to your important data. An application integrated with many elite features has just been released, that main is App Lock, Hide App & Lock Apps.

How do I hide my Instagram app?

Use the App Drawer:Many Android devices allow you to hide apps directly from the app drawer. Here’s how:Open your app drawer (the screen that shows all your apps). Tap the three dots (or similar) in the top-right corner to access the menu. Look for an option like “Hide Apps” or “App Hide.”Select the apps you want.

Why is there no hidden folder on iPhone?

Enable the Hidden album in the Settings: On your iPhone go to Settings > Photos. Swipe up until your are seeing “Hidden Album” and turn it on. Now your Hidden Photos album should be visible in the Photos.

Are hidden app folders a thing on iphones?

You can create a folder and hide apps in an invisible folder to keep them a top-secret. It’s easy-peasy, and you can do it in just a matter of minutes. Just follow these quick steps and create your very own invisible folder on your iPhone or iPad.

What is hidden mode on iPhone?

With the iPhone incognito Mode, you can browse the internet without letting anyone trace your activity. Your browser won’t save the sites you’ve logged in to, or even what your login and password are. Most importantly, it won’t save your browsing or search engine history.

How to hide pictures on iPhone?

Delete or hide multiple photos and videos

Hide: Tap Select, tap or drag your finger on the screen to select the items you want to hide, tap. , then tap Hide.

How do I get my iPhone to automatically arrange apps?

From your Home Screen, swipe left until you see the App Library. Your apps are automatically sorted into categories. For example, you might see your social media apps under a Social category. The apps that you use most frequently will automatically reorder based on your usage.

How do I customize my iPhone home screen?

How to customize your iPhone home screen

  1. Go to the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap Wallpaper.
  3. Tap Add New Wallpaper.
  4. Select an option from Apple’s recommendations.
  5. Adjust any other settings you want by tapping on each element.
  6. Tap Add at the top right.
Can I lock Snapchat on iPhone?

Yes, you can restrict access to first-party apps on iPhone using Screen Time. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content and Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps, then turn off toggles for the apps you want to lock.

How do kids hide apps on iPhone?

To hide an app purchase from Family Sharing, you will need to use the “Hide Purchases” feature on the device you used to purchase the app. To do this, open the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, tap “Purchased,” find the app you want to hide, and use the “Hide” button next to the app.

How do I hide apps on my iPad without screen time?

The only way you can hide an app on iPad is by removing it from the homescreen.

  1. Hold and press on an app icon until it starts shaking.
  2. Select the ‘-‘ sign that appears on the top left of the app icon.
  3. Then select Remove from Home Screen.
How do I hide apps from screen time on iPhone?

How to hide apps using Screen Time

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  3. Toggle the Content & Privacy Restrictions switch on.
  4. Go to Allowed Apps.
How do I hide apps in secret folder on iPhone?

How to Hide Apps on Your iPhone Using Folders. To hide an app on your iPhone, go to your Home Screen and tap and hold any app. Then select Edit Home Screen and drag the app on top of another app. Finally, open the folder and drag the app you want to hide to the right side in order to create a new folder window.

Can you hide apps on iOS 12?

Step 1: Press and hold on an empty portion of your home screen. Step 2: Your home screen will enter “jiggle mode”, where all the app icons start jiggling, indicating they can be edited. Step 3: Choose the Minus (-) icon by any app you want to hide, and go through the same process as for hiding a single app.

How do you hide apps on iOS 9?

When you have your unwanted app in the third page of the folder, hold it on the right side of the folder and keep holding it as you simultaneously press the home button. You’ll see the app you’re holding suddenly fly off into the top left of your screen. It’s now hidden!

How do I turn on hidden on my iPhone?

Delete or hide a photo or video

, then tap Hide in the list of options. Hidden photos are moved to the Hidden album. You can’t view them anywhere else. To turn off the Hidden album so it doesn’t appear in Albums, go to Settings > Photos, then turn off Hidden Album.

How do you tell if you have a hidden app on iPhone?

How to find hidden apps on iPhone Home Screen

  1. Long-press the background of your Home Screen until the icons jiggle.
  2. Tap the dots at the bottom of the screen.
  3. View all visible and hidden Home Screen pages.
  4. Unhide Home Screens by tapping the empty circle next to it.
  5. Tap Done.

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