Sometimes you want apps on your iPhone but not visible on the home screen. Maybe for privacy, maybe to declutter. iOS has several ways to hide apps – some better than others depending on what you're trying to do.
Here are the 5 real methods, ranked by how thorough each one is.
Remove from Home Screen (keeps in App Library)
The simplest method. Long-press the app icon on your Home Screen. Pick Remove App. Then pick Remove from Home Screen.
The app icon disappears from your Home Screen but the app itself stays installed and accessible from the App Library (swipe past your last Home Screen page).
Notifications still come through normally. Apps still appear in Spotlight search. This is just visual decluttering, not real hiding.
Hide an entire Home Screen page
Group apps you want hidden onto one specific page. Then hide the entire page. Long-press an empty area of the Home Screen until icons start wiggling.
Tap the page dots at the bottom of the screen. A grid appears showing all your pages. Uncheck the page you want hidden. Tap Done.
That page no longer shows when you swipe through. The apps still exist – they're accessible from App Library and search. To restore, repeat the steps and re-check the page.
Hide apps from search and Siri
To make hidden apps less discoverable, stop them from showing in search. Go to Settings > Siri & Search. Scroll to the app. Toggle off all three:
- Show App in Search
- Show Content in Search
- Suggest App
The app no longer appears in Spotlight search, Siri suggestions, or share sheets. Combined with removing from Home Screen, this makes the app pretty well hidden.
Use the new Hidden folder (iOS 18+)
iOS 18 added a real hidden apps folder. Long-press an app icon. Pick Hide and Require Face ID.
The app gets removed from the Home Screen and goes into a hidden folder at the very bottom of App Library. Authenticating with Face ID is required to see or open hidden apps.
This is the most effective hiding option. Notifications also don't show preview content for hidden apps.
Compare the methods
| Method | Hidden in App Library? | Hidden in Search? |
|---|---|---|
| Remove from Home Screen | No | No |
| Hide Home Screen page | No | No |
| Disable Siri & Search | No | Yes |
| iOS 18 Hide with Face ID | Yes (in locked folder) | Yes |
| Delete the app | Yes (gone) | Yes |
Use Screen Time to restrict apps
You can also hide apps via Screen Time. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Turn it on. Tap Allowed Apps.
Toggle off Apple's built-in apps you want hidden. They disappear from the Home Screen, App Library, and search. Set a Screen Time passcode so others can't reverse the changes.
This only works for Apple's pre-installed apps (Safari, Camera, Mail, etc.). Third-party apps need different methods.
App Limits as a different form of hiding
Setting an app limit of 1 minute makes the app essentially unusable. Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit > pick the app > set to 1 minute.
The app shows a time-up screen as soon as you open it. Requires Screen Time passcode to override. Useful for blocking distracting apps without actually deleting them.
Notifications for hidden apps
If you really want apps hidden, stop their notifications too. Settings > Notifications > pick the app > toggle off Allow Notifications.
No alerts on Lock Screen, no banners, no badges. The app exists silently in the background. Open it manually when you need it.
Privacy considerations
Hidden apps are still on your phone. They still appear in your purchase history in the App Store. They show in iOS backups. They're visible to anyone who knows where to look.
For real privacy, delete the app and reinstall when you need it. For convenience without anyone snooping, the iOS 18 Hide with Face ID is the best of both worlds.
What are you trying to hide? If you don't mind sharing, the use case helps suggest the right method.