Sometimes you want apps off your iPhone home screen without deleting them. Maybe you do not use them often. Maybe you want a cleaner look. Maybe you do not want others to see them when you hand your phone over. Apple gives you several different hiding methods, each with different privacy levels.
Here are the real ways to hide apps on iPhone, from quick declutter to full Face ID locked hiding.
Hide from Home Screen (Send to App Library)
The simplest method removes apps from your home screen but keeps them installed. Touch and hold the app icon on home screen. A menu pops up with options. Tap Remove App. Pick Remove from Home Screen (not Delete App).
The app disappears from home screen but stays installed in App Library. Swipe left past your last home screen page to find App Library. The app is still searchable through Spotlight and Siri until you adjust those settings separately.
Hide an Entire Home Screen Page
For batch hiding, hide a whole page at once. Touch and hold empty space on home screen until icons jiggle. Tap the row of dots at the bottom which is the page indicator. You see thumbnails of all your home screen pages. Uncheck the page you want to hide. Tap Done.
The hidden page disappears but the apps on it stay installed. You can re-show the page later through the same path. This is great for hiding work apps on weekends or kids apps during work hours.
Hide from Search and Siri Suggestions
Even hidden apps show up when you search Spotlight or get Siri suggestions. To stop that, configure each app individually.
Open Settings then Siri and Search. Scroll down to find the specific app. Tap the app name. Turn off Show App, Show Content in Search, Suggest App, Show on Lock Screen and Show in Look Up. Now the app does not show up in search or suggestions either. This is necessary if you want a hidden app to actually feel hidden because Spotlight reveals everything by default.
Hidden Folder with Face ID
iOS 18 introduced a Locked and Hidden folder in App Library. This is the strongest hiding method available. Touch and hold the app icon. Pick Require Face ID from the menu. From there, you can choose Hide and Require Face ID.
The app moves to a Hidden folder at the very bottom of App Library. The folder requires Face ID to open. The app is invisible in search, Siri suggestions and the regular App Library. Only accessible through that Face ID protected folder. This is the closest iOS comes to truly private app hiding.
Use Screen Time to Block
Screen Time can make apps completely disappear from your iPhone, not just hide them. This is more aggressive than the other methods. Open Settings then Screen Time then Content and Privacy Restrictions. Turn on Content and Privacy Restrictions. Tap Allowed Apps. Turn off the apps you want to block.
The app icon disappears from home screen and App Library entirely. Re-enable in the same place to bring it back. This is useful for parents who want to disable apps for kids or anyone wanting a stricter focus mode that removes specific apps from being usable at all.
Finding Hidden Apps Later
After you hide apps, you need to know how to find them again. The path depends on which hiding method you used.
Apps hidden via Remove from Home Screen show in App Library. Swipe left past your last home screen and they appear organized by category. The Locked and Hidden folder shows at the bottom of App Library. Open it with Face ID and your truly hidden apps appear. For apps you cannot remember the name of, open Settings > General > iPhone Storage which lists every installed app. Or just ask Siri to open the app by name if you remember it.
Tips for Better Privacy
Hiding apps does not make them completely invisible. Some traces remain that determined people can find. Knowing the gaps helps you decide which hiding method matches your actual privacy need.
- Hidden apps still show up in your Apple ID purchase history at appleid.apple.com.
- Notifications can leak app names if you do not turn them off for those apps separately.
- App Library shows app names even when icons are hidden from home screen.
- Subscriptions to hidden apps show in Apple ID subscription settings.
- Recent app usage shows in Screen Time reports even for hidden apps.
- For real privacy, combine Locked and Hidden folder with turning off all notifications and Siri suggestions for that app.
Final Thoughts
To hide apps on iPhone, the best method depends on what you want. Remove from Home Screen for quick declutter. Hide a whole page for big batches. Locked and Hidden folder for actual privacy. Screen Time for blocking. Use Siri and Search settings to stop hidden apps from showing up everywhere else. Combine multiple methods for the strongest hiding.
If you have a creative way to organize hidden apps, share it in the comments.