How To Hide Apps On iPhone: Genius Essential
Do you ever feel like your iPhone home screen is a little too crowded? Maybe you have apps you don’t use often, or perhaps there are certain apps you’d prefer to keep private. It’s a common feeling, and thankfully, hiding apps on your iPhone is surprisingly simple. You don’t need to be a tech wizard to do it! We’ll walk through easy, step-by-step methods to declutter your screen and boost your privacy.
This guide will show you exactly how to make those apps disappear from plain sight, giving you a cleaner, more organized, and more private iPhone experience. Get ready to feel more in control of your device!
Why Would You Want to Hide Apps on Your iPhone?
There are many great reasons why you might want to hide apps on your iPhone. It’s not just about keeping secrets; it’s about making your phone work better for you. Think of it as tidying up your digital space!
- Declutter Your Home Screen: Over time, your home screen can become a jumble of apps. Hiding ones you don’t use regularly can make finding the apps you need much quicker and easier.
- Enhance Privacy: Some apps, like banking apps, social media, or even certain games, might contain personal information. Hiding them adds an extra layer of privacy, especially if someone else uses your phone.
- Protect Children: If you share your iPhone with children, you might want to hide apps with mature content or apps that require in-app purchases to prevent accidental spending.
- Reduce Distractions: Certain apps can be major time-sinks. Hiding them can help you focus on more important tasks or simply reduce the temptation to open them.
- Organize by Category: You might have many apps for specific purposes. Hiding less frequently used ones can help group your essential apps more effectively.
Understanding iPhone’s Built-in Hiding Features
Apple provides a few clever ways to manage your apps, including hiding them directly from your home screen. These methods are designed to be user-friendly and don’t require downloading any third-party applications, which is always a plus for security and simplicity. Let’s explore the main built-in tools you’ll use.
Method 1: Removing Apps from the Home Screen
This is the most straightforward way to “hide” an app. When you remove an app from your home screen, it doesn’t delete it from your iPhone. Instead, it moves the app to your App Library, which is a new feature in iOS 14 and later. Your apps are still accessible, but they won’t clutter your main screens.
Steps to Remove Apps from the Home Screen:
- Find the App: Locate the app icon you want to hide on your iPhone’s home screen.
- Press and Hold: Tap and hold the app icon until a menu pops up.
- Select “Remove App”: In the menu that appears, tap on “Remove App.”
- Choose “Remove from Home Screen”: A confirmation screen will appear. Select “Remove from Home Screen.”
The app will now vanish from your home screen. To find it again, simply swipe left on your last home screen page to access the App Library. You can then search for the app by its name or browse through the categories. To bring it back to your home screen, you can find it in the App Library, tap and hold its icon, and then select “Add to Home Screen.”
Method 2: Using “Ask to Buy” for App Access (for Family Sharing)
If you’re managing an iPhone for a child or a family member, Apple’s Family Sharing feature offers a way to control app access. Specifically, the “Ask to Buy” feature, when enabled for a child’s Apple ID, requires them to ask your permission before downloading new apps or making in-app purchases. While this doesn’t strictly “hide” existing apps, it’s a powerful way to manage what new apps can be added and to have oversight.
To set up Family Sharing and “Ask to Buy,” you’ll need to be part of an Apple Family Sharing group. You can learn more about setting up Family Sharing on Apple’s official support website.
How “Ask to Buy” Works:
- When a child tries to download an app or make a purchase, a notification is sent to the organizer’s device.
- The organizer can then approve or deny the request.
This is excellent for preventing unauthorized downloads but doesn’t hide apps already on the device. For that, we’ll move to more direct methods.
Method 3: Hiding Apps with Screen Time
Screen Time is a powerful built-in tool that allows you to manage how your iPhone is used. One of its less-known features is the ability to restrict access to specific apps or categories of apps. This is a more robust way to hide apps, as it requires a passcode to bypass the restrictions.
Steps to Hide Apps using Screen Time:
- Open Settings: Go to the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
- Tap “Screen Time”: Find and tap on “Screen Time.” If you haven’t used it before, you might need to set it up first. You can choose “This is My iPhone” or “This is My Child’s iPhone.”
- Tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions”: Toggle this option ON if it’s not already. You may be prompted to create a Screen Time passcode. Crucially, choose a passcode you will remember but that others won’t guess. This passcode is what will be needed to change these settings later.
- Tap “App Restrictions”: Under the “Privacy” section, tap on “App Restrictions.”
- Tap “Add App Restriction”: You’ll see a list of app categories and some individual apps. Tap “Add App Restriction.”
- Select the App(s) to Hide: Browse through the list and tap on the app(s) you want to hide. You can select multiple apps by tapping the checkmark next to each one.
- Set the Restriction: Once you’ve selected the apps, tap “Back” in the top left. Then, tap “Done” in the top right.
- Adjust the Age Rating (if applicable): For apps that have age ratings (like those in the App Store), you can go to “Content Restrictions” > “Apps” and set the age limit to “4+.” This will hide all apps with ratings higher than that.
Once you’ve set the restriction, the app icon will disappear from your home screen and the App Library. To access a restricted app, you’ll need to enter your Screen Time passcode and adjust the settings. This method effectively hides apps by making them inaccessible without the passcode.
Method 4: Hiding Apps in Folders (Less Secure, More Organized)
While not true hiding, you can create folders to organize your apps in a way that makes them less conspicuous. You can also place apps you want to “hide” at the very end of your App Library or on a less-used home screen page within a folder.
Steps to Create Folders:
- Press and Hold an App: Tap and hold any app icon until they all start to jiggle.
- Drag and Drop: Drag the app you want to put in a folder onto another app. A new folder will be created.
- Name the Folder: You can rename the folder by tapping the text field above it.
- Add More Apps: Drag other apps into this new folder.
- Organize Further: You can create multiple folders and even move them to different home screen pages.
To make apps less visible using this method, create a folder, name it something generic like “Utilities” or “More Apps,” and place the apps you want to de-emphasize inside. Then, move this folder to the last page of your home screen. This makes them harder to stumble upon accidentally.
Hiding Specific App Types
Sometimes, you might want to hide entire categories of apps. For example, if you want to limit access to social media or games during work hours, Screen Time is your best friend.
Hiding Social Media Apps
Social media apps can be a major distraction. Using Screen Time’s “App Restrictions” feature, you can hide all social media apps.
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Apps.
- Under “Allow Changes,” you can select which apps are allowed. If you want to hide all social media, you would restrict apps by age rating or choose specific apps.
- A more direct way is under Settings > Screen Time > App Limits. You can set time limits for categories like “Social Networking.” While this doesn’t hide them, it controls usage.
- For true hiding, use Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Apps and set the age rating to 4+. This will hide apps rated higher than 4+, which often includes many social media apps.
Hiding Games
Similarly, if you want to keep games out of sight, you can use the same Screen Time restrictions.
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Apps.
- Set the age rating to “4+” to hide most games.
This method is very effective for hiding apps that might be tempting or inappropriate for certain users of the device.
Advanced Tip: Hiding Apps in the App Store Search Results
Even when an app is hidden from your home screen and App Library, it might still appear in search results within the App Store if you’ve previously downloaded it. To prevent this, you can use a combination of removing the app from the home screen and ensuring it’s not easily discoverable.
If you use the Screen Time “Content Restrictions” to hide apps by age rating, they will also be hidden from App Store search results that use those same age restrictions.
Comparison of Hiding Methods
Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right one depends on your specific needs. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Method | Ease of Use | Security/Privacy Level | Reversibility | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove from Home Screen | Very Easy | Low (app still in App Library) | Easy | Decluttering home screen |
| Screen Time (App Restrictions) | Moderate | High (requires passcode) | Moderate (requires passcode) | Privacy, parental control, limiting distractions |
| Folders | Easy | Very Low (app is visible in folder) | Easy | Basic organization |
| Family Sharing (Ask to Buy) | Moderate (setup required) | High (for new downloads/purchases) | N/A (controls new access) | Parental control over child’s downloads |
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Sometimes, things don’t go exactly as planned. Here are a few common issues and how to solve them:
- “I can’t find the app after hiding it!”
If you used the “Remove from Home Screen” method, swipe left on your last home screen page to access the App Library. You can then search for the app there. If you used Screen Time restrictions, you’ll need to disable the restriction via Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, using your passcode. - “I forgot my Screen Time passcode!”
If you forgot your Screen Time passcode, you can reset it. On the Screen Time passcode prompt, you’ll see an option like “Forgot Passcode?” Tap this, and you’ll be asked for your Apple ID password to reset it. This is why using a memorable but secure passcode is important. You can find more details on resetting your Screen Time passcode from Apple Support. - “The app is still visible in search results.”
Ensure you’ve used the Screen Time “Content Restrictions” method to hide apps by age rating. Apps hidden this way are less likely to appear in general search results. - “I hid an app, but I can’t install it again.”
If you hid an app using Screen Time restrictions, you need to go back into Screen Time settings and remove the restriction for that app or category before you can download or access it again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Does hiding an app delete it from my iPhone?
No, hiding an app does not delete it. It simply removes the icon from your home screen and makes it less accessible. The app remains on your iPhone and can be found in the App Library or re-enabled through settings.
Q2: Can I hide apps without deleting them?
Yes, absolutely! The methods described above, especially removing apps from the home screen and using Screen Time restrictions, allow you to hide apps without deleting them.
Q3: How do I find an app after I’ve hidden it from my home screen?
After hiding an app from your home screen, you can find it by swiping left on your last home screen page to open the App Library. You can then search for the app by name or browse through the categorized folders.
Q4: Is there a way to hide apps from specific people using my iPhone?
The most effective way to hide apps from specific people is by using Screen Time with a passcode. This requires them to enter your passcode to access or re-enable the hidden apps. Family Sharing’s “Ask to Buy” is also useful for controlling what new apps children can access.
Q5: Can I hide built-in Apple apps like Safari or Mail?
Yes, you can hide most built-in Apple apps using the Screen Time “Content & Privacy Restrictions” feature. For example, you can restrict access to Safari by going to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Allowed Apps and toggling Safari off.
Q6: Will hiding apps save battery life or storage space?
No, hiding apps does not affect battery life or storage space. The apps are still installed and running in the background if they are designed to do so. Hiding is purely for visual organization and access control.
Q7: What’s the difference between “Remove from Home Screen” and “Delete App”?
“Remove from Home Screen” simply moves the app to your App Library, keeping it on your iPhone. “Delete App” completely removes the app and all its data from your iPhone. You can redownload deleted apps from the App Store if you wish.
Conclusion
Hiding apps on your iPhone doesn’t have to be a mystery. Whether you want a cleaner home screen, more privacy, or better control over app usage, Apple provides straightforward tools to help. By using features like removing apps from the home screen, leveraging Screen Time restrictions, or organizing with folders, you can easily tailor your iPhone experience to your preferences.
Remember, the key is to choose the method that best suits your needs. For simple decluttering, removing from the home screen is perfect. For enhanced privacy and control, Screen Time is the way to go. Experiment with these techniques, and you’ll be a pro at managing your iPhone apps in no time. Enjoy your tidier, more organized, and more secure device!
