How to Hide Apps on Your iPhone

Learning how to hide apps on your iPhone is a good idea if you have someone constantly trying to snoop through your phone.

From creating hidden folders to hiding entire pages of apps, there are various methods you can use. The steps in this guide were taken on iOS 15.3.1.

Hide apps from Siri and Search

This method will not only remove your apps from your home screen but also prevent them from being searched. Note: the app can still be found in the App Library.

1. Tap Settings.

   

2. Scroll down and tap Siri & Search.

   

3. Scroll down until you’ve found the app you want to hide and then tap it.

   

4. Tap Show on Home Screen to disable it. The app won’t appear on the home screen anymore.

   

5. If you want the app to not appear in search results, tap Show App in Search and Show Content in Search.

   

Repeat the steps mentioned above but reverse your changes to unhide the app.

Remove apps from the Home Screen

This method can only be performed on iPhones that have the App Library (i.e., iPhones that are iOS 14 or above). Here’s how to do it:

1. On the home screen, look for the app you want to hide. Then, tap and hold it until a menu appears.

   

2. Tap Remove App. Another menu will pop up.

   

3. Tap Remove from Home Screen. The app will be removed from the home screen and will now only be accessible through the App Library.

   

Hide apps in folders

You can either create a new folder or use an already existing one for this method.

1. Tap and hold any app until a menu pops up.

   

2. Tap Edit Home Screen, and all the apps will begin to shake.

   

3. Drag the app to a folder where you want to hide it.

   

4. Now drag the app to the right, so it doesn’t appear on the first page of the folder.

Hide an entire homepage

1. Tap and hold anywhere on the screen until the apps start to shake.

   

2. Move all the apps you want to hide to one page.

   

3. Tap the dots on the bottom of the screen to see all the app pages.

   

4. Hide the page where you just moved the apps by tapping the checkmark under the page.

   

5. Tap Done.

The apps will be accessible in the App Library and appear in search results. If you want to unhide the page, tap the checkmark button underneath it again.

Hide app store purchase history

Note that this method will only hide apps from your App Store Purchase History. This is especially useful if you have Family Sharing enabled because people added to your Family Group can see the apps you’ve purchased and downloaded. Also, keep in mind that this does not hide app subscriptions in Family Sharing.

1. Tap App Store.

   

2. Tap the icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

   

3. Tap Purchased.

   

4. Look for the app you want to hide and swipe left on it.

   

5. Tap Hide.
   

   

6. To unhide the app, tap Account.

   

7. Go to your Apple ID.

   

8. Tap Hidden Purchases.

   

9. Look for the app you just hid, and tap Unhide.

   

Note: is there any way to password-protect apps or folders on iOS? The short answer is no. There are no third-party apps that will help you lock your apps or folders unless you have jailbroken your iPhone.