Hiding an App on iPhone: What Changes and How to Find It Again

Hiding and locking are different choices

On iPhone, Apple’s built-in controls let you lock an eligible app, hide an eligible app, or do both. Locking requires authentication to open the app. Hiding removes the app from the Home Screen, ordinary App Library listings, and Search while keeping it accessible through the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. The app remains installed; this is a visibility and access setting, not an uninstall action. The exact options depend on the iOS version and app eligibility. Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone

Before choosing, ask what you want to change:

• Keep the icon visible but add an opening step: consider the built-in lock option where available.
• Remove an eligible app from the Home Screen and Search, and place it in App Library’s Hidden folder: use Apple’s built-in hide option where available.
• Use Private Me’s separate iPhone App Protection modes: follow the Screen Time-based instructions in Private Me; these are separate from Apple’s built-in Hidden folder.

These options do not all work the same way. Choose the one that matches your goal, and check what remains visible in system settings and other places.

How to hide an eligible app with iPhone’s built-in control

Apple’s hide option is available on iOS 18 and later for eligible apps downloaded separately from the App Store. Apps that come installed with iOS cannot be hidden; Apple also lists exceptions for a user-set default browser and, in the EU, an app marketplace. If an option is missing, check the app’s eligibility and the current iOS version.

1. On the Home Screen, touch and hold the app you want to hide until its quick-actions menu opens.
2. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID or Require Passcode, depending on the device).
3. Choose Hide and Require Face ID (or the equivalent Touch ID/passcode wording), then authenticate.
4. Tap Hide App.

The app is removed from the Home Screen and Search and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. It remains installed. Button labels can vary with device settings and software version. Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone

How to find an app hidden with Apple’s iPhone control

To open a hidden app, swipe left through Home Screen pages to App Library, scroll to Hidden, tap the folder, and authenticate. Tap the app and authenticate again to open it. You can also view the hidden-app list in Settings > Apps > Hidden Apps; authentication is required.

To unhide it, open Hidden in App Library and authenticate, then touch and hold the app, tap Don’t Require Face ID (or the equivalent Touch ID/passcode wording), and authenticate again. The app returns to App Library; you can add it to a Home Screen if you want. System wording can vary by iOS release, so follow the wording shown on the phone. Apple Support: If you can’t find an app on the Home Screen

Some apps cannot be hidden, including built-in apps and certain default apps. Apple’s support page lists the current requirements and exceptions. If the Hide option is missing, check the installed iOS version and whether the app is eligible rather than assuming the phone is malfunctioning.

Private Me’s iPhone options are separate

Private Me’s App Protection page explains two different iPhone modes:

• Shield Mode keeps the selected app icon visible and uses an Apple system shield when it is tapped.
• Hide Mode uses the supported Screen Time flow to remove selected apps from the Home Screen and Spotlight. Apps remain installed and visible in iOS Settings.

Private Me’s iPhone app-management feature uses Screen Time authorization. Its Shield and Hide modes are separate from Apple’s built-in lock/hide control and Hidden folder. The setup path can differ by iOS version, so review the current instructions in the app and on the App Protection page before changing settings. Current App Store listing

A quick check before changing app visibility

1. Confirm whether you want to lock access, hide an icon, or both.
2. Check the iOS version and the app’s eligibility for Apple’s built-in option.
3. Read the confirmation screen before enabling a system or Screen Time permission.
4. Afterward, check the location where the app is expected to appear and how to restore it.
5. If using Private Me, review the mode-specific instructions and the option to restore app visibility.

Get Private Me for iPhone

Download Private Me for iPhone from the official App Store listing. For Android instructions and a comparison of platform-specific options, see the App Protection guide. The general download page is available as a secondary option.