Want to declutter your Home Screen or keep certain apps out of sight without uninstalling them? Good news: your iPhone offers several ways to hide apps without deleting them. Whether you’re organizing your phone, protecting privacy, or simplifying your layout, this guide will show you exactly how to remove apps from view—while keeping them accessible when needed.
In this full tutorial, you’ll learn how to:
- Hide individual apps from the Home Screen
- Find and access hidden apps
- Use the App Library and Spotlight
- Hide entire pages of apps
- Keep apps from appearing after download
Let’s dive in.
🤫 What Happens When You Hide an App?
When you remove an app from the Home Screen:
- It’s not deleted.
- The app remains on your device and is stored in the App Library.
- You can still find it via search, Siri, or the App Library.
- Notifications (if enabled) still appear.
Important: Hiding an app this way does not remove app data, account info, or settings.
📲 Method 1: Remove App from Home Screen Only
✅ Steps:
- Tap and hold the app you want to hide.
- In the pop-up menu, select Remove App.
- Tap Remove from Home Screen.
That’s it! The app disappears from your Home Screen but is still installed.
👉 How to Access It Later:
- Swipe all the way to the rightmost screen to open the App Library.
- Use the Search bar at the top.
- Or Swipe down on Home Screen and type the app name in Spotlight Search.
🧰 Method 2: Hide an Entire Home Screen Page
You can hide whole pages of apps (e.g., a folder of games or work apps).
✅ Steps:
- Tap and hold on an empty area of the Home Screen.
- When the icons jiggle, tap the dots at the bottom of the screen (above the dock).
- Uncheck the Home Screen pages you want to hide.
- Tap Done.
Now, those pages—and all the apps on them—are hidden from view.
👉 To Show Them Again:
Repeat the steps above and recheck the pages.
🛍️ Method 3: Hide Newly Downloaded Apps
By default, new apps are added to the Home Screen, but you can change that so they only appear in the App Library.
✅ Steps:
- Go to Settings > Home Screen.
- Under New App Downloads, choose App Library Only.
Now, every new app you install will not appear on the Home Screen, helping you keep things tidy.
👤 Method 4: Use Screen Time to Hide Built-in Apple Apps
For more privacy or parental control, you can hide apps like Safari, FaceTime, Camera, or Mail using Screen Time restrictions.
✅ Steps:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Turn it ON and tap Allowed Apps.
- Toggle OFF the apps you want to hide.
These apps disappear from the Home Screen and search. To bring them back, toggle them ON again.
⚠️ This only works for Apple’s built-in apps.
🔍 How to Find Hidden Apps
Even after hiding apps, they’re still easily accessible:
🔎 Method 1: App Library
- Swipe left until you reach the App Library.
- Tap the Search bar, or browse categories.
- Tap the app icon to open it.
🔎 Method 2: Spotlight Search
- Swipe down from the middle of any Home Screen.
- Type the app’s name.
- Tap to open directly from search.
🔎 Method 3: Siri
- Say “Hey Siri, open [App Name]” and it will launch.
🧠 Why Hide Apps?
- Privacy: Keep sensitive apps like banking or health tools off the main screen.
- Minimalism: Create a cleaner, distraction-free Home Screen.
- Parental Control: Hide certain apps from children.
- Organization: Reduce visual clutter without deleting anything.
📋 Summary Table
| Task | How-To |
| Hide individual app | Long-press > Remove App > Remove from Home Screen |
| Find hidden app | App Library, Spotlight Search, or Siri |
| Hide entire app page | Jiggle mode > Tap dots > Uncheck pages |
| Prevent new apps from showing | Settings > Home Screen > App Library Only |
| Hide built-in Apple apps | Settings > Screen Time > Content Restrictions |
| Reinstall hidden app | App Store or App Library (if deleted) |
🧽 Pro Tips for Clean Home Screen Setup
- Use widgets and stacks to reduce app icons.
- Create a single-page Home Screen and hide all other pages.
- Group apps in the App Library rather than folders.
- Enable Focus modes to show/hide Home Screen pages based on your activity (e.g., Work, Sleep).
✅ Final Thoughts
You don’t have to delete apps to keep them out of sight. With iOS’s flexible hiding features, you can customize your iPhone layout to match your preferences—whether for privacy, simplicity, or organization. All hidden apps remain safe, searchable, and ready to use when you need them.
By learning to use the App Library, Home Screen management, and Screen Time settings, you gain full control over your app visibility—without ever losing access.
Meta Description:
Learn how to hide apps on your iPhone without deleting them. Step-by-step guide on removing apps from the Home Screen, hiding entire pages, using App Library, and managing Screen Time settings.
