---
title: "How to Hide Apps on iPhone (and Where They Still Show Up)"
description: "Hide apps on iPhone with the locked Hidden folder, App Library or Screen Time, see whether hidden apps show up in Screen Time, and learn how to unhide them."
url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/hide-apps-on-iphone
lang: en
published: 2026-10-29
updated: 2026-10-29
author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team"
publisher: VaultForYou
---

# How to hide apps on iPhone, and where hidden apps still show up

> The Hidden folder takes an app off your Home Screen and out of search, but the app's name still appears in Screen Time, Settings and your App Store purchases.

Published 2026-10-29 - Updated 2026-10-29 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team

## Quick answer

To hide an app on iPhone, touch and hold its icon, tap Require Face ID, tap Hide and Require Face ID, authenticate, then tap Hide App. It moves to a locked Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. Only App Store apps can be hidden, and hidden apps still appear in Screen Time.

- **Where do they go?:** To the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, which opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- **Screen Time?:** Hidden apps still show up. Apple lists Settings -> Screen Time as a place their names can appear.
- **Built-in apps?:** Can't go in the Hidden folder. Remove them from the Home Screen or restrict them with Screen Time instead.
- **Other devices:** Hiding doesn't sync with iCloud. It applies only to the iPhone where you did it.

Touch and hold the app on your Home Screen, tap **Require Face ID**, then tap **Hide and Require Face ID**, authenticate and tap **Hide App**. The app leaves your Home Screen, App Library and search results, and moves to a locked **Hidden** folder at the bottom of App Library. This works on iOS 18 and later, for apps you downloaded from the App Store. It's the right tool when you lend someone your phone or share your screen. It hides the icon, not the app's existence: its name can still show up in Screen Time, Settings and your App Store purchase history.

We checked these steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation in October 2026. Below are all the ways to hide an app, where hidden apps still appear, and how to bring them back.

## How to hide apps on iPhone with the Hidden folder

The Hidden folder is Apple's only built-in way to hide an app behind Face ID. It locks the app and removes it from view in one step.

1. Go to the Home Screen.
2. Touch and hold the app until the quick actions menu opens.
3. Tap **Require Face ID** (or **Require Touch ID** or **Require Passcode**).
4. Tap **Hide and Require Face ID**, authenticate, then tap **Hide App**.

The app disappears from the Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. Apple says a hidden app is removed from the Home Screen, App Library and search results, and that a hidden app is also locked: opening it takes Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time.

To open a hidden app, swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to App Library, tap **Hidden** at the bottom, authenticate, then tap the app and authenticate again. To see a list of everything you've hidden, go to **Settings -> Apps -> Hidden Apps**.

> **Note:** Hiding applies only to that iPhone. Apple says the locked or hidden status of an app doesn't sync with iCloud, so the same app on your iPad stays visible unless you hide it there too.

## Other ways to hide an app on iPhone

The Hidden folder isn't your only option. The others are weaker, but some work for built-in apps that can't be hidden.

### Remove it from the Home Screen

Touch and hold the app, tap **Remove App**, then tap **Remove from Home Screen**. The app isn't deleted. It moves to App Library and still works from there, and it still shows up in search. This is the fix for clutter, not for privacy.

To stop new downloads landing on your Home Screen, go to **Settings -> Home Screen & App Library** and choose **App Library Only**.

### Hide a whole Home Screen page

If you've gathered several apps on one page, you can hide the page:

1. Touch and hold the Home Screen wallpaper until the icons jiggle.
2. Tap the dots at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap the checkmark under the page you want to hide, then tap **Done**.

The apps stay in App Library and search. To show the page again, repeat the steps and tap to add the checkmark back.

### Restrict built-in apps with Screen Time

Apps that come with iPhone can't go in the Hidden folder, but Screen Time can block some of them. On iOS 27, go to **Settings -> Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Other Features** and block features such as Camera or AirDrop. On iOS 26, the path was **Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Allowed Apps & Features**, and Apple says an app you turn off there isn't deleted; it's temporarily hidden from your Home Screen. Set a Screen Time passcode in **Screen Time -> Passcode & Management** so nobody can switch it back.

### Keep an app out of Search and Siri

Hiding an app already removes it from search results. For an app you don't want to hide outright, go to **Settings -> Search**, tap the app and turn off **Show App in Search**. In iOS 27, **Settings -> Siri -> Excluded Apps** keeps an app and its data away from Siri, Search and suggestions.

### Hide it from your App Store purchases

Your App Store purchase list is separate from your Home Screen. In the App Store, tap your photo or initials, tap **Apps & Purchase History**, tap **Your Apps**, swipe left on the app and tap **Hide**. Apple notes the app still appears in your complete purchase history in Settings, and hiding it there doesn't remove it from any device.

## Which method hides what?

| Method | Home Screen | App Library | Search | Needs Face ID to open | Works on built-in apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hide and Require Face ID | Hidden | In the locked Hidden folder only | Hidden | Yes | No |
| Remove from Home Screen | Hidden | Visible | Visible | No | Yes |
| Hide a Home Screen page | Hidden | Visible | Visible | No | Yes |
| Hide App Store purchase | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged | No | Not applicable |

## Do hidden apps show up on Screen Time?

Yes. Apple's Personal Safety guide lists **Settings -> Screen Time** as one of the places where the names of hidden apps can still appear. The Hidden folder changes where an icon lives; it doesn't stop iOS counting how long you use the app.

Two details make this more visible than people expect:

- **The Screen Time widget** shows information from your Screen Time summary, so an app you use a lot can appear on your Home Screen there.
- **Share Across Devices** combines your Screen Time activity across your iPhone, iPad and Mac. With it on, usage on one device can show up in the report on another.

For teens, Apple is explicit: anyone aged 13 to 17 in a Family Sharing group can hide an app, but a parent or guardian can still see that it was downloaded, how much time it's used, and restrict it with Screen Time.

## How to hide or remove an app from Screen Time

You can't remove a single app from your Screen Time report. Apple's Screen Time documentation has no per-app exclusion, and **Always Allowed** only keeps an app usable during your schedule and limits. What you can do:

1. **Turn off reporting entirely.** On iOS 27, go to **Settings -> Screen Time -> Manage Screen Time** and tap **Turn Off App & Website Activity**. On iOS 26, the button is at the bottom of the Screen Time screen, and Apple says it also turns off Downtime, App Limits and Always Allowed.
2. **Keep each device's report separate.** On iOS 27, go to **Screen Time -> Manage Screen Time** and turn off **Share Across Devices**. On iOS 26, the switch is on the main Screen Time screen.
3. **Remove the Screen Time widget** from your Home Screen if it's showing app names to anyone who picks up your phone.

None of these hide the app from a parent who manages your Screen Time through Family Sharing.

## Where can hidden apps still be seen?

Hiding stops someone scrolling your Home Screen. It doesn't erase every trace. Here's who can see what, based on Apple's documentation:

| Who or where | Can they see the hidden app? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Someone swiping through your Home Screen | **No** | The icon moves to the Hidden folder. |
| Someone browsing App Library or searching | **They see a Hidden folder, not the app** | The folder is visible at the bottom of App Library but needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. |
| Someone who knows your passcode | **Yes** | The passcode opens the Hidden folder and the app. |
| Someone opening Settings -> Apps -> Hidden Apps | **Only after authentication** | The list is behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. |
| Someone opening Settings -> Screen Time | **Yes, the app's name** | Apple lists Screen Time as a place hidden app names can appear. |
| Someone opening Settings -> Battery | **Possibly** | Apple lists Battery -> Battery Health & Charging as another place. |
| Someone with your Apple Account in the App Store | **Yes, unless you hide the purchase** | Purchase history is separate from the Home Screen. |
| A parent managing a 13-17-year-old's account | **Yes** | They can see downloads and usage time in Screen Time. |
| Someone using your iPad or Mac | **Yes, if the app is installed there** | Hidden status doesn't sync with iCloud. |

If you suspect someone has already been looking, see [signs someone went through your phone](/blog/signs-someone-went-through-your-phone).

## Which apps can't be hidden?

- **Apps that come with iPhone**, such as Photos, Messages or Notes. Only apps you download separately from the App Store can be hidden.
- **Your default web browser**, and in the EU, an app marketplace you've set as default.
- **Some built-in apps can't even be locked**: Apple lists Calculator, Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts and Settings.
- **Any app, for children under 13** in a Family Sharing group.

For apps you can lock but not hide, [locking apps with Face ID](/blog/lock-apps-iphone) is the closest alternative.

## How to unhide apps on iPhone

1. Swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to App Library.
2. Tap the **Hidden** folder at the bottom and authenticate.
3. Touch and hold the app, tap **Don't Require Face ID** (or Touch ID or Passcode), then authenticate.
4. The app appears near the top of App Library. Touch and hold it until it moves to the Home Screen, then lift your finger.

To bring back other kinds of hidden apps:

- **A hidden Home Screen page:** touch and hold the wallpaper, tap the dots, and add the checkmark back.
- **An App Store purchase:** in the App Store, tap your photo or initials, tap your name, tap **Hidden Purchases**, then tap **Unhide**. If you deleted the app, redownload it; you don't pay again.
- **A Screen Time restriction:** allow the app again in **Content & Privacy Restrictions**, using your Screen Time passcode.

## When hiding an app isn't enough

Hiding an app is a good answer to "I don't want people to see this icon." It's a weak answer to "I don't want people to see what's in it," for two reasons.

First, the lock is your iPhone's own Face ID or passcode. Anyone who knows your passcode can open the Hidden folder in seconds. Second, the app's content often lives elsewhere too. Photos you saved from a hidden app are in your Photos library, not in the Hidden folder; to deal with those, see [how to hide photos on iPhone](/blog/hide-photos-on-iphone). If you want to hand your phone to someone without exposing anything, read about [guest mode options on iPhone](/blog/iphone-guest-mode).

If what you really want to protect is a set of photos, videos or documents, a vault does a different job. We make VaultForYou: it keeps the files you choose in a vault that opens only with a pattern you draw, separate from your iPhone passcode. Files are encrypted on your iPhone, stay outside the Photos library, and the lock screen shows no vault names, counts or previews. No account is needed.

> **Hiding an icon isn't hiding the files.** Keep private photos in a vault that opens only with your pattern. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000)

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I hide apps on my iPhone?

Touch and hold the app on your Home Screen, tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), then tap Hide and Require Face ID. Authenticate and tap Hide App. The app disappears from the Home Screen, App Library and search results, and moves to a Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library that opens only after Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.

### Do hidden apps show up on Screen Time?

Yes. Apple's Personal Safety guide lists Settings -> Screen Time among the places where the names of hidden apps can still appear. Hiding an app changes where its icon lives, not whether iOS records how long you use it. In a Family Sharing group, a parent can also see that a teen downloaded an app and how much time it's used, even if the teen hid it.

### How do I hide an app from Screen Time?

There's no setting in Apple's Screen Time documentation that removes one app from your usage reports. Your options are broader: turn off App & Website Activity, which stops Screen Time reporting altogether, or turn off Share Across Devices so each device keeps its own report. Hiding the app with Require Face ID doesn't remove it from Screen Time.

### Can you exclude apps from Screen Time on iPhone?

Not from the usage report. Always Allowed lets an app stay available during your Screen Time schedule and limits, but Apple describes it as a way to keep apps usable, not as a way to stop tracking them. If you want no app usage recorded at all, the documented switch is Turn Off App & Website Activity in Settings -> Screen Time.

### How do I unhide apps on iPhone?

Swipe left past your last Home Screen page to App Library, tap the Hidden folder at the bottom, and authenticate. Touch and hold the app, tap Don't Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), and authenticate again. The app moves back near the top of App Library, and you can drag it to your Home Screen from there.

### Why can't I hide some apps on my iPhone?

Apple only lets you hide apps you downloaded from the App Store. Apps that come with iPhone can't go in the Hidden folder, and neither can the app you've set as your default web browser or an app marketplace in the EU. Children under 13 in a Family Sharing group can't lock or hide apps at all.

### Can someone tell if I have hidden apps?

Possibly. The Hidden folder itself is visible at the bottom of App Library, even though it needs Face ID or your passcode to open. Hidden app names can also appear in Settings -> Apps -> Hidden Apps (after authentication), Settings -> Screen Time, Settings -> Battery -> Battery Health & Charging, and your App Store purchase history.

### Does hiding an app delete it or its data?

No. A hidden app stays installed with all its data, and it keeps working when you open it from the Hidden folder. Removing an app from the Home Screen doesn't delete it either; it moves to App Library. Only Delete App removes the app and its data from your iPhone, and data the app stored in iCloud isn't deleted even then.

## Bottom line

To hide an app on iPhone, use **Hide and Require Face ID**: it takes the app off your Home Screen and out of search, and locks it in the Hidden folder in App Library. For built-in apps, remove them from the Home Screen or restrict them with Screen Time.

Don't expect it to be invisible. Hidden apps still show up in Screen Time, Settings and your purchase history, and anyone with your passcode can open them. Use hiding to stop casual scrolling, not to keep a determined person out.

Keep reading:

- [How to lock apps on iPhone with or without Face ID](/blog/lock-apps-iphone)
- [Signs someone went through your phone](/blog/signs-someone-went-through-your-phone)
- [How to lock a folder on iPhone](/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone)

## Sources

- [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios)
- [Apple Personal Safety User Guide: Lock or hide apps on your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/ipsd0be4c185/web)
- [Apple Support: Find and use your apps in App Library on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/find-your-apps-in-app-library-iph87abad19a/ios)
- [Apple Support: Remove or delete apps from iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/remove-or-delete-apps-iph248b543ca/ios)
- [Apple Support: Hide and unhide apps in your App Store purchase list](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108091)
- [Apple Support: Set up Screen Time for yourself on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/get-started-with-screen-time-iphbfa595995/ios)

## Keep reading

- [How to Lock Apps on iPhone With or Without Face ID (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-apps-iphone): Lock any app on iPhone with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, turn the lock off again, and see which apps can't be locked and what a locked app still shows.
- [Can You Check iPhone Unlock History? What iOS Actually Shows](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/signs-someone-went-through-your-phone): iPhone keeps no unlock history. Here's what you can check instead: Screen Time, Battery, your Apple Account devices, sign-in alerts and Safety Check.
- [Does iPhone Have a Guest Mode? What to Use Instead (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/iphone-guest-mode): iPhone has no guest mode, and personal iPads don't either. Use Guided Access, app locks and notification settings to lend your phone without exposing your data.
- [How to Hide Photos on iPhone: Hidden Album Guide (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/hide-photos-on-iphone): Hide photos on iPhone in seconds, find your hidden photos in the Hidden album, and see who can still open them, what syncs to iCloud and when a vault is better.

---

Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000