--- title: "How to Hide Files on iPhone: 4 Ways (iOS 27)" description: "Files can't go in the iPhone Hidden folder. Here are the ways that work: remove it from the Home Screen, lock it with Face ID, hide it from search." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/files lang: en-gb published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to hide Files on iPhone > Files is built into iPhone, so it can't be hidden like an App Store app. These are the ways that work instead. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - 31 Oct 2026 ## Quick answer Files comes with iPhone, so Apple won't let you put it in the Hidden folder. Instead, touch and hold it, tap Remove App, then Remove from Home Screen. It stays in App Library and search. To stop people opening it, lock it with Require Face ID. - **Fastest way:** Remove from Home Screen; it stays in App Library. - **Can it be hidden?:** No. Apple only lets you hide App Store apps. - **Own privacy setting:** Hide a location in Browse (Files -> Browse -> More button -> Edit (or Edit Sidebar) -> turn the location off). - **Still visible in:** Screen Time, Battery and your App Store purchases. - **iOS version:** Any recent iOS - **Time needed:** About 10 seconds - **Difficulty:** Easy - **Needs an app?:** No - **Reversible?:** Yes - **Changes backups?:** No Files is built into iPhone, so it can't be hidden like an App Store app, and Files has 3 privacy settings of its own. Below are 4 ways, fastest first, and the places Files still shows up afterwards. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Files' settings against Apple's official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Take Files off your Home Screen Apple's Hidden folder only takes apps from the App Store, so Files can't go in it. The next best thing is to take it off your Home Screen. 1. **Remove from the Home Screen** Touch and hold Files, tap Remove App, then tap Remove from Home Screen. The app stays installed in App Library. Files stays installed and keeps working from App Library. It still shows up when someone searches for it. To stop people opening it, lock it: touch and hold Files, tap **Require Face ID**, then confirm. See [all Files' privacy settings](/en-gb/apps/files). ## Method 2: Files' own privacy settings iOS hides the app icon. Files itself can hide what's inside it. These settings work on any iOS version that Files supports. ### Hide a location in Browse Go to **Files -> Browse -> More button -> Edit (or Edit Sidebar) -> turn the location off**. Hides a location from the Browse screen. It doesn't delete it. ### Delete a file or folder Go to **Files -> Browse -> locate the file -> touch and hold -> Delete**. Removes the file from the location. ### Hide Files message previews Go to **Settings -> Notifications -> Files (below Notification Style) -> Show Previews**. Standard per-app notification settings. ## Method 3: Move Files photos into a vault Hiding the app doesn't hide photos you've saved from it. Those sit in your camera roll, where anyone scrolling Photos can see them. Move them into a vault, then delete the originals from Photos and empty Recently Deleted. > **Lock this in VaultForYou.** Keep Files photos in an encrypted vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) See [how to hide photos in Files](/en-gb/hide-photos/files) for the in-app options. ## Other ways to hide Files - **Remove it from the Home Screen.** Touch and hold Files, tap **Remove App**, then **Remove from Home Screen**. It moves to App Library and still shows in search. - **Keep it out of Siri and search.** Go to **Settings -> Siri -> Excluded Apps**, tap **Add Apps** and select Files. Apple says excluded apps aren't available to Siri, Search or suggestions. - **Hide its notification previews.** Go to **Settings -> Notifications -> Files -> Show Previews** and choose **Never** or **When Unlocked**. ## Does hiding Files hide its notifications, Siri suggestions, Spotlight and backups? | Where | Locked with Face ID | Removed from Home Screen | |---|---|---| | Notification previews | Content hidden | Still shown | | Siri suggestions | Not shown | Still shown | | Spotlight search | Content hidden | Still shown | | iCloud backup | Unchanged | Unchanged | Apple says information inside a locked or hidden app doesn't appear in places like notification previews, search and Siri suggestions. Hiding never changes what your iPhone backs up. ## Hide Files on iPad The same Require Face ID menu works on iPad with iPadOS 18 or later. Hiding doesn't sync through iCloud, so hide Files separately on each device. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you hide Files on iPhone? Not in the Hidden folder. Files comes with iPhone, and Apple only lets you hide App Store apps. You can remove it from your Home Screen so it lives only in App Library, and you can lock it with Require Face ID so it needs your face or passcode to open. ### Where does Files go when you remove it from the Home Screen? It moves to App Library, the last page after your Home Screens. Files stays installed and keeps all its data. You can also still find it by swiping down on the Home Screen and searching for its name. Drag it back to a Home Screen page any time. ### Does hiding Files delete it or its data? No. Hiding or removing Files from the Home Screen doesn't delete the app or anything in it. Only Delete App removes it from your iPhone. Data that Files syncs through iCloud stays in iCloud either way. ### Can someone tell that I hid Files? Possibly. The Hidden folder itself is visible at the bottom of App Library, though it needs Face ID or your passcode to open. Files can also still appear in Screen Time, the Battery list and your App Store purchase history. Anyone who knows your passcode can open everything. ### Does hiding Files on iPhone hide it on my iPad? No. Apple says hidden and locked apps don't sync through iCloud, so the setting only applies to the iPhone where you set it. If you use Files on an iPad, hide it there too with the same Require Face ID menu. ## Bottom line Files can't be hidden, but it can be taken off your Home Screen and locked. Add Files' own settings to hide what's inside it. For photos, a vault is the only option that takes them out of Photos. ## 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: Change Siri settings on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-siri-settings-iphc28624b81abc/ios) - [Apple Support: Change notification settings on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-notification-settings-iph7c3d96bab/ios) - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPad](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/lock-or-hide-an-app-ipad4026f2de/ipados) - [Apple Support: Modify files and folders in Files on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/modify-files-and-folders-iphc61044c11/ios) - [Apple Support: Files basics](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/files-basics-iphe9d46e90f/ios) ## More Files privacy guides - [How to hide photos in Files](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-photos/files) - [Files privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/files) ## Hide apps for other apps - [How to hide Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/photos) - [How to hide Safari on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/safari) - [How to hide Notes on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/notes) - [How to hide Camera on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/camera) - [How to hide FaceTime on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/facetime) - [How to hide Health on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/health) - [All hide-app guides](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps) --- 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