--- title: "How to Hide Safari on iPhone: 4 Ways (iOS 27)" description: "Safari 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/safari lang: en-gb published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to hide Safari on iPhone > Safari 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 Safari 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:** Use Private Browsing (Safari -> Tabs button -> swipe right on the tab bar until Private Browsing opens -> Unlock). - **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 Safari is built into iPhone, so it can't be hidden like an App Store app, and Safari has 5 privacy settings of its own. Below are 4 ways, fastest first, and the places Safari still shows up afterwards. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Safari's settings against Apple's official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Take Safari off your Home Screen Apple's Hidden folder only takes apps from the App Store, so Safari 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 Safari, tap Remove App, then tap Remove from Home Screen. The app stays installed in App Library. Safari 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 Safari, tap **Require Face ID**, then confirm. See [how to lock Safari](/en-gb/lock-apps/safari). ## Method 2: Safari's own privacy settings iOS hides the app icon. Safari itself can hide what's inside it. These settings work on any iOS version that Safari supports. ### Use Private Browsing Go to **Safari -> Tabs button -> swipe right on the tab bar until Private Browsing opens -> Unlock**. Private tabs don't appear in History on iPhone or in the list of tabs on your other devices, and aren't shared with your other Apple devices. ### Clear browsing history Go to **Safari -> Show Bookmarks button -> History button -> More button -> Clear History -> choose a timeframe (and profile) -> Clear History**. Removes the history of websites you visited and recent searches from your iPhone, plus cookies and website permissions. The Personal Safety guide also gives Settings -> Apps -> Safari -> Clear History and Website Data. ### Exclude Safari from Siri, Search, and suggestions Go to **Settings -> Siri -> Excluded Apps -> Add Apps**. Excluded apps aren't available to Siri, Search, or suggestions. ### Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing Go to **Settings -> Apps -> Safari -> Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing (or Require Passcode / Require Touch ID to Unlock Private Browsing)**. If you have a passcode set, Private Browsing locks when it's not in use (it may not lock immediately). Private tabs don't appear in History or in the tab list on your other devices. ### Hide Safari message previews Go to **Settings -> Notifications -> Safari (below Notification Style) -> Show Previews**. Clearing history also removes the permissions you gave websites to send you notifications. A locked app's content doesn't appear in notification previews. ## Other ways to hide Safari - **Remove it from the Home Screen.** Touch and hold Safari, 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 Safari. Apple says excluded apps aren't available to Siri, Search or suggestions. - **Hide its notification previews.** Go to **Settings -> Notifications -> Safari -> Show Previews** and choose **Never** or **When Unlocked**. ## Does hiding Safari 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 Safari on iPad The same Require Face ID menu works on iPad with iPadOS 18 or later. Hiding doesn't sync through iCloud, so hide Safari separately on each device. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you hide Safari on iPhone? Not in the Hidden folder. Safari 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 Safari go when you remove it from the Home Screen? It moves to App Library, the last page after your Home Screens. Safari 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 Safari delete it or its data? No. Hiding or removing Safari from the Home Screen doesn't delete the app or anything in it. Only Delete App removes it from your iPhone. Data that Safari syncs through iCloud stays in iCloud either way. ### Can someone tell that I hid Safari? Possibly. The Hidden folder itself is visible at the bottom of App Library, though it needs Face ID or your passcode to open. Safari 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 Safari have its own lock? Yes. Safari has Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing, under Settings -> Apps -> Safari -> Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing (or Require Passcode / Require Touch ID to Unlock Private Browsing). It works alongside the iOS lock. It uses the same Face ID or passcode as your iPhone, so it adds a second prompt but no separate secret. ## Bottom line Safari can't be hidden, but it can be taken off your Home Screen and locked. Add Safari's own settings to hide what's inside it. ## 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: Browse the web privately in Safari on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/browse-the-web-privately-iphb01fc3c85/ios) - [Apple Support: Clear your cache and cookies on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/clear-your-cache-and-cookies-iphacc5f0202/ios) - [Apple Support: Keep your browsing history private in Safari (Personal Safety User Guide)](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/keep-your-browsing-history-private-ips375e6d608/web) - [Apple Support: Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases on iPhone (iOS 26)](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iph3ff83f3b1/26.0/ios/26.0) - [Apple Support: Set up parental controls to manage your child's iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105121) ## More Safari privacy guides - [How to lock Safari on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/safari) - [Safari privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/safari) ## Hide apps for other apps - [How to hide Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/photos) - [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 Files on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/files) - [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