How to hide apps on your iPhone

Protecting your iPhone's privacy: Hiding and locking apps

Sharing your iPhone with friends and family doesn't mean sharing every app. This guide explains how to hide and lock apps on your iPhone, both with current iOS features and upcoming iOS 18 capabilities. Remember to always protect your phone with a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID.

Current Methods for Hiding Apps:

• Removing from Home Screen: New apps automatically appear on your home screen and App Library. To prevent this, go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library and adjust the settings. For existing apps, long-press the icon, select Remove App, then choose Remove from Home Screen. This keeps the app installed but hides it from your home screen.

• App Folders: Group apps into folders on your home screen by long-pressing and dragging icons together. This improves organization but doesn't fully hide apps.

• App Library: The App Library automatically categorizes your apps, but currently offers no customization for folder names or app visibility. All apps remain searchable.

Locking Apps with Face ID/Touch ID:

While not strictly hiding, locking apps with Face ID or Touch ID adds an extra layer of security. This feature depends on app developers; examples include banking apps and WhatsApp. To lock WhatsApp, go to Settings > Privacy > App Lock. Apple's built-in apps don't offer full app locking, but individual notes and photos can be locked or hidden using Face ID/Touch ID.

iOS 18 Enhancements:

iOS 18 (expected September 2025) will significantly improve app privacy:

• Universal App Locking: Lock any app with Face ID/Touch ID (passcode as backup).

• Hidden Apps Folder: Locked apps can be hidden from the App Library within a dedicated "Hidden" folder. Icons won't be visible, and access requires Face ID/Touch ID. Notifications and search results for these apps will also be hidden.

iOS 18's features will provide a more robust and convenient way to protect sensitive apps and data.

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