How to Hide Apps on iPhone: Complete Step-by-Step Guide for 2025

In the modern age, our smartphones have become not only tools for communication but also essential stores of our most private information. Apps on our iPhones range from productivity tools to banking apps to photo storage, and while these apps are vital to our daily lives, sometimes they hold data or take up space that we would prefer to keep hidden. Whether you want to declutter your device, protect your privacy, or hide certain apps from prying eyes, there are numerous ways to do so effectively on iOS.

This guide provides a detailed walkthrough on how to hide apps on your iPhone, using Apple's built-in features as well as third-party apps for extra privacy. In 2025, keeping your iPhone organized and secure is more important than ever, and hiding apps is a key aspect of managing that. Let’s dive into the methods that will help you achieve a more streamlined and private iPhone experience.

Why You Might Want to Hide Apps on Your iPhone

There are many reasons why someone might want to hide apps on their iPhone. From wanting to keep sensitive information out of sight to simply tidying up the Home screen, hiding apps can enhance both your phone's organization and security.

Privacy Protection

In today’s digital age, data privacy is a significant concern. A study by Statista reveals that over 70% of smartphone users are worried about the privacy of their data. If you’re one of them, hiding apps that contain sensitive data—such as banking apps, photo vaults, or even messaging apps—is a great way to safeguard your information. By hiding them, you ensure that others cannot easily access or snoop through your phone.

Reduce Clutter

Let’s face it—most of us have far more apps on our iPhones than we actually use. Over time, these apps build up, taking up precious space and making your home screen look disorganized. According to Statista, the average smartphone user has 60 apps installed, though they only use 10-15 on a regular basis. Hiding apps that are rarely used allows you to maintain a cleaner, more organized device (Statista).

Hide Apps from Others

Sometimes, you might need to hand your phone to someone else, whether it’s a friend, family member, or colleague. You might not want them to see certain apps that contain personal or sensitive data. Hiding apps from view, while still keeping them accessible to you, can help protect your privacy in such scenarios.

The Basics: How Hiding Apps on iPhone Works

Apple provides several built-in features for hiding apps. Some methods merely organize your apps to make them less visible, while others provide more robust privacy measures. Let’s start by exploring the most straightforward methods that Apple offers.

1. Using the App Library to Hide Apps

Introduced in iOS 14, the App Library is a fantastic tool for those looking to declutter their Home screens without deleting apps. It organizes all your apps into categories and keeps them off the Home screen. While apps that are moved to the App Library are still installed and accessible, they no longer need to be part of the visual clutter on your device.

How to Use the App Library to Hide Apps

• Press and hold any app on your Home screen until a menu pops up.
• Tap Remove App.
• Select Remove from Home Screen. This will move the app to the App Library.
• You can still find the app by swiping to the App Library or by searching for it.

By removing apps from the Home screen and keeping them in the App Library, you can reduce visual clutter while maintaining easy access to the apps when needed. The App Library is automatically organized into categories like Social, Productivity, and Entertainment, which makes it easy to find your apps without searching through your entire phone.

2. Hiding Apps Using Screen Time Restrictions

For those looking for more control over app visibility and access, Screen Time provides an effective way to restrict apps using its Content & Privacy Restrictions. By using Screen Time, you can hide apps entirely from your Home screen and prevent others from accessing them.

How to Use Screen Time to Hide Apps

• Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
• Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then turn it on.
• Tap Allowed Apps.
• Toggle off the apps you want to hide. Once disabled, these apps will no longer appear on your Home screen.

With this method, the apps remain installed on your device but are completely hidden from view. This is particularly useful for apps you want to keep secure, such as banking apps or photo vaults. Plus, Screen Time allows you to set limits and monitor your app usage, making it a powerful tool for privacy and productivity.

3. Create Folders to Hide Apps

A simple yet effective way to hide apps is by grouping them into folders. This method doesn’t completely make the apps invisible, but it does reduce their visibility and makes your Home screen look less cluttered.

How to Create Folders to Hide Apps

• Press and hold any app until it enters jiggle mode.
• Drag the app onto another app to create a folder.
• Move the folder to the second or third page to further hide the apps inside.

Folders are great for apps you use occasionally but don’t need cluttering up your Home screen. By moving apps into a folder and onto a secondary page, you make them less obvious to others while still maintaining easy access.

4. Lock Apps with Face ID or Touch ID

For apps that contain sensitive information, such as banking apps, messaging apps, or photo vaults, using Face ID or Touch ID for locking them adds a strong layer of security. While not all apps support this feature, many—especially finance and personal security apps—offer biometric locking.

How to Lock Apps Using Face ID or Touch ID

• Open the app you wish to secure and navigate to the app’s settings.
• Look for the Security or Privacy section.
• Enable Face ID or Touch ID to lock the app.

This prevents unauthorized users from accessing apps even if they’re visible on your Home screen. Only you, with your biometric data, will be able to open the locked apps.

5. Hide Apps from Siri and Search

Sometimes, you may want to prevent Siri from recommending certain apps or stop them from showing up in your search results. This feature helps maintain privacy by making sure the apps are not easily accessible via search or voice command.

How to Hide Apps from Siri and Search

1. Open Settings and go to Siri & Search.
2. Scroll down and find the app you want to hide.
3. Toggle off Show App in Search and Suggest App.

Once this is done, the app will no longer appear in Siri suggestions or when searching for it, keeping it hidden from plain sight.

6. Use Third-Party Apps for Extra Privacy

If you need more robust security and hiding capabilities, there are several third-party apps designed specifically for this purpose. These apps provide advanced features such as app disguise, password protection, and even the ability to hide photos and files along with apps.

Popular Third-Party Apps to Hide Apps

• Secret Calculator: This app masquerades as a regular calculator but lets you hide apps, photos, and other private data behind a password or Face ID. It’s an excellent way to store sensitive information under the guise of an innocent app.
• App Hider: This app allows you to hide and clone other apps. It provides additional layers of privacy for apps you want to keep fully concealed.

These third-party apps are particularly useful for those who want to take privacy and security to the next level.

7. Hide Purchased Apps from Your App Store History

Sometimes you may not want certain apps to appear in your App Store purchase history, especially if you’re sharing your phone with others. Apple allows you to hide apps from your purchased history, making it less likely that others will see what you’ve downloaded.

How to Hide Purchased Apps from the App Store

• Open the App Store and tap on your Profile icon.
• Tap Purchased and find the app you want to hide.
• Swipe left on the app and tap Hide.

This method only hides the app from your purchase history—it won’t delete the app from your phone.

8. Lock Your iPhone for Ultimate Security

While the steps above focus on hiding apps, locking your iPhone with a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID is essential for ultimate security. This adds an extra layer of protection by ensuring that no one can access your phone without your permission.

How to Set a Passcode

1. Open Settings and tap Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode).
2. Enable Passcode and set a strong password.

This ensures that your apps and personal data are protected, even if your phone is physically accessed by someone else.

How to Temporarily Hide Apps Using Focus Mode

In addition to the permanent ways of hiding apps on your iPhone, Apple has introduced Focus Mode, which allows you to temporarily hide apps based on the tasks you're working on or the time of day. Focus Mode, introduced in iOS 15, helps you maintain a distraction-free experience by limiting which apps and notifications are visible during certain activities. This method is ideal for those moments when you want to hide apps temporarily—whether you're working, meditating, or just winding down.

What is Focus Mode?

Focus Mode is essentially a customizable "Do Not Disturb" feature that allows you to create personalized modes for different aspects of your life. For example, you can have a work-focused mode that only allows work-related apps and notifications, while silencing personal apps like social media or games. You can also customize Focus modes to hide apps temporarily during certain times, such as when you're driving or sleeping.

Focus Mode is particularly useful for people who want to minimize distractions by controlling which apps are visible and which notifications are allowed to come through.

How to Use Focus Mode to Temporarily Hide Apps

1. Set up Focus Mode
   
   • Open Settings and tap on Focus.
   • Tap the + icon to create a new Focus mode.
   • Choose a Focus type, like Work, Sleep, Personal, or create a Custom mode.
     
2. Customize App Notifications
   
   • Within the Focus settings, tap Apps under the Allowed Notifications section.
   • Select which apps you want to allow notifications from and which apps you want to silence. Apps that are silenced won’t show up in notifications, but they can still be opened if needed.
     
3. Hide Apps
   
   • You can also choose to hide certain apps during a Focus mode by going into the Home Screen section of Focus.
   • Toggle on Hide Notification Badges for apps you don't want to be visible during that Focus mode.
   • Select the option to Custom Pages, which allows you to show only certain Home screen pages or hide others during the Focus mode. By doing this, you can completely hide apps from your Home screen, reducing distractions during work or personal time.

Example Use Case

Let’s say you're working on an important project and want to ensure that your personal apps like Instagram or Facebook don’t distract you. You can create a Work Focus mode, hide all personal apps from the Home screen, and only allow apps like email, task managers, and work-related apps to be visible.

Alternatively, if you're winding down for the night, you can create a Sleep Focus mode that hides all apps except for things like your alarm app or meditation apps, ensuring that you don't get distracted by other notifications before bed.

Why Use Focus Mode?

Focus Mode is a great way to hide apps temporarily without losing access to them later. It's particularly useful for those who want a cleaner, more efficient iPhone experience while maintaining control over which apps are visible based on time and activity. Moreover, it allows you to stay in the zone during critical tasks, leading to higher productivity and fewer distractions.

Focus Mode also works well in combination with other features, such as Do Not Disturb, to silence notifications, and Screen Time, which allows you to set time limits on apps.

Conclusion: Take Control of Your iPhone’s Privacy and Organization

By using the various methods outlined above, you can keep your iPhone more organized and secure. From Apple’s built-in App Library and Screen Time features to third-party apps for additional privacy, there are plenty of ways to hide apps that you don’t want others to see. Whether you're hiding apps for privacy reasons or just to declutter your device, these methods are designed to make your iPhone experience smoother, more private, and more secure.

Pro Tip: For those running a dropshipping business, platforms like Spocket can help organize and manage your business efficiently while maintaining a clutter-free and secure experience on your iPhone.

By using these tips, you'll be able to better protect your apps, hide sensitive information, and ensure that your iPhone remains a well-organized tool that works for you.