On average, a person has about 40 apps on his mobile device. Of course, some people will have more, especially those who use their phones not just for communication but also for work or education.
What happens is that we accumulate them over time. The result is that we have a cluttered home screen, which can be annoying and difficult to navigate.
The thing with an iPhone is that it does not organize the apps in the same way as Android phones do. IOS has a better and cleaner approach to app management, which is why we sometimes “hide” these apps.
However, if you are a first-time iPhone user, you might face issues handling the phone, or performing basic functions. You might even hide the apps on the home screen accidentally or unknowingly.
The good news is that these apps can be restored to their original location. You can still see your hidden apps on your iPhone home screen.
So, how do you find a hidden app?
All you have to do is go to your App Library. Then, scroll through it. Look for an app that is not appearing on your home screen.
Tap that app’s icon and hold, then slide to the left.
Take note that you can only use this method for apps you hid on the phone. You cannot use this method to show your hidden apps in your Purchased Apps list. In addition, you cannot use this method to look for apps you have already deleted.
Let’s take a look at how to find hidden apps on the iPhone home screen with the help of screenshots.
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Finding Hidden Apps On iPhone Home Screen
On your iPhone, swipe to the left until you get to a screen that shows your App Library. Once you get there, tap the search bar.
Here, type the name of the app you are looking for. What if you do not know the name of the app? What if you are unsure if there is even a hidden app?
You can type a few letters of the app, the same way you are searching on Google. The phone will show you apps that are relevant to this search.
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Once the name of the app appears, tap and hold it. Then, slide the screen to the left without releasing the app. This process makes the app go to the home screen.
If you do not know the app and only want to see what is hidden, you must go to the App Library to find it.
The other option, apart from typing the app’s name, is to scroll down through the App Library. This process is manual, so you must keep scrolling until you find the app you want.
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Can You Hide Apps On Your iPhone?
Yes, you can hide it, but it is invisible. What happens is that it only goes to the App Library.
Hiding the app does not mean you can completely make it disappear. The only thing it does is nest the app’s icon inside the App Library.
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How To Unhide Hidden Purchases?
This process is what you must follow if you accidentally delete an app. After deletion, the app will no longer be on your iPhone, and what you must do is reinstall it.
Why would someone do this? Sometimes, people delete the app because they want to hide it from somebody.
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The good news is that you do not have to buy that app again. Instead, follow the steps below to retrieve a hidden app in your Purchases list.
- Launch the App Store
- Tap on your photo or the account button
- Tap your Apple ID, then sign in
- Scroll down until you see “Hidden Purchases”, and tap it
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Here, you must find the app, tap it, and then tap “Unhide.” Now that you know what app is hidden, you can go back to the App Store and redownload it.
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How To Hide Apps From The iPhone Home Screen?
Now that we know how to unhide apps, I want to share the process of hiding them. You may need to do this in the future because you do not want your home screen to look cluttered.
Hiding your apps from your home screen can also help maintain your privacy. Sometimes, you may leave your phone open while dining with friends. You can also leave it unlocked at home or in school.
Sadly, some people have no respect for privacy. They will snoop on your phone just because they can and swipe left and right to see what apps you have.
In addition, you may also want to hide apps so your kids cannot access them. If you lend your phone to your kids, they should not have easy access to apps that are not meant for children.
Here are the steps on how you can hide apps from your iPhone home screen:
Step 1: Locate the app that you want to hide by swiping left and right on your home screen.
Step 2: Once located, tap and hold on to the app icon.
Step 3: Wait until a menu of options appear
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Step 4: Once the menu is available, you can release your finger, then tap “remove app.”
Step 5: Finally, tap “remove from the home screen.”
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That’s it! You have successfully removed the app from your home screen. However, this does not mean you deleted or uninstalled the app. Instead, it is sitting inside your App Library.
If you want to access the app, follow the steps I provided earlier to locate the app. From there, you have the option to unhide the app.
The other option is to tap the app and launch it straight from the App Library. There is really no reason to unhide it.
To begin with, you likely hid the app because you did not want people to see it on your home screen. As such, it does not make sense to unhide it again.
But of course, it is your prerogative. Sometimes you just want to change the way your home screen looks.
It is also likely that there is a change in your priorities. For example, you are again active in a game, so you want to unhide that game from your App Library.
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Summary
Technically, you cannot hide an iPhone app. You can only remove it from the home screen, which is what people mean when they say “hide.”
If you do decide to hide it, the app goes to the App Library, and you may not be able to see it. However, it is there, for sure.
On the other hand, a hidden app can also mean that you deleted it, but you already paid for it. If this is the case, you can always redownload the app with no payment, but only if you use the same Apple ID.
