It’s no secret that both mobile operating systems – Android and iOS – borrow features from one another from time to time. However, one feature that Apple had failed to implement all these years on iOS was the ability to hide and lock apps. With iOS 18, that has thankfully changed – reaffirming Apple’s push toward privacy and security. This tutorial shows how to hide apps on your iPhone and iPad – and even lock them so that others can’t access them.
Lock Apps on iPhone
For this method, you only want to lock an app on your iPhone or iPad instead of hiding it. If you don’t mind others seeing the app but do not want them to access it – perhaps because of sensitive information – follow the steps below:
Tap and hold the app you want to lock, and select Require Face ID. Confirm by choosing Require Face ID again.
Note: If your iPhone or iPad doesn’t have Face ID and has Touch ID instead, the option will say Require Touch ID.
This requires you to scan your face every time you open the app.
If you no longer want an app to require Face ID or Touch ID before opening it, tap and hold the app, and select Don’t Require Face ID.
Hide Apps on Your iPhone
If you only want to remove an app from your iPhone’s home screen, tap and hold the app and select Remove App, then choose Remove from Home Screen. While the app is gone from the home screen, it will still be visible in the App Library.
That’s not ideal, though, if you also don’t want others to see the app. To completely hide an app on your iPhone or iPad, tap and hold the app you want to lock, and select Require Face ID, then choose Hide and Require Face ID.
Once you do this, the app will disappear from your home screen as well as the App Library. Follow the same steps for all the apps you want to hide.
Note: Hiding apps disables notifications from those apps.
To access hidden apps, swipe to the left on your iPhone’s home screen to access the App Library. Scroll down to the bottom, and tap the Hidden folder. Get access to the folder by using Face ID or Touch ID.
Tap the desired app within the folder to launch it.
How to unhide apps
If you no longer wish to keep an app hidden, head to the Hidden folder in the App Library. Tap and hold the app you want to unhide, and choose Don’t Require Face ID to make it visible once again.
Bonus: Hide Apps From Search and Suggestions
There may be times when you want an app to not show up in Spotlight Search or see suggestions regarding that app. In those circumstances, follow the steps below:
Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, and tap Apple Intelligence & Siri in the menu. Scroll to the bottom, and select Apps.
Find the app, and turn off all the toggles.
The app will no longer show up in searches or suggestions but will still continue to be accessible in the App Library.
Everyone has private and sensitive information stored in certain apps on their phones. Whether it’s your banking app or the Notes app, hiding or locking it will keep others who use your phone from accessing it. It’s also a good way to keep social media and gaming apps away from the reach of your children to reduce their screen time.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Sumukh Rao.
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