Your iPhone is full of apps – some you employ every day, others solely often, and some you’d reasonably maintain non-public. Whether or not it’s defending delicate info, protecting curious children from spending your in-game forex, or simply sustaining a bit of private area, hiding apps generally is a useful gizmo. However how efficient is it, actually? And what are the restrictions you must find out about earlier than you depend on it?
Let’s break down the advantages, the restrictions, and the way hiding apps modifications your iPhone expertise.
Why conceal an app within the first place?
Typically, you should hand over your cellphone – to point out a photograph, let a member of the family play a sport, or share a recipe. However that doesn’t imply you need the individual holding your cellphone to have free rein over every thing on it.
In my case, my nieces and nephews love enjoying video games on my cellphone. I’ve discovered the arduous method that leaving these apps seen can result in my in-game forex mysteriously vanishing or my characters being…effectively, let’s simply say completely inconvenienced. Hiding these apps retains them out of sight and out of tiny, overly enthusiastic palms.
Privateness is one other main purpose. Perhaps you’re managing a well being situation by way of an app and like to maintain that info non-public. Or perhaps you simply have a Telegram app, an AI companion app, or one thing else you’d reasonably not have pop up when somebody begins scrolling.
How hiding apps modifications your expertise
Hiding an app doesn’t simply make it disappear – it additionally modifications the way you work together with it. Hidden apps are tucked away within the Hidden Folder in your App Library, requiring you to navigate by way of just a few further steps to entry them. Then, in the event that they’re locked, you’ll want to make use of Face ID or Contact ID to open them. Try the earlier than (locked) and after (unlocked) screenshots beneath.
For apps you employ every day, like Pictures, social media, or electronic mail, this course of can get tedious. In these circumstances, I’d suggest merely locking the apps as a substitute of absolutely hiding them. Unlocking an app with Face ID or Contact ID is seamless and takes lower than a second – it’s an added layer of safety with out disrupting your workflow.
However for apps you don’t need anybody stumbling throughout, like these well being or AI companion apps, full-on hiding is price the additional effort.
The constraints of hiding apps
Hiding apps isn’t foolproof. If somebody is aware of the place to look, they will nonetheless inform that the app is put in. A fast journey to the App Retailer will reveal an “Open” button subsequent to any hidden app that’s nonetheless put in in your cellphone.
To actually cowl your tracks, you’ll additionally want to cover your app downloads out of your App Retailer buy historical past. It’s not tough, nevertheless it’s an additional step – and one which many individuals overlook.
Methods to conceal and lock apps in your iPhone
Apple has streamlined the method of hiding and locking apps, nevertheless it nonetheless requires just a few steps. Right here’s a fast overview:
Cover and lock an app within the App Library
- Go to your App Library.
- Press and maintain the app you need to conceal.
- Choose Take away App > Take away from Dwelling Display screen.
- If you wish to lock it, guarantee Face ID/Contact ID is enabled within the app’s settings.
Cover app downloads from the App Retailer
- Open the App Retailer and faucet in your profile image.
- Go to Bought.
- Discover the app you need to conceal, and swipe left to pick Cover.
When hiding is price it
Hiding apps in your iPhone is a useful gizmo – nevertheless it’s not good. For apps you employ steadily, merely locking them is normally extra sensible. However for apps you hardly ever want, or ones you need to maintain completely non-public, hiding (and locking) them is price the additional effort.
On the finish of the day, hiding apps isn’t about paranoia – it’s about sustaining management over who can entry what in your cellphone, and when. Whether or not it’s protecting your sport forex protected from overeager children or shielding your private well being info, slightly digital privateness goes a good distance.
[Image credit: Screenshots via Techlicious, mockup via Canva]
Suzanne Kantra based Techlicious 15+ years in the past and has been masking client expertise for greater than 20 years. She was the Expertise Editor for Martha Stewart Residing Omnimedia, the place she hosted the radio present “Residing with Expertise,” and served as Senior Expertise Editor for Fashionable Science Journal. She has been featured on CNN, CBS, and NBC.
