How to Hide Apps on iPhone Without Deleting Them (iOS 15.5 and Up)
Trying to tidy up your iPhone’s Home screen without uninstalling apps? Whether you’re hiding apps for privacy, decluttering, or just keeping things organized, there are several easy ways to do it — and no, you won’t lose access to the app itself. Here’s how to hide apps on your iPhone SE 3 (2022) or any iPhone running iOS 15.5 or later.
1. Hide Apps Using the App Library
You can remove apps from your Home screen while keeping them in your App Library.
- From your Home screen, tap and hold the app you want to hide.
- Tap Remove App from the menu.
- Select Remove from Home Screen.
The app will disappear from your Home screen but remain accessible in the App Library (swipe left past your last Home screen page to find it).
2. Hide Apps in a Folder (and Bury It)
You can also stash apps deep inside folders to make them less visible.
- Tap and hold the app you want to hide.
- Tap Edit Home Screen.
- Drag the app on top of another app to create a folder.
- Open the folder, then drag the app to a second page inside the folder (just swipe right inside the folder).
- Tap anywhere outside the folder and hit Done.
Now the app is hidden in a folder, out of plain sight.
3. Hide Apps From Search (Siri & Spotlight)
Want to make sure apps don’t show up when someone uses Search? You can turn off search access.
- Go to Settings > Siri & Search.
- Scroll down and tap the app you want to hide.
- Toggle off Show App in Search.
- You can also disable Show Content in Search and Learn from this App for extra privacy.
Now the app won’t show up when someone tries to search for it using Spotlight or Siri.
4. Hide App Store Purchase History
If you’re hiding apps that you downloaded from the App Store and don’t want them visible in your purchase history:
- Open the App Store.
- Tap your profile icon (top-right).
- Go to Purchased under the Today tab.
- Swipe left on the app you want to hide and tap Hide.
- Tap Done to finish.
This only hides the app from your purchase list — not your phone — but it adds an extra layer of privacy.
How to Unhide an App
To bring an app back to your Home screen:
- Swipe left to open the App Library.
- Search for the app or find it in the right category.
- Tap and hold the app icon, then tap Add to Home Screen.
You can also re-enable it in Search or bring it out of a folder the same way you hid it.