Keeping your iPhone’s home screen organized can be challenging, especially given the number of apps we tend to accumulate. What if there are apps you don’t use frequently, but don’t want to delete entirely? Fortunately, iPhones offer a way to hide apps without permanently deleting them. This guide will walk you through two effective methods for how to hide apps on iPhone, while still maintaining easy access to your hidden apps.
Step-by-Step Tutorial to Hide Apps on iPhone
Before we delve into the steps, it’s crucial to understand our objective. We aim to utilize the inherent capabilities of your iPhone to conceal apps from both your home screen and the App Library. This ensures that while your apps remain installed and functional on your device, they are not readily visible to anyone casually browsing through your phone.
Method 1: Utilize the App Library:
The App Library, introduced in iOS 14, serves as a central location for all your apps, including those not displayed on your home screen.
Here’s how to hide an app using the App Library:
- Enter Edit Mode: Press and hold any app icon on your home screen until all the icons start jiggling, indicating edit mode.
- Locate the App: Find the app you wish to hide and tap and hold its icon.
- Move to App Library: A small menu will appear. Select “Remove App” (don’t worry, this won’t actually delete the app).
- Confirmation (Optional): A pop-up will ask if you want to “Remove from Home Screen” or “Delete App.” Choose “Remove from Home Screen” to confirm.
Benefits:
- Clean Home Screen: This method effectively removes the app icon from your home screen, creating a cleaner and more organized look.
- Easy Access: The hidden app isn’t gone forever. You can still access it through the App Library.
Drawbacks:
- Extra Step: Accessing hidden apps requires an additional step of opening the App Library and searching for them.
- Not Completely Hidden: While not readily visible, someone with access to your phone can still locate the app in the App Library.
Method 2: Organize with Folders (Optional):
Although not strictly hiding apps, creating folders is another way to declutter your home screen and group specific apps together.”
Here’s how to do it:
- Enter Edit Mode: As with hiding apps, press and hold any app icon until all the icons start jiggling.
- Drag and Drop: Drag one app icon on top of another app you wish to group with it. A new folder will be created.
- Name the Folder: Tap on the folder name at the top and assign it a relevant name.
- Add More Apps: Drag and drop any other apps you wish to hide within this folder.
Benefits:
- Improved Organization: Folders categorize apps for easier access and a cleaner look.
- Customization: You can create folders based on app type, usage frequency, or any other criteria.
Drawbacks:
- Not Truly Hidden: Apps within the folder are still visible, just grouped together.
Choosing the Right Method:
The optimal method depends on your needs. If you seek complete invisibility and only need occasional access, use the App Library. However, if you wish to keep related apps grouped and easily accessible, folders are a good option.
Additional Tips:
Search Functionality: The App Library is equipped with a search bar at the top of the screen. This feature allows you to swiftly locate your hidden apps. Simply type in the name of the app you’re looking for, and the search function will display it, even if it’s hidden from your home screen.
Offload Unused Apps: For apps you rarely use, consider offloading them. This frees up storage space while preserving app data for easy reinstallation. Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to manage offloading.
Quickly Hiding Multiple Apps: If you have several apps that you want to hide at once, a quick method is to group them into a folder on your home screen. Once you’ve created the folder and moved the apps into it, you can then hide the entire folder, effectively hiding all the apps within it.
Data Preservation When Hiding Apps: It’s important to remember that when you hide an app, you’re not deleting any of its data or the app itself. The app is simply removed from view on your home screen. All the app’s data remains intact, and the app can still be used by accessing it through the App Library or search function.
Creating a ‘Hidden’ Category in the App Library: To keep your App Library organized, consider creating a ‘Hidden’ category. This can be a dedicated space for all the apps you’ve chosen to hide. It’s a great way to keep track of these apps and access them quickly when needed.
Restoring Hidden Apps to the Home Screen: If you decide that you want a hidden app to be visible on your home screen again, you can easily do so. Find the app in the App Library, press and hold the app icon until a menu appears, and then select ‘Add to Home Screen’. The app will then reappear on your home screen, while still remaining in the App Library.
Conclusion:
By following these methods, you can effectively hide apps on your iPhone without deleting them. This keeps your home screen organized while maintaining access to all your applications. So go forth and conquer the clutter!
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Can I Hide Apps from the App Library?
Unfortunately, as long as an app remains installed on your device, it cannot be hidden or removed from the App Library. This means that unless you uninstall and reinstall the app every time you need to use it, it will consistently show up when you search your App Library.
2. How to Hide Multiple Apps on iPhone by Making an Entire App Page Invisible?
If your goal is to conceal a number of apps, a highly effective strategy is to make an entire Home Screen page of apps invisible. Prior to following the steps below, move any apps you wish to conceal to their own Home Screen page. Next, press and hold any area on your Home Screen to enter Edit mode. Tap on the Home Screen dots situated above your dock. You will see your Home Screen pages. To make a page invisible, tap the checkmark beneath the page to deselect and remove it.
Closing:
With these steps, you can easily hide apps on your iPhone without deleting them. Remember, the goal is to keep your apps private and your home screen decluttered. Happy organizing!