Hiding an app on your iPhone is a handy privacy trick — until you need that app back and can’t remember where it went. Since iOS 18, Apple lets you tuck any app behind Face ID into a locked Hidden folder, and once it’s there, it vanishes from search results, notifications, and even Siri suggestions. If that sounds too effective, every hidden app can still be found again in a few taps. Here’s how.
How app hiding works on iPhone
On iPhones running iOS 18 or later, you can hide any third-party app by touching and holding its icon, choosing Require Face ID, and then tapping Hide and Require Face ID. The app is moved out of your Home Screens into a special Hidden folder at the very bottom of the App Library. While hidden, the app won’t appear in Spotlight search, Siri suggestions, notification banners, or your call history — only someone who can authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode can open the folder. Apple’s own guide to locking and hiding apps explains the official behavior.
One important distinction: hidden is not the same as removed from the Home Screen. A merely removed app still sits visibly in the App Library; a truly hidden app lives behind authentication in the Hidden folder — which is exactly where most people lose track of it.
How to find your hidden apps
Follow these steps to open the Hidden folder and get your apps back:
- From any Home Screen, swipe left past your last page of apps until you reach the App Library.
- Scroll all the way to the bottom of the App Library, where you’ll see a blurred Hidden folder.
- Tap the Hidden folder and authenticate with Face ID — or Touch ID or your passcode on other iPhones.
- The folder opens and reveals every app you’ve hidden. Tap any icon to launch it normally.
- To unhide an app, touch and hold its icon in the Hidden folder and choose Don’t Require Face ID. Authenticate again, and the app returns to the App Library, ready to drag back onto a Home Screen.
- Prefer Settings? Open Settings > Apps, scroll down to Hidden Apps, and authenticate to see the same list.
- If the app was only removed from the Home Screen, skip the Hidden folder: type the app’s name into the App Library’s search field, or swipe down on a Home Screen for Spotlight.
- If Spotlight still doesn’t surface the app, check Settings > Siri & Search, tap the app’s name, and make sure Show App in Search is switched on.
If it still doesn’t work
Still can’t find the app? A few other iOS features can make apps disappear. Check Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps — any app switched off there is removed from the device entirely, not just hidden. The app may also have been deleted rather than hidden; search the App Store or your purchase history to reinstall it. Focus modes can hide entire Home Screen pages too, so confirm you aren’t in a Focus that filters your layout — MacRumors’ walkthrough of the hide-and-lock flow covers these edge cases. And if you’re auditing which apps even belong on your phone, see our guide on which built-in iPhone apps you can delete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else see my hidden apps?
No. Hidden apps don’t appear in search results, Siri suggestions, notification banners, or the App Library grid. The Hidden folder itself stays blurred until you authenticate, so its contents remain private.
Does hiding an app delete it or its data?
No. Hiding only changes visibility — the app and all of its data stay installed on your iPhone. Unhiding restores everything exactly as it was.
Conclusion
Apple’s Hidden folder is excellent for privacy but easy to forget about. Remember the two recovery paths — the Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library, and Settings > Apps > Hidden Apps — and you’ll never lose an app for long. To manage apps on your Mac too, see how to quickly open the installed apps list in macOS 26.
