Don't want your Hinge or banking app visible: Here's how to hide an app on iPhone
From customized screensavers to decorative phone cases, everyone's iPhone is unique. There are so many ways to personalize your device, including your home screen setup.
How you organize your apps, folders and widgets is completely up to you. You may opt to keep certain apps – such as your banking app – hidden for privacy reasons.
The rearranging process doesn't need to be complicated. Before you accidentally delete something important, here's how to hide and remove apps on an iPhone.
How to hide apps on an iPhone
If your iPhone has iOS 14 or later, you can remove apps' visibility from your home screen. Every app downloaded on your device is housed in the App Library, which is the last page you can swipe to. The apps are organized in folders, such as "Productivity & Finance," "Utilities" and "Social."
Apps cannot be removed or hidden from this feature unless they are deleted entirely from the device. You can, however, hide apps on your home screen pages.
To remove an app:
- Go to the app you want to hide.
- Hold down on the app until a menu appears.
- Tap "Remove App."
- Select "Remove App from Home Screen."
The app will no longer appear on your home screen, but will still be on your iPhone in the App Library.
If you want to add an app back, go to the App Library and hold down the app again, then click "Add to Home Screen."
You may also want to remove an app from appearing on your iPhone's search feature. Start by going to your device's settings app:
- Go to "Siri & Search."
- Scroll down to the apps.
- Click the one you want to remove from search and select it.
- Move the slider next to "Show App in Search" to complete.
How to hide a home screen page
If you don't like the organization of your home screen, you can delete the page:
- Hold down on an empty area of your home screen.
- Click the dots at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the checkmark icon under the page of apps you want to hide.
- Tap " Done" in the upper right-hand corner.
- To delete the page, hit the minus symbol.
To add the page back, follow the same steps but re-tap the circle to make the checkmark icon appear.
How to remove apps from your iPhone
Want to delete an app from your iPhone? Follow these steps:
- Press the app you want to delete.
- If it's on your home screen, select "Remove App." Choose "Delete App" and "Delete" to confirm.
- If it's in the App Library, select "Delete App" and "Delete" to confirm.
Even certain built-in apps, including Videos, Voice Memos and Weather, can be deleted.
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