There are several ways to hide an app on an iPhone, and they provide different levels of privacy. On supported recent iOS versions, eligible apps can be hidden and protected with Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode. You can also simply remove an app from the Home Screen while leaving it installed.
Hide and require authentication
- Touch and hold the app.
- Tap Require Face ID, Require Touch ID, or Require Passcode, depending on the device.
- If the app is eligible, choose Hide and Require Face ID.
- Authenticate and confirm.
The app moves to the Hidden area in App Library. Not every app can be hidden, and system behavior can vary by iOS version.
Remove an app from the Home Screen only
- Touch and hold the app.
- Tap Remove App.
- Choose Remove from Home Screen.
This leaves the app installed and available in App Library. It is organization, not strong privacy protection.
Swipe left through the Home Screen pages until you reach App Library. Open the Hidden area and authenticate when prompted. If you only removed the icon from the Home Screen, search App Library for the app instead.
Important privacy limits
Hiding an app does not necessarily erase all evidence that it is installed or all data associated with it. Account activity, Screen Time, purchases, notifications, or other system areas may still reveal information depending on your settings. For sensitive information, also review notification previews and the app’s own privacy controls.
Apple limits hiding for certain built-in or system-critical apps, so the Hide option will not appear everywhere. If Require Face ID appears without a Hide option, you may still be able to require authentication when opening that app.
Hide an entire Home Screen page
If your goal is organization rather than security, touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen, tap the page indicator, and deselect a page. The apps remain installed and can still be found in App Library and Search. This is convenient but should not be treated as a privacy lock.
Even when an app is hidden or protected, review Settings > Notifications if you do not want message previews or other content appearing on the Lock Screen. You can change preview behavior or disable particular notification types without uninstalling the app.
Unhide an app
Open App Library, access the Hidden area, authenticate, then touch and hold the app and choose the available option to stop hiding it. The wording can vary with iOS updates. You may need to add the app back to the Home Screen separately.
Hiding is not the same as deleting
A hidden app still uses storage and can retain its local data. If you no longer want the app installed, delete it instead. Before deleting an app with important local information, verify whether that data is synchronized or backed up.
Summary
Use Hide and Require Face ID when your iPhone and the app support it and you want additional privacy. Use Remove from Home Screen when you simply want a cleaner Home Screen without uninstalling the app.
Matthew Roberts created this site to help his friends and family with questions that they might have about how to change the settings on their iPhones. It now serves as an archive of iPhone how-to guides to help anyone that stumbles upon this website.