Privacy management is one of the many new features and enhancements included in Apple’s iOS 18, which was launched in 2024. iOS 18 makes it easy to hide apps, whether your goal is to keep particular apps hidden for privacy reasons or to clear up clutter on your home screen. This is how to accomplish it successfully:
Turn off apps on the main screen Making Use of App Library
The App Library was first introduced by iOS in iOS 14, and iOS 18 keeps this feature alive by letting users store apps there and keep them off the home screen.
How to hide an app:
- Long-press the app you wish to hide until a menu appears.
- Select “Remove App.”
- Choose “Delete from Home Screen.”
The application will no longer appear on your home screen, but it can still be found in the App Library by using Spotlight Search or by swiping to the far right of the screen.
Using App Folders to Hide Apps
Burying programs inside of folders is another method to keep them less noticeable.
Steps:
- Drag the application into an application folder.
- Even after it’s within a folder, you can drag it to the second or third page to decrease its visibility right away.
- Although the app is not completely hidden with this strategy, its visibility on the home screen is decreased.
Utilise Screen Time to Turn Off All Apps
With iOS 18, Screen Time lets you hide specific app categories or even specific apps from display completely. For parents or anybody else who wishes to limit access to specific apps without uninstalling them, this option is ideal.
Actions:
- Navigate to Content & Privacy Restrictions under Settings > Screen Time.
- Flip the switch to enable Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Click on Apps Allowed.
- From here, you may conceal apps from your smartphone by toggling off programs like Mail, Safari, and others.
Take these actions to conceal third-party apps:
- Navigate to Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions under Settings > Screen Time.
- Choose a restriction level depending on app ratings under the Apps section, such as 12+ or 17+, to hide apps that exceed the chosen rating.
Disable Spotlight Search’s App Suggestions
You can prevent hidden apps from being recommended if you don’t want them to show up in Spotlight Search results.
Actions:
- Navigate to Siri & Search in Settings.
- Locate the app you wish to hide by scrolling down.
- Turn off Siri Suggestions and Show in Search.
- This will further hide the program by preventing it from appearing in Spotlight Search.
Turn Off Notifications for Applications Hidden
You may still receive notifications from hidden apps, which can reveal their existence. To stop this from happening:
Actions:
- Select Notifications under Settings.
- Locate the hidden app, then turn off Allow Notifications.
- The app will now display no apparent activity and remain completely silent.
Use Guided Access to Temporarily Hide Apps
You can utilise Guided Access to limit access to specific apps while someone else is using your phone as a more temporary fix.
Actions:
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access.
- Activate Guided Access and provide a code.
- To activate Guided Access, launch the application that you wish to limit access to and triple-click the side button.
- You can put limits on the app so that no one can leave without your passcode.
Last Words
It will be easier than ever to hide apps on your iPhone with iOS 18 in 2024. Apple offers many options to hide your apps, depending on your needs. From simple solutions like the App Library to more advanced privacy measures like Screen Time, the company has you covered. Select the method that best suits your needs and enjoy greater control over your digital privacy.
