Apple keeps giving customers new capabilities and increased control over their devices with the release of iOS 18. The ability to hide apps is still a crucial function, whether you’re doing it for privacy or just to keep your home screen tidy. We’ll go over how to conceal apps on iOS 18 in 2024 in this post, along with some advice on how to use hidden apps efficiently.
KEYPOINT: It is noted by Apple that iOS 18 apps, such as Wallet and Photos, are not concealed. Facebook, Instagram, and other apps that you download from the App Store may be concealed. App lockdown and hiding work in very similar ways.
Why Are Apps Hidden?
There are various justifications for wanting to conceal apps:
- Privacy: You may wish to keep sensitive or private information contained in certain apps private.
- Decluttering: Your home screen can easily get crowded if you have a lot of apps installed. You can keep your UI tidy and organised by hiding unused apps.
- Parental Restraints: Parents may desire to hide certain apps from their children to limit access to certain features or content.
Using the App Library, Hide Apps
With the App Library—which was updated in iOS 18—you can save apps off of your home screen. It was first available in iOS 14.
Actions:
- Navigate to the Home Screen: Locate the app you wish to conceal.
- Press and hold the app icon: Holding down the app icon will cause a pop-up menu to show.
- Choose “Delete from Home Screen”: The app will be moved to the App Library but won’t be deleted.
- Open the App Library’s Hidden App: Swipe left from the last page of your home screen to open the App Library and locate the app once more. To find the hidden app quickly, use the top search bar.
Hide Every Page on the Home Screen
With iOS 18, hiding entire app pages is possible, making it a more practical choice if you want to conceal several apps.
Actions:
- Go into Jiggle Mode: To make the icons on the home screen wiggle, long-press any location on the screen.
- To access your home screen pages, tap the Page Dots, which are the tiny dots situated above the dock.
- Remove Selected Pages: You’ll see a preview of every page you have. If you wish to hide certain pages, uncheck the boxes next to them.
- Click “Done.” The chosen pages will now be hidden from your home screen, but you can still access the apps on them through the App Library.
Utilise Limitations (Screen Duration)
The Screen Time feature in iOS 18 is a great way to conceal apps, especially if you want to temporarily limit access to certain apps or for particular user profiles, like kids.
Actions:
- Access the Settings: Open the Settings application.
- Navigate to “Screen Time”; if it isn’t already configured, follow the instructions to make it so.
- Click or tap “Privacy & Content Restrictions.” Make sure the setting for “Content & Privacy Restrictions” is activated.
- Choose “Allowed Apps”: This is where you can turn off individual system apps, such as FaceTime or Safari, to conceal them from view on the home screen.
- App Restrictions: Utilise the ‘App Limits’ function found under Screen Time to impose time constraints on third-party apps. This will essentially hide the apps after a predetermined amount of daily use.
Make App Folders
One easy way to combine and conceal apps in plain sight is to create folders.
Actions:
- Drag & Drop Applications: To create a folder, long-press on an app icon until it wiggles, then drag it over another app.
- Give the Folder a Name: Give the folder a name that is simple and unassuming, such as “Extras” or “Utilities.”
- Transfer Apps to a Different Folder Page: When a folder includes more than one page, you can conceal the apps on the second or third page by swiping left within the folder.
Make Use of Third-Party Apps (Strict Choices)
While genuine app-hiding software is prohibited by Apple, several third-party programs provide privacy feature workarounds. However, these options may come with limitations, and iOS 18’s enhanced privacy rules make true app hiding via third-party apps less feasible than before.
How to Look for iOS 18 Hidden Apps
To find an app that you’ve hidden, use the following actions:
- Utilise the App Library: To access the App Library, swipe left on your home screen. Make use of the top-level search tool.
- Spotlight Search: Enter the name of the app in the search field by swiping down from the centre of the home screen. Here, even secret programs will surface.
- Settings > App List: Select Settings > General > iPhone Storage to get a list of all installed apps. Apps that aren’t visible on the home screen are nevertheless included in this list.
In summary
In 2024, hiding apps on iOS 18 is simple and flexible, allowing you to prioritise privacy, organisation, or parental controls. By using features like the App Library, Screen Time, or creating hidden folders, you can manage your iPhone’s interface in a way that best suits your needs. Just remember that hiding apps doesn’t delete them, so they remain accessible when needed.
