As our phones become an increasingly integrated part of our daily lives, we often find ourselves with more apps than we know what to do with. While some apps are used regularly, others may only be useful on occasion and contribute to clutter on your home screen. Additionally, you may want to hide certain apps for privacy reasons or to keep them out of the hands of curious family members or friends. Whatever your reason for wanting to hide apps on your iPhone, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process.
Reasons to Hide Apps on Your iPhone
There are several reasons why you might want to hide apps on your iPhone:
- To declutter your home screen
- For privacy reasons
- To keep certain apps out of the hands of curious family members or friends
- To prevent accidental opening of apps
Overview of the Process
The process of hiding apps on your iPhone involves entering Jiggle mode, selecting the app you want to hide, and then removing it from your home screen. You can also hide an app in the App Store to prevent it from appearing in your purchase history. The steps for hiding an app on your iPhone are outlined in detail below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Find the App You Want to Hide
The first step in hiding an app on your iPhone is to locate the app you want to hide. There are two ways to do this:
Search for the App
If you have a lot of apps on your iPhone, it may be easier to use the search function to find the app you want to hide. To do this, swipe down from the middle of your home screen and type the name of the app into the search bar. The app should appear in the search results.
Locate the App on Your Home Screen
If you know where the app is located on your home screen, you can simply navigate to that screen and find the app icon.
Step 2: Enter Jiggle Mode
To remove an app from your home screen, you need to enter Jiggle mode. This mode allows you to rearrange the icons on your home screen and remove apps. Here’s how to enter Jiggle mode:
Press and Hold the App Icon
Press and hold the app icon until all the icons on your home screen start to jiggle. This should take about two seconds.
Wait for the Icons to Start Jiggling
Once the icons start to jiggle, you’ll know that you’re in Jiggle mode. You can now move the icons around or delete them.
Step 3: Hide the App
Now that you’re in Jiggle mode, you can hide the app you want to remove from your home screen. Here’s how to do it:
Tap the “X” on the App Icon
Tap the “X” on the app icon you want to hide. This will prompt a confirmation message.
Choose “Remove App”
Choose “Remove App” from the confirmation message. This will remove the app from your home screen.
Confirm “Delete App”
Confirm that you want to delete the app by tapping “Delete App” on the confirmation message. The app icon will disappear from your home screen, but it will still be installed on your phone.
Step 4: Hide the App in the App Store
If you want to remove an app from your purchase history so that it doesn’t appear in the App Store, you can do so as follows:
Open the App Store
Open the App Store app on your iPhone.
Tap Your Profile Picture
Tap your profile picture or initials at the top right of the screen.
Tap “Purchased”
Tap “Purchased” to see a list of all your purchased apps.
Find the App and Swipe Left
Find the app you want to hide and swipe left on it.
Tap “Hide”
Tap “Hide” to remove the app from your purchase history. The app will no longerappear in the App Store on your iPhone.
Tips for Managing Hidden Apps on Your iPhone
Now that you know how to hide apps on your iPhone, here are some tips to help you manage hidden apps more effectively:
Unhide Apps if Needed
If you decide that you want to unhide an app in the future, you can do so by searching for the app in the App Library or through the search function on your iPhone. Once you’ve located the app, press and hold the app icon until a menu appears. Select “Add to Home Screen” to make the app visible on your home screen again.
Use Restrictions to Control Access to Apps
If you want to prevent others from accessing certain apps on your iPhone, consider using the built-in Restrictions feature. This allows you to set a passcode that must be entered before certain apps can be accessed. To enable Restrictions, go to Settings > General > Restrictions, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Keep Track of Hidden Apps
It’s a good idea to keep track of any apps you’ve hidden on your iPhone, as you may need to access them later. Consider creating a list of hidden apps and storing it in a secure location, such as a password-protected note-taking app or a secure cloud storage service.
Conclusion
Hiding apps on your iPhone is a simple process that can help declutter your home screen and protect your privacy. By following the step-by-step instructions outlined in this guide, you can easily hide unwanted apps from your home screen and App Store purchase history. Remember to use the tips provided to effectively manage hidden apps and ensure that you can easily unhide them if needed. With a little practice, you’ll be able to quickly and easily hide apps on your iPhone whenever you need to.
Lorenzo has been using the internet for as long as he can remember. He was there for the early days of message boards, he watched social media take over, and he’s excited to see what comes next.
