How to hide apps on iPhone and Android
Hide or lock apps on iPhone with Face ID, and on Android with Private space, Secure Folder or launcher settings. What each method really hides.
Hiding an app can mean two very different things. Moving its icon off the Home Screen is tidying. Putting it behind a lock is privacy. Both phones can do both, and it helps to know which one you are doing.
On iPhone
Move it off the Home Screen
Touch and hold the icon, tap Remove App, then Remove from Home Screen. The app stays installed in the App Library, the last screen when you swipe left, and still shows up in search. You can also hide a whole Home Screen page: touch and hold an empty spot, tap the page dots, and uncheck the page.
Lock or hide it with Face ID
Since iOS 18, you can lock many apps behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- Touch and hold the app icon.
- Tap Require Face ID (the wording matches your phone's unlock method).
- Choose Require Face ID to lock it where it is, or Hide and Require Face ID to move it into the locked Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library.
A hidden app leaves the Home Screen and search, and its notifications are not shown. If you rely on that app's alerts, lock it rather than hide it. Many of Apple's own apps can be locked but not hidden.
On Android
Options depend on the maker and Android version. Searching Settings for "hide apps" or "Private space" is a good start.
Private space
Android 15 added Private space on some phones, including Pixels. It is a separate area with its own optional lock. While it is locked, its apps are paused and their notifications are hidden. You can set it to appear only when you search for it. Install apps into it from its own Play Store entry.
Samsung Secure Folder
On Galaxy phones, Secure Folder holds second copies of apps that run separately, behind their own lock. You can hide the Secure Folder icon in its settings. Samsung's Home screen settings can also hide app icons, but that only hides the icon.
Launcher hiding
Many launchers have a Hide apps option in Home settings. It is cosmetic. The app is not locked and can still be opened from Settings or the Play Store.
Where apps still show up
On either phone, a hidden app can still appear in:
- The full app list in Settings, though apps in a locked private space may be listed separately or not at all.
- Your App Store purchases or Google Play library. Both let you hide or remove items from the list.
- Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing reports, which name apps you used.
- Notifications, for an app that is hidden but not locked.
The locked Hidden folder on iPhone, and Private space or Secure Folder on Android, are themselves visible to anyone who knows where to look. They do not say what is inside, but a curious person may ask.
A quick way to choose
- If you just want a cleaner screen, move the icon.
- If someone borrows your unlocked phone, lock the app.
- If someone knows your passcode or screen lock, an iPhone Face ID lock will not stop them, since it falls back to the passcode. On Android, use a private space with a different lock. Changing your passcode is often the most useful step.
If what you want to keep private is photos, videos or notes rather than a whole app, a vault may fit better. VaultWell, coming soon, can wear a disguise icon (Calculator, Printer, or Compass); on Android the Printer icon shows as "Print Service", and iOS shows a short notice when the icon changes.
If someone monitors your phone, a newly hidden app or space may be noticed, and changes can sometimes be seen. Planning with an advocate helps. In the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788, ideally from a safer device. Elsewhere, contact local domestic violence services.