What "hidden" means and why you might want it
Hidden means the app still exists on your device and works normally, but it does not show up in your app drawer or home screen. You are not deleting it — the app runs in the background, receives updates, and stores its data. You straightforward remove it from view.
People hide apps for different reasons. You might hide a fitness app you use but do not want visible on your home screen. You might hide a banking app for privacy if you share your device. You might hide a parental control app so a child cannot easily find it. The method varies depending on whether you use an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, and which version you have.
This is different from uninstalling, which removes the app entirely. Hidden apps take up storage space and continue to function. If you want the app gone completely, you uninstall instead.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone and iPad, you hide apps by removing them from your home screen and app library, or by using Screen Time restrictions to hide them entirely.
- On Android, the method depends on your phone brand — Samsung, Google Pixel, and others each have different built-in hide features.
- Hidden apps still work, receive updates, and use storage; they are just not visible in your normal app list.
- You can unhide an app the same way you hid it, or by searching for it by name if your device supports app search.
How to hide apps on iPhone and iPad
The simplest method on iPhone or iPad is to remove the app from your home screen. Press and hold the app icon, tap Remove App, then choose Remove from Home Screen. The app disappears from your home screen but stays in your App Library — a folder view that organizes all your apps by category. To find it later, swipe to the rightmost home screen page and look in the category folder where the app lives.
If you want the app completely hidden from the App Library too, use Screen Time. Go to Settings, tap Screen Time, then App Limits. Tap Add Limit and select the app you want to hide. Set the time limit to 1 minute. When the limit is reached, the app becomes blocked and hidden from view. You can still access it by going back to Screen Time and adjusting the limit, but it will not appear in your normal app browsing.
On newer iPad models running iPadOS 15 or later, you can also hide apps directly from the App Library. Press and hold the app in the App Library, tap Remove App, then choose Remove from App Library. The app is hidden but not deleted.
How to hide apps on Android phones
Android devices vary by manufacturer, so the steps depend on your phone brand. On Samsung phones, open the Play Store app, tap your profile icon in the top right, go to Manage apps and device, then Manage. Find the app you want to hide, tap it, and look for a menu option (three dots) that says Hide or Uninstall. Some Samsung models also let you hide apps directly from your home screen by pressing and holding the app, then selecting Hide app.
On Google Pixel phones, the process is different. Open your Settings app, go to Apps, find the app you want to hide, tap it, then select Disable or Uninstall. Disabling hides the app from your app drawer but keeps it on your device. If you want to hide it without disabling it, you can remove it from your home screen and use your launcher's search function to find it later.
On other Android brands like OnePlus, Motorola, or others, check your phone's built-in app manager or launcher settings. Many Android phones let you hide apps through the launcher itself — press and hold your home screen, tap Settings or Customize, then look for an option to hide apps or manage visibility.
Using a third-party launcher to hide apps
If your phone does not have a built-in hide feature, you can install a third-party launcher — a replacement app that controls your home screen and app drawer. Popular launchers like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, and Action Launcher all let you hide apps from your app drawer while keeping them installed and functional.
To use a third-party launcher, read it from the Google Play Store, open it, and go to its settings. Look for an option called Hide Apps, App Drawer, or Visibility. Select the apps you want to hide, and they will no longer appear in your app list. The launcher becomes your new home screen, and you can switch back to your phone's default launcher anytime by going to Settings and choosing your default launcher.
Third-party launchers give you more control over how your home screen looks and which apps are visible, but they do use a small amount of extra battery and storage. If you only need to hide one or two apps, your phone's built-in method is usually simpler.
Finding and unhiding apps you have hidden
To unhide an app on iPhone, go to your App Library (the rightmost home screen page), find the app in its category folder, press and hold it, and tap Add to Home Screen. If you hid it using Screen Time, go back to Settings, tap Screen Time, then App Limits, and delete the limit you created for that app.
On Android, the unhiding process depends on how you hid it. If you removed it from your home screen only, open your app drawer and look for it there. If you disabled it in Settings, go back to Settings, find the app, and tap Enable. If you used a third-party launcher, open the launcher's settings, find the hidden apps list, and unhide the app from there.
If you cannot remember which app you hid or where it went, use your device's search function. On iPhone, swipe down from the top of your home screen and type the app name. On Android, swipe up from the bottom of your home screen (or tap the search icon) and type the app name. If the app is installed, it will appear in the search results even if it is hidden from your normal app view.
What happens to hidden apps over time
Hidden apps continue to work exactly as they did before. They receive updates from the app store, store data normally, and run in the background if they are designed to. Hiding an app does not freeze it, pause it, or prevent it from using battery or data. If a hidden app has notifications turned on, you will still receive those notifications even though the app is not visible.
If you hide an app and then your device updates to a new operating system version, the app usually stays hidden. However, some major updates may reset your home screen layout, which could unhide apps. If that happens, you can hide them again using the same method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else find a hidden app on my device?
Yes, if they have access to your device. Hidden apps are not password-protected — they are just removed from view. If someone knows the app name, they can search for it and find it. If you need true privacy, consider using your device's built-in security features like a passcode or biometric lock.
Will hiding an app stop it from using battery or data?
No. Hidden apps work normally and use battery and data just like visible apps. If you want to stop an app from running in the background, you need to disable it, uninstall it, or turn off its background activity in your device settings — not just hide it.
What is the difference between hiding and disabling an app?
Hiding removes an app from view but leaves it fully functional. Disabling turns off the app so it cannot run at all, though it stays installed on your device. On some Android phones, disabling also hides the app automatically.
Can I hide system apps that came with my phone?
On iPhone, you can hide most built-in apps from your home screen and App Library. On Android, you can usually hide system apps using your phone's app manager or launcher, though some critical system apps cannot be hidden or disabled for security reasons.
If I hide an app, will I still get notifications from it?
Yes, unless you turn off notifications for that app separately. Hiding only removes the app from view — it does not change notification settings. To stop notifications, go to your device settings, find the app, and turn off notifications there.