Our iPhones are treasure troves of information and functionality. But with a multitude of apps at our fingertips, maintaining a clean and organised home screen can be a challenge. Thankfully, Apple offers solutions for those who wish to declutter their digital space. This article delves into the world of hidden apps on the iPhone, exploring the two primary methods and their nuances How to hide app in iphone.
Removing Apps from the Home Screen: Unveiling the Hidden
The most straightforward approach to hiding an app is to remove it from your home screen. This doesn’t delete the app itself; it simply removes its icon from your primary viewing space. The App Library, your iPhone’s built-in app organization tool, still allows you to access this hidden app.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to removing an app from your home screen:
- Unlock your iPhone: Begin by waking it up from sleep using the side button or the home button (depending on your model).
- Locate the app: Navigate to the home screen page where the app you wish to hide resides.
- Press and Hold: Find the app icon you want to remove and press down on it with your finger for a few seconds. This will initiate a jiggling motion of the app icons, indicating editing mode.
- Access the menu: A small pop-up menu will appear above the app icon. This menu usually offers options like “Edit Home Screen,” “Quick Actions,” and “Remove App.”
- Choose “Remove App”: Tap the option labelled “Remove App” within the pop-up menu.
- Confirm Removal: A confirmation dialogue will appear, asking you to choose between “Delete App” and “Remove from Home Screen.” Select “Remove from Home Screen” to confirm your intention to hide the app.
- Enjoy a Cleaner Home Screen: Once you select “Remove from Home Screen,” the app icon will disappear from your current home screen page. You’ve successfully hidden the app without deleting it entirely.
Unveiling a Different Kind of Hidden: Applying Restrictions to Pre-Installed Applications
The method outlined above works for most downloadable apps. However, you cannot delete some pre-installed system apps from your iPhone, such as Phone, Messages, and Safari. But fear not! For these stubborn apps, Apple offers a feature called “Restrictions” within Screen Time. This keeps them away from the home screen and App Library How to hide app in iphone.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to hiding pre-installed apps using restrictions:
- Navigate to Settings. Begin by opening the Settings app on your iPhone. To find it, tap the grey gear icon on your home screen.
- Locate Screen Time: Within the Settings app, scroll down to find the option labelled “Screen Time.” If you’ve never used Screen Time, tap it to enable it.
- If necessary, activate Screen Time by tapping on it and following the on-screen prompts to set up a passcode. This passcode will be required for future changes to screen time settings.
- Access Content & Privacy Restrictions: Once in Screen Time, locate and tap the option labelled “Content & Privacy Restrictions.”
- Find Allowed Apps: Scroll down within the “Content & Privacy Restrictions” menu until you find the option labelled “Allowed Apps.”
- Hide the App: This section displays a list of all of your iPhone’s apps. Find the pre-installed app you want to hide and toggle the switch next to its name to the off position.
- App is Hidden: Once you disable the app within “Allowed Apps,” it will disappear from both your home screen and the App Library. The app stays on your phone, but it effectively disappears from your view.
Important Considerations:
- It’s essential to remember that hiding an app using restrictions doesn’t disable it completely. The app might still run background processes and consume storage space.
- To unhide a hidden app with restrictions, simply return to the “Allowed Apps” menu within Screen Time and toggle the switch back to the on position.
Beyond Hiding: Additional Tips for Home Screen Management
While hiding apps can be a helpful decluttering technique, there are other ways to organise your iPhone’s home screen for optimal efficiency:
- Utilise Folders: For a more organised look, group related apps together in folders. Simply drag and drop one app icon on top of another to create a folder.
Embrace the App Library: The App Library categorises all your apps, making it simple to find hidden or less-frequently used ones. Swipe right on your home screen until you reach the App Library and search How to hide app in iphone.