Use Apple’s built-in tools first if you want to hide apps on iPhone. They are safer, cleaner, and less weird than most “app locker” apps. On iOS 18, Apple lets you lock some apps with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode, and hidden apps move into a locked Hidden folder [source: Apple].
TLDR: The best way to hide apps is to use Hide and Require Face ID on iOS 18. For example, you can hide a dating app before handing your phone to a friend for 5 minutes. If you share your phone with kids, use Screen Time to block apps by age rating or category. Skip most third-party app lockers, unless you only need a private photo vault.
Built-in hiding is the least annoying option
Apple finally added a real way to lock and hide apps. Thank goodness. Before this, hiding apps felt like moving socks around a messy drawer.
On iOS 18, you can press and hold an app icon. Then choose Require Face ID. For supported apps, you may also see Hide and Require Face ID.
That means the app is removed from the Home Screen. It also goes into a Hidden folder in the App Library. To open that folder, you need Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
Nice and simple. No sketchy download. No extra account. No fake “calculator vault” icon staring at you like it has secrets.
How to hide an app on iOS 18
- Find the app on your Home Screen.
- Press and hold the app icon.
- Tap Require Face ID.
- Choose Hide and Require Face ID, if shown.
- Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
To find it later, swipe left until you reach the App Library. Scroll down to the Hidden folder. Unlock it. There it is.
The catch is that not every app can be hidden this way. Some Apple apps and system apps may only lock, not hide. It drives me crazy that the rule is not obvious until you try it.
If you do not have iOS 18
You still have a few tricks. They are not perfect. But they help.
- Remove from Home Screen: Press and hold the app. Tap Remove App. Then choose Remove from Home Screen. The app stays in the App Library.
- Turn off Search: Go to Settings > Siri & Search. Pick the app. Turn off search and suggestions.
- Use folders: Put boring apps on the first page of a folder. Hide the private one on page two or three.
- Hide purchases: In the App Store, you can hide past purchases from your account list.
These tricks are more like camouflage. They do not lock the app. Someone who knows iPhone well can still find it.
Screen Time is good for blocking, not hiding
Screen Time is Apple’s parental control tool. It can limit apps. It can block apps by age rating. It can stop app installs. It can also set downtime.
That makes it great for families. Say your child uses your iPhone after school. You can allow calling and learning apps, but block games after 7 p.m. Simple.
To set it up, go to:
Settings > Screen Time
From there, try these tools:
- App Limits: Set a daily time limit for app groups, like games or social apps.
- Downtime: Pick hours when only approved apps work.
- Content & Privacy Restrictions: Block app installs, deleting apps, or mature content.
- Always Allowed: Choose apps that stay open, like Phone or Messages.
Screen Time is not a true hiding tool. It is more like a bouncer. The app may still be visible, but access can be blocked.
What about app lockers?
Be careful here. On iPhone, third-party app lockers usually cannot lock other apps like they can on Android. Apple does not normally let one app control access to another app.
So what do many app lockers do instead?
- They store private photos or files inside a vault.
- They make a fake app icon, like a calculator.
- They offer browser privacy or notes storage.
- Some ask for odd permissions. That should make you pause.
Honestly, it feels like half of them promise magic and then add three extra taps to your day. If an app claims it can lock Instagram, Messages, Photos, and Banking all at once, read the reviews twice.
Some “locker” apps are useful. A photo vault can help if you want a second layer for images. But for hiding real apps, built-in iPhone tools win.
Best method for each need
| Need | Best tool |
|---|---|
| Hide a private app | iOS 18 Hide and Require Face ID |
| Stop a child from opening apps | Screen Time |
| Clean up your Home Screen | Remove from Home Screen |
| Hide photos or files | Photos locked album or a trusted vault app |
| Hide an app from Search | Siri & Search settings |
Quick privacy checklist
- Use a strong passcode. Not 123456. Please.
- Turn on Face ID or Touch ID.
- Hide apps with iOS 18 when possible.
- Remove sensitive apps from Search.
- Use Screen Time for kids or shared phones.
- Do not trust random locker apps with private data.
The simple rule is this: hide apps with Apple tools, control access with Screen Time, and avoid app lockers unless you trust them. Your iPhone already has solid privacy tools. You just need to turn the right ones on.