How to hide apps on iPhone iOS 18: step-by-step instructions
Keep specific apps away from prying eyes.
When you give friends and family access to your phone (perhaps to take a photo or play a game), you don't necessarily want to share all the apps on your iPhone. Does your mom need to know you downloaded Tinder? Probably not. Luckily, there's something you can do. We'll show you how to quickly and easily hide apps on your iPhone iOS 18.
MigNews reminds us: when it comes to iPhones, you should protect your phone well with facial or fingerprint recognition, as well as a password. And if you don't have these security measures, you should install them immediately, otherwise anyone can access your most confidential applications and data.
How to block apps on iPhone iOS 18
You can now lock the Photos app and require Face ID to open it, Source: Apple
On the home screen, long-press on the app you want to lock, like when rearranging or editing apps. A new option will appear in the list of options at the bottom, “Require Face ID.” Tap on that option. A window will then appear asking if you want to require Face ID or hide the app and require Face ID. Tap on “Require Face ID” to confirm your choice.
Your app is now locked to outsiders. You'll notice this because the next time you open the app, Face ID will perform a quick scan to verify your identity before granting access to the app.
How to hide apps on iPhone iOS 18
The app hiding feature is not currently available for all apps, Source: mashable
As with locking, tap the app you want to hide and look for the “Require Face ID” option. Instead of tapping “Require Face ID,” tap “Hide and Require Face ID.” You’ll see a message saying the app will no longer appear on your home screen. Tap “Hide App” to confirm your choice.
Voila, the app magically disappears from your home screen. But it's not completely invisible. The hidden app is still available in the Hidden Apps folder. You can find it at the bottom of the Apps page.
In case you're wondering, all iPhones with the iOS 18 update have a Hidden Apps folder, so even if you haven't hidden any apps, the folder still exists. This should eliminate any questions about whether you have hidden apps. You'll need Face ID to open the Hidden Apps folder and access these apps.
All iOS 18 users have a library of hidden apps, Source: Apple
We've noticed that some apps can't be hidden, so when you long-press on an app, you won't have the option to hide it. So far, we've found this to be the case with built-in apps like Calculator, Maps, Clock, and most importantly, Photos.
So if you want to hide some, ahem, explicit photos, you'll have to choose and hide them the old-fashioned way. It's unclear if this will be a permanent option. However, you can hide most third-party apps like Spotify, Venmo, and mobile banking apps.
How to unlock or bring back apps to the screen
To unlock the app, simply tap on it again and select “Don’t require Face ID” in the app shortcuts.
To unblock an app, swipe down from the App Library and scroll down to the Hidden Apps folder. You'll need Face ID to open it. Once you've verified your identity, your hidden apps will appear. Tap the app you want to unblock and select Don't require Face ID.
Unfortunately, the app you just removed may not appear on the home screen automatically, so you will have to add it back manually.
We also shared tips on how to quickly convert a voice message to text on an iPhone.