How to hide apps on iPhone (iOS 18 and later)

To hide an app on iPhone, touch and hold it on the Home Screen, tap Require Face ID, then tap Hide and Require Face ID and Hide App. The app disappears from your Home Screen, App Library and search, and moves into a Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library that opens only with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. It works on iOS 18 and later, for apps you downloaded from the App Store.

Steps checked against Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 18 and iOS 27 on Oct 24, 2026. They’re the same in both.

Lock an app or hide it: the difference

iOS gives you two levels:

Lock keeps the app where it is, but it asks for Face ID every time it opens. Apple says information from a locked app also stays out of notification previews, search, Siri suggestions, CarPlay and your call history.
Hide locks the app and removes it from your Home Screen, App Library and search results. It lives in the Hidden folder instead.

Opening a locked or hidden app doesn’t unlock it for good. It locks again after you quit it.

Lock an app

On the Home Screen, touch and hold the app until the quick actions menu opens.
Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
Tap Require Face ID again, then authenticate.

To undo it, touch and hold the app and tap Don’t Require Face ID.

You can lock most apps that come with iPhone, but not all. Apple’s iOS 18 guide lists Calculator, Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts and Settings as apps that can’t be locked.

Hide an app

Touch and hold the app until the quick actions menu opens.
Tap Require Face ID.
Tap Hide and Require Face ID, authenticate, then tap Hide App.

The app moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library.

To open it: swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to reach App Library, tap Hidden at the bottom, authenticate, then tap the app.

To see a list of everything hidden: go to Settings → Apps → Hidden Apps and authenticate.

To stop hiding it: open the Hidden folder, touch and hold the app, tap Don’t Require Face ID and authenticate. It reappears near the top of App Library; drag it back to a Home Screen if you want.

What you can’t hide

Built-in apps. Only apps you download from the App Store can be hidden. So Photos, Messages and Notes can be locked, but not hidden.
Your default browser, and in the EU, your default app marketplace.
Apps for younger family members. Apple says children under 13 in a Family Sharing group can’t lock or hide apps. For teens aged 13 to 17 (ages vary by region), a parent can still see that the app was downloaded and how much it’s used.

Where a hidden app still shows

Hiding removes an app from the obvious places. It doesn’t erase every trace. Apple’s iOS 18 guide notes the app’s name can still appear in:

Screen Time reports.
Settings → Battery, in the usage by app list.
Your App Store purchase history.

The Hidden folder itself sits at the bottom of App Library. As far as we can tell it appears whether or not you’ve hidden anything, so on its own it doesn’t tell anyone that you have.

The real limit: your passcode

Every lock and every hidden app falls back to your iPhone passcode. If someone knows it, or watches you enter it, they can open the Hidden folder and every app in it. Face ID makes daily use faster, but it isn’t a second secret.

Two settings make this stronger:

A longer passcode. In Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Change Passcode, tap Passcode Options and choose a custom alphanumeric code or a longer number.
Stolen Device Protection. When it’s on and your iPhone is away from familiar places like home or work, Apple says opening a locked app needs Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback. Turn it on in Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Stolen Device Protection. It helps if a stranger learns your passcode; it doesn’t help at home, where the passcode still works, unless you set it to always require the extra checks.

What hiding an app doesn’t do to its data

Hiding changes where the icon appears. It doesn’t change the data inside the app:

The app’s files are protected the same way as before, by your iPhone’s normal data protection.
Its data still goes into your iCloud Backup or iCloud sync, as before.
If the app itself has no lock, anyone who gets past Face ID sees everything in it.

That’s why the app you hide matters. Hiding a vault app gives you two layers: iOS hides the icon, and the app’s own lock protects what’s inside.

Hiding a vault app

If you use Bunker, you can hide it like any App Store app. You don’t have to, though, and here’s why it can be a choice rather than a must:

Opening Bunker shows only a Pattern dial. There’s no list of vaults, and a Pattern that doesn’t match opens nothing, so the opening screen gives nothing away to someone who doesn’t know your Patterns.
With Bunker Pro, Alternate App Icons let you change how the icon looks on your Home Screen. The name under it still reads “Bunker”; iOS doesn’t let apps change that.
Bunker locks the vault as soon as you leave the app, by default, and its app-switcher preview never shows vault content.

The limit is the same for any app: someone who can open your iPhone can see that Bunker is installed. Hiding the icon makes that less obvious. It can’t make it impossible.

When you don’t need an app

If you want to keep a few apps away from a child or a friend who borrows your phone, iOS’s built-in Lock and Hide are enough. They’re free, already on your iPhone, and they keep notifications and search results quiet too. A separate vault matters only when the risk is someone who can get past your passcode, or when you want the data inside encrypted with a key of its own. For handing your phone over in tougher situations, see how to hand over your phone safely.

Questions

Can I hide built-in apps like Photos or Messages?

No. Apple says only apps you download from the App Store can be hidden. You can lock most built-in apps, Photos included, but not Calculator, Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts or Settings.

Does a hidden app sync to my other devices?

No. Apple says locking or hiding an app applies only to that iPhone and doesn't sync through iCloud. Hide it separately on your iPad.

Can someone still tell a hidden app is installed?

Yes, in places. Apple notes that a hidden app's name still appears in Screen Time, Battery Usage by App in Settings, and your App Store purchase history. The Hidden folder itself is also always visible in App Library.

Who can open a hidden app?

Anyone who can authenticate as you: your face, your fingerprint, or your iPhone passcode. If someone knows your passcode, hiding the app doesn't stop them.