Helping millions of people navigate the world of technology.

8 Ways to Find Hidden Apps on iPhone

Quick Tips
  • Open Spotlight Search > type the name of the relevant app in the search bar > open app from the search results.
  • Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps > turn on the toggle for the relevant apps.
  • Long-press anywhere on Home Screen > three dots > check the Home Screen pages > Done.

One of the easiest ways to find anything on your iPhone is by using Spotlight Search. Using this, you should be able to find any hidden iOS app without unhiding it. However, ensure you know the full or partial name of the app to find it. Here’s to do it.

Step 1: Pull down on your Home Screen or tap on Search to open Spotlight Search.

Step 2: Type the name of the relevant app in the search bar. Open the app from the search results.

Use Spotlight Search

Also Read: How to move or rearrange apps on iPhone

Method 2: Through App Library

The App Library on your iPhone helps organize all the apps category-wise. This can be helpful if you’re looking to find a hidden app that is invisible otherwise. In this case, open the App Library and review it, or use the search option to see the hidden app icons. Here’s how.

Step 1: Swipe left until you reach the App Library. Scroll through this page to find the relevant app.

Open App Library

You can also tap on the search bar and type the app’s name. The app should show up in the search results. Repeat these steps to find other hidden apps on your iPhone.

Method 3: Using Siri

If you can’t find the app, ask Siri to find it. Use the Hey Siri command or type to Siri and ask to open the app on your iPhone. This way, you can locate and open the hidden app too without poking around too much.

Method 4: Going through App Folders

If you have previously hidden the app inside a folder or subfolder, it is likely there. So, to locate it, open the relevant folder. Once done, you should see the hidden app icons. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: On your iPhone’s Home Screen, locate the relevant folder. Tap on it to see the hidden apps.

Check app folder

If there’s another subfolder, tap on the folder and then on the subfolder to locate the secret apps on your iPhone.

Method 5: Using Screen Time Settings

You can use Screen Time settings to hide system apps on your iPhone. However, if you wish to find them again, you first need to unhide the hidden apps on your iPhone and then locate them from the main screen. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Settings and tap on Screen Time. Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Open Screen time settings 2

Step 2: Tap on Allowed Apps and turn on the toggle for the app you’re looking for.

Allow the app

Also Read: How to lock apps on iPhone

Method 6: Through Home Screen Settings

By hiding the entire Home Screen page, you can hide multiple apps at once on your iPhone. However, to locate those apps again, you must unhide that Home Screen page from the Home Screen settings. Once the page is visible, go to it to find the relevant hidden app on your iPhone. Here’s how.

Step 1: Long-press any empty space on the Home Screen until the app icons start jiggling.

Step 2: Tap on the three dots. Check the relevant Home Screen pages and tap on Done.

Home Screen hidden app 1

This will make the entire Home Screen page visible once again. You can now go to that page and locate the relevant hidden app on your iPhone.

Method 7: Using App Store

All your downloaded apps are recorded in the App Store on your iPhone. This means if you can’t locate the hidden app or are looking for hidden tracking or spy app you installed accidentally, you can glance through your purchase history on the App Store. Here’s how to access it on your iPhone.

Step 1: Open the App Store and tap on your profile icon. Tap on Purchased.

Tip: If you have hidden your app purchase history, tap on your Apple ID > Hidden Purchases.

Open App Store account settings

On this page, scroll through all the apps to find the relevant one. If it’s not visible, you might need to download it again on your iPhone.

Method 8: Resetting Home Screen Layout

If you still can’t find an app hidden from the home screen or in general, use the reset home screen layout option. This will reset your device’s home screen layout to default, unhiding all the hidden apps on your iPhone. Please note doing this will delete all app folders and set apps back to their original place.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Last updated on 29 August, 2024

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.