How to hide apps on iPhone (and lock them): every method, and what still shows

The short answer#

To hide an app on iPhone, touch and hold its icon, tap Require Face ID, then tap Hide and Require Face ID and Hide App. The app leaves your Home Screen and moves to a locked Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. This works on iOS 18 and later, including iOS 26 and iOS 27.

Just want it off your Home Screen without a lock? Touch and hold the app, tap Remove App, then Remove from Home Screen. It stays in App Library and search.

One thing most guides skip: a hidden or locked app opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. It stops a quick look over your shoulder, but anyone who knows your passcode can still get in. More on that below.

How to hide an app#

Hiding an app locks it and takes it off your Home Screen. It moves to a Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, which needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to open.

1. 1

   Touch and hold the app

   Find the app on your Home Screen and hold its icon until the menu opens.
2. 2

   Tap Require Face ID

   It's near the top of the menu.
3. 3

   Choose Hide and Require Face ID

   Authenticate when asked.
4. 4

   Tap Hide App

   The app disappears from your Home Screen, App Library and search results.

You can only hide apps you downloaded yourself. Apps that came with your iPhone can't be hidden, and neither can the app you've set as your default web browser.

How to lock an app#

Locking an app means it asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens.

1. 1

   Find the app

   Go to your Home Screen, or swipe left to App Library, and find the app you want to lock.
2. 2

   Touch and hold the icon

   Keep holding until the quick actions menu opens.
3. 3

   Tap Require Face ID

   On iPhones without Face ID, it says Require Touch ID or Require Passcode.
4. 4

   Confirm

   Tap Require Face ID again and authenticate. The app is now locked.

Opening a locked app doesn't unlock it for good. As soon as you quit it, it locks again, and you'll need to authenticate next time.

How to find and open hidden apps#

Hidden apps are still on your iPhone. To open one:

1. 1

   Go to App Library

   From your Home Screen, swipe left past all your pages.
2. 2

   Open the Hidden folder

   It's at the very bottom of App Library. Tap it and authenticate.
3. 3

   Tap the app

   Authenticate again to open it.

For a list of every hidden app, open Settings, tap Apps, then Hidden Apps. You'll need Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to see it.

How to unlock or unhide an app#

1. 1

   To unlock an app

   Touch and hold the app, tap Don't Require Face ID, then authenticate.
2. 2

   To unhide an app

   Open the Hidden folder in App Library and authenticate. Touch and hold the app, tap Don't Require Face ID, then authenticate again.

An unhidden app comes back near the top of App Library. Drag it to your Home Screen if you want it there.

Other ways to hide apps on iPhone#

The Hidden folder is the strongest built-in option, but it only works for apps you downloaded. These methods cover the rest.

Remove an app from your Home Screen

1. 1

   Touch and hold the app

   Hold its icon until the menu opens.
2. 2

   Tap Remove App

   Don't worry, this doesn't delete it yet.
3. 3

   Tap Remove from Home Screen

   The app moves to App Library. It still shows in App Library and search, and opens without Face ID.

Hide a whole Home Screen page

1. 1

   Enter edit mode

   Touch and hold an empty part of your Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
2. 2

   Tap the page dots

   They're just above the Dock.
3. 3

   Untick the page

   Untick any page you want to hide, then tap Done. Every app on it stays in App Library.

Hide built-in apps with Screen Time

Built-in apps can't go in the Hidden folder, but Screen Time can switch some of them off entirely, such as Safari, Camera and FaceTime.

1. 1

   Open Content and Privacy Restrictions

   In Settings, tap Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, and turn it on.
2. 2

   Tap Allowed Apps

   Turn off the apps you want to hide. They disappear from your Home Screen and App Library until you turn them back on.
3. 3

   Set a Screen Time passcode

   Without one, anyone holding your phone can turn the apps back on.

Hide an app from your App Store purchases

1. 1

   Open your purchases

   In the App Store, tap your profile picture, then Apps (or Purchased).
2. 2

   Swipe left on the app

   Tap Hide. It no longer shows in your purchase list, though it stays installed.

What locking and hiding do, and don't, hide#

This is where most guides stop, and where the details matter.

Hiding an app doesn't make it invisible. Apple says a hidden app's name can still appear in a few places:

• Settings, under Apps, then Hidden Apps (behind Face ID or your passcode)
• Settings, under Screen Time
• Settings, under Battery, in Battery Health and Charging
• Your App Store purchase history, unless you hide the purchase too

The lock only applies to that iPhone. Locked and hidden status doesn't sync through iCloud, so an app you locked on your iPhone isn't locked on your iPad.

Anyone with your passcode can open it. Face ID falls back to your passcode, so the lock is only as private as your passcode. If someone you live with knows it, a locked app won't keep them out.

Can you lock an app with a different passcode?#

Not with Apple's built-in lock. Require Face ID always uses your iPhone's own Face ID, Touch ID or passcode. If you want a code that's different from your iPhone passcode, you have two options:

• The app's own lock. Some apps have a passcode, PIN or Face ID setting of their own, usually in the app's privacy or security settings. Check the app before reaching for a workaround.
• A Screen Time passcode. Screen Time can block an app behind a separate four-digit passcode (steps below). It's a workaround rather than a real lock, because the app opens normally until its daily time limit runs out.

Older iOS: lock apps with Screen Time#

On iOS 17 or earlier, or if you want a passcode that's different from your iPhone's, Screen Time can block an app after a set amount of use each day.

1. 1

   Turn on Screen Time

   Open Settings, tap Screen Time, and turn it on if it isn't already.
2. 2

   Set a Screen Time passcode

   Tap Use Screen Time Passcode and choose a code that's different from your iPhone passcode.
3. 3

   Add an app limit

   Tap App Limits, then Add Limit. Choose the app, then tap Next.
4. 4

   Set the time

   Set the limit to 1 minute (or any time you like), make sure Block at End of Limit is on, then tap Add.

Once the daily limit is used up, the app is greyed out and needs the Screen Time passcode to open. This is also how to lock an app after a certain time: set the limit to the amount of use you want to allow each day.

Apps that hide apps: what app lockers can do on iPhone#

Search the App Store for "app lock" and you'll find plenty of results. It helps to know what's possible on iPhone, because it's different from Android.

On iPhone, one app can't put its own password screen in front of another app. Apps that promise to lock or hide other apps usually do one of three things:

1. Use Apple's Screen Time controls to block apps you choose, much like the Screen Time method above.
2. Store your files inside themselves. Photo vaults and note lockers keep the private content in their own locked space, rather than locking another app.
3. Disguise themselves. Some vault apps can change their icon to look like a calculator or another everyday tool, so they don't stand out on your Home Screen.

So if what you really want to protect is your photos, a lock on the Photos app isn't the only option, and it may not be the best one.

Locking photos is a different problem#

You can lock the Photos app with Require Face ID, but the same passcode caveat applies: anyone who knows your iPhone passcode can open it, and your photos still sync to your other devices if you use iCloud Photos. The built-in Hidden album has the same limit. We explain why in Where are hidden photos on iPhone, and who can see them?

A photo vault keeps photos behind a lock of its own instead. VaultShield, for example, opens with a pattern that's always required, separate from your iPhone passcode, with Face ID as an optional extra step on top. It locks the moment you leave it, and on paid plans you can disguise its icon as something like a Calculator. It can't lock your other apps, but it gives the photos you care about a lock nobody else knows.

For all the ways to hide photos, from quick to private, see How to hide photos on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions#

How do I put an app in hidden?

Touch and hold the app, tap Require Face ID, choose Hide and Require Face ID, authenticate, then tap Hide App. It moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. This works for apps you downloaded, on iOS 18 or later.

Can you hide apps on an iPhone?

Yes. On iOS 18 and later, any app you downloaded can go in the locked Hidden folder: touch and hold it, tap Require Face ID, then Hide and Require Face ID. On older iOS, you can remove apps from your Home Screen or hide whole Home Screen pages.

How do I hide apps on iPhone without the Hidden folder?

Touch and hold the app, tap Remove App, then Remove from Home Screen. Or hide a whole Home Screen page from edit mode. Neither adds a lock, and the app still shows in App Library and search.

How do I find hidden apps on iPhone?

Swipe left on your Home Screen until you reach App Library, then tap the Hidden folder at the bottom and authenticate. You can also see a list in Settings, under Apps, then Hidden Apps.

How do I put a password on Instagram on iPhone?

Lock it like any app you downloaded: touch and hold the Instagram icon, tap Require Face ID, and confirm. Instagram then opens only with your Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode.

Can you lock apps on iPhone without Face ID?

Yes. On iPhones with Touch ID, the option says Require Touch ID. If you haven't set up either, it says Require Passcode and uses your iPhone passcode.

Does locking an app hide its notifications?

It hides the content. Apple says information from a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search, Siri suggestions, CarPlay or your call history.

Do locked apps stay locked on my other devices?

No. Locking or hiding an app only applies to that iPhone. The setting doesn't sync through iCloud, so lock the app on each device separately.

The bottom line#

On iOS 18 and later, hiding an app takes a few seconds: touch and hold, tap Require Face ID, then Hide and Require Face ID. It's a good way to stop someone casually opening an app when you hand them your phone. Just remember that the lock is your iPhone passcode in disguise, hidden app names still show in Settings, and nothing syncs to your other devices. For anything truly private, use something with a lock only you know.