How to Delete Hidden Apps on iPhone

This guide shows you how to remove apps that are hidden from your iPhone’s Home Screen, whether they’re tucked away in the App Library, hidden from Home Screen view, or buried in folders. You’ll learn the exact steps to locate and delete them, freeing up storage and decluttering your device. No special tools are needed—just your iPhone and a few minutes.

What You’ll Need

• Your iPhone with the latest iOS (optional but recommended)
• Your passcode or Face ID/Touch ID (for confirmation)
• Stable internet connection (to verify app removal if needed)

Step-by-Step

1. Unhide apps from the Home Screen: Swipe left on your Home Screen until you reach the App Library (the last page). Use the search bar at the top to type the app’s name. If it appears, it’s not truly hidden—just off the Home Screen. To add it back, press and hold the app icon, then select “Add to Home Screen.” To delete it, skip to step 3.
2. Check Hidden Purchases: If the app doesn’t show in App Library, it might be hidden from your purchase history. Open the App Store, tap your profile icon (top right), then tap “Purchased.” If you see “My Purchases” and the app isn’t there, tap “Not on This iPhone” to see all apps. If you find it, tap the download icon to reinstall it first, then delete it from the Home Screen (step 3).
3. Delete the app: Once you’ve located the app icon (either on Home Screen or in App Library), press and hold it until the context menu appears. Tap “Remove App” (or “Delete App” if it’s on the Home Screen). Then confirm by tapping “Delete App” in the pop-up. The app will be removed from your device.
4. Remove hidden apps from a folder: If the app is inside a folder, open the folder, then press and hold the app icon. Tap “Remove App” and confirm. If the folder is empty after removal, it will disappear automatically.
5. Use Settings to delete apps that don’t show on Home Screen: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Scroll through the list of apps. Tap the hidden app you want to delete, then tap “Delete App” and confirm. This works even if the app is hidden from the Home Screen.
6. Delete hidden apps from Screen Time (if applicable): If you have Screen Time restrictions hiding the app, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps. Ensure the app’s toggle is on, then go back and delete it as usual.
7. Restart your iPhone (if needed): After deletion, if the app icon still appears in a search or widget, restart your iPhone by pressing and holding the side button and either volume button, then sliding to power off. Turn it back on and check.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming App Library is the same as hidden: Many apps are just not on the Home Screen but still installed. Check App Library first—you might not need to delete at all.
• Deleting an app you actually need: Some apps (like Settings, Phone, Safari) cannot be deleted. Others may store important data—consider offloading (Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Offload App) instead of deleting.
• Forgetting to check purchased history: If you hid a purchase, it won’t appear in App Library or Search. You must unhide it from App Store > Profile > Purchases > Not on This iPhone, then delete.
• Not checking folder pages: Apps can be on the second or third page of a folder. Swipe within the folder to see all pages.
• Confusing “Remove App” with “Delete App”: “Remove App” only removes from Home Screen (keeps it in App Library), while “Delete App” removes it entirely. Choose the right one.

Tips

• Use App Library search: Swipe down on the Home Screen to open Spotlight search, type the app name, and if it appears, you can delete it directly from there by pressing and holding the result.
• Offload to save data: If you want to free space but keep documents, use Offload App (Settings > General > iPhone Storage > tap app > Offload App). It removes the app but keeps its data.
• Check for hidden widgets: Sometimes apps are hidden as widgets. Press and hold a widget, then tap “Edit Widget” or “Remove Widget” to delete it.
• Use Screen Time to restrict hidden apps: If you want to prevent deletion, set a Screen Time passcode and restrict app deletion in Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Troubleshooting

• App icon still visible after deletion: Restart your iPhone, or check if it’s a web clip (shortcut) from Safari—those can’t be deleted from the Home Screen; delete the bookmark instead.
• Can’t find the app anywhere: Go to App Store > Profile > Purchases > My Purchases > Not on This iPhone. If it’s there, it was hidden—tap the cloud icon to download, then delete.
• Delete button is grayed out: This happens for built-in apps (like Safari or Settings) or if restrictions are enabled. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and make sure the app is toggled on, then try again.
• App reappears after restart: It might be part of a configuration profile (like from an employer). Check Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. If there’s a profile, you may need to remove it first (but be careful—this could affect work settings).
• Storage not freed after deletion: Some app data (like caches) might linger. Restart your iPhone, then check Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see if the app is gone. If not, try deleting again or use a third-party cleaner (but be cautious).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete all hidden apps at once?

No, iOS doesn’t offer a bulk delete for hidden apps. You must delete each one individually using the methods above.

What’s the difference between ‘Remove App’ and ‘Delete App’?

‘Remove App’ only takes the icon off the Home Screen, leaving the app in App Library. ‘Delete App’ uninstalls it completely from your iPhone, including its data.

Will deleting a hidden app also delete its data?

Yes, deleting the app removes its documents and data from your iPhone. If you want to keep data, use Offload App instead.

How do I unhide an app I bought but don’t see?

Open the App Store, tap your profile, go to Purchases, then tap ‘Not on This iPhone.’ Find the app and tap the download icon to reinstall it. Then you can delete it if you wish.

Can I hide an app instead of deleting it?

Yes, you can hide apps from the Home Screen by moving them to App Library (press and hold, then select ‘Remove App’ > ‘Move to App Library’). To hide from Search and Siri, go to Settings > Siri & Search and disable ‘Show App in Search’ and ‘Suggest App.’

Why can’t I delete some built-in apps like Safari or Phone?

Apple restricts deletion of core system apps to prevent instability. You can only remove them from the Home Screen, but they remain on the device.

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