How to Hide Apps on Google Pixel

Hiding apps on a Google Pixel keeps your home screen tidy and your private apps out of sight. This guide covers the built-in methods—using the app drawer and the Settings menu—so you can hide apps without installing anything extra. You’ll need a Pixel phone running a recent version of Android (12 or newer recommended).

What You’ll Need

• A Google Pixel phone (any model)
• Android 12 or newer (the steps are similar on older versions, but menu names may differ slightly)

Step-by-Step

1. Unlock your Pixel and go to the home screen.
2. Open the app drawer by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This shows all your apps in alphabetical order.
3. Find the app you want to hide. You can scroll or use the search bar at the top.
4. Press and hold the app’s icon until a menu appears. This usually takes about a second.
5. Tap “Add to Home screen” if you want to keep a shortcut on your home screen while hiding it from the app drawer. If you want it completely hidden, skip this step.
6. Instead, tap “Remove” or “Uninstall” from the menu. If you choose “Remove,” the app is removed from the home screen and the app drawer—it’s still installed but hidden. If you choose “Uninstall,” the app is deleted entirely. For hiding purposes, choose “Remove.”
7. Confirm your choice if prompted. The app will disappear from the app drawer and home screen.

That’s the quick method. For a more thorough hide (so the app doesn’t appear in search or settings), use the Settings method:

8. Open the Settings app on your Pixel.
9. Scroll down and tap “Apps.”
10. Tap “See all apps” to view the full list.
11. Find the app you want to hide and tap on it.
12. Tap “Disable” at the top. This stops the app from running and hides it from the app drawer and home screen. Note: Not all apps can be disabled—system apps may not have this option.
13. Confirm by tapping “Disable app” in the popup. The app will be moved to “Disabled apps” and will no longer appear in your regular app list.

Common Mistakes

• Choosing “Uninstall” instead of “Remove”: Uninstalling deletes the app and its data. If you just want to hide it, always pick “Remove.”
• Hiding an app that’s still running: Some apps, like messaging or banking apps, may still show notifications or appear in recent apps even after being hidden. You may need to force-stop them or disable notifications for full privacy.
• Expecting the app to be invisible in Settings: The Settings method hides the app from the launcher, but it will still appear in “Apps” in Settings. If you need it completely gone, you’d have to uninstall it.
• Forgetting that “Remove” only works on the home screen: If you try to remove an app from the home screen (not the app drawer), it just deletes the shortcut, not the app itself. To hide from the app drawer, you must remove it from the app drawer.

Tips

• Use a folder: Create a folder on your home screen and place the app inside. Then move the folder to a less visible spot or name it something generic like “Tools.” This is a quick way to declutter without fully hiding.
• Use the search bar wisely: Even if you hide an app, it may still appear in the app drawer’s search results. To avoid that, use the Settings method to disable the app.
• Hide multiple apps at once: You can’t select multiple apps in the app drawer, but you can create a folder and add several apps to it, then hide the folder (by moving it to a secondary home screen page).
• Remember that “Remove” is reversible: To bring an app back, just go to the Play Store, search for the app, and tap “Enable” or “Install” (if you disabled it).

Troubleshooting

• App still shows in the app drawer after “Remove”: This can happen if the app is a system app or if you removed it from the home screen instead of the app drawer. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps, find the app, and tap “Disable” if available.
• “Remove” option is grayed out: Some apps (like system apps) can’t be removed from the app drawer. You can only disable them via Settings.
• App reappears after a restart: If you disabled an app and it comes back, it may be a system app that re-enables itself. Check Settings > Apps > Disabled apps to see if it’s still disabled. If not, disable it again.
• Can’t find the app in Settings after hiding: If you used “Remove,” the app is still in Settings under “Apps.” If you used “Disable,” it will be under “Disabled apps.” If you can’t find it, use the search bar in Settings.
• Hiding an app doesn’t hide its notifications: Go to Settings > Apps > [App] > Notifications and turn off all notifications to prevent them from appearing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does hiding an app delete its data?

No. Using “Remove” or “Disable” keeps the app’s data intact. Only “Uninstall” deletes the app and its data.

Can I hide apps from the Google Play Store?

No, the Play Store will still show apps you’ve installed, even if they’re hidden from your home screen. To hide an app from the Play Store’s “My apps & games” list, you’d need to uninstall it.

Will hidden apps still update automatically?

Yes, if you have auto-update enabled in the Play Store, hidden apps will still update. You can turn off auto-update for a specific app by going to its Play Store page and tapping the three-dot menu > “Enable auto-update” (toggle off).

Can I hide apps on a Pixel without using the app drawer?

Yes, you can use the Settings method (Disable) or create a folder on your home screen and move the app there. The folder method doesn’t hide the app from the app drawer, but it hides it from the main home screen.

How do I unhide an app?

If you used “Remove,” go to the Play Store, search for the app, and tap “Enable” (or “Install” if it was uninstalled). If you used “Disable,” go to Settings > Apps > Disabled apps, tap the app, and tap “Enable.”

Is there a way to password-protect hidden apps?

Not with the built-in methods. To password-protect apps, you’d need a third-party app locker from the Play Store, which adds a PIN or fingerprint requirement before opening the app.

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