How to Hide Apps on iPhone: Face ID Lock & Hide Guide

There are moments when your iPhone tells more than you intend — a colleague glimpsing your banking app, a quick glance at your photo gallery during a photo swap. iOS 18 finally gives you a real solution: native options to lock or completely hide apps without deleting them. Apple built this directly into the operating system, so you no longer need third-party workarounds.

Official method available: Apple Support ·
Primary action: Require Face ID ·
Alternative option: Remove from Home Screen ·
iOS version noted: iOS 18

Can I hide apps on my iPhone?

Yes — and Apple’s approach is more nuanced than a simple on/off switch. iOS 18 offers two distinct privacy tiers: locking an app behind biometric authentication while keeping it visible, or removing it from sight entirely. Both options are native to the operating system and require no third-party software.

Official Apple confirmation

Apple’s official documentation confirms that starting in iOS 18, you can lock or hide apps to require Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode for access. The company describes this as providing “peace of mind” for sensitive information. This feature works on both iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.

Requirements for hiding

The system requires that you already have Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode configured on your device. If none of these authentication methods are set up, iOS prompts you to create one before you can lock or hide any app. Authentication methods include Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode as a fallback.

Can apps be hidden on iPhone without deleting it?

Absolutely. Hiding an app does not remove it from your device, delete its data, or cancel subscriptions. The app remains fully functional; it simply becomes invisible to casual observers and absent from your Home Screen, App Library, Spotlight search, and Siri suggestions.

Require Face ID method

The Require Face ID option locks an app behind biometric authentication while keeping it visible on your Home Screen. When someone taps the app icon, iOS prompts for Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode before launching. Notifications from locked apps show the app name but hide message content.

App Library option

The Hide and Require Face ID option takes it further by removing the app from your Home Screen and App Library entirely. The app moves to a Hidden folder within App Library, accessible only after biometric authentication. Apple states that hidden apps do not receive notifications, calls, or critical alerts.

How to lock, hide, and unhide an app on iPhone or iPad

The process is straightforward and takes under a minute once you know where to look.

Locking steps

1. Touch and hold the app icon on your Home Screen until the context menu appears
2. Tap “Require Face ID” (or “Require Touch ID” depending on your device)
3. Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode
4. The app now displays a lock icon and requires authentication on every launch

Hiding steps

1. Touch and hold the app icon on your Home Screen
2. Tap “Require Face ID” to open the options
3. Select “Hide and Require Face ID”
4. Authenticate to confirm — the app disappears from your Home Screen and App Library

Unhiding process

1. Swipe left on your Home Screen pages until you reach the App Library
2. Scroll to the bottom of the App Library and tap the Hidden folder
3. Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode
4. Touch and hold the app you want to restore
5. Tap “Don’t Require Face ID”
6. Select “Add to Home Screen” to restore normal access

How can I find the apps I hide on my iPhone?

Finding hidden apps requires deliberate navigation — which is precisely the point of hiding them.

App Library location

Hidden apps live in a dedicated folder at the bottom of the App Library. Swipe past your last Home Screen page to enter the App Library, then scroll down. The Hidden folder appears with a padlock icon. Tapping it requires authentication before revealing its contents.

Search method

You cannot find hidden apps through Spotlight search — Apple explicitly blocks this discovery pathway. However, hidden apps do appear in your App Store purchase history, where an “Open” button requires Face ID authentication before launching. Some Settings areas, including Battery usage and iPhone Storage, may still list hidden apps by name.

How to unhide apps on iPhone

The unhide process reverses the hide action, returning the app to its original visibility state.

From App Library

Navigate to the Hidden folder as described above. After authenticating, touch and hold the target app. The context menu offers “Don’t Require Face ID” to remove authentication, and “Add to Home Screen” to restore the icon to your main screens. Once restored, the app reappears in Recently Added and other App Library categories.

Remove Face ID requirement

If you only want to remove the lock without restoring visibility, choose “Don’t Require Face ID” while the app remains in the Hidden folder. This keeps the app hidden from view but removes the authentication barrier on the rare occasions you deliberately navigate to access it.

Key facts table

The table below summarizes the core specifications for iOS 18 app locking and hiding.

The implication: Apple deliberately limited hiding to third-party apps, leaving Messages, Photos, and other native apps lockable only — a gap that users sharing devices should factor into their privacy planning.

What experts say

“Starting in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, you can lock or hide apps to require Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode for access and get peace of mind.”

Apple (Official Tutorial)

“This app will require Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to reveal, open or use Siri with the app.”

Apple (iOS Prompt on authentication)

“Apple has finally given us the native secure way to truly hide an app that we’ve been asking for.”

iOS Guide (YouTube channel walkthrough)

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If you later need to access those hidden apps, how to unhide apps on iPhone through App Library or Screen Time works just as seamlessly.

Frequently asked questions