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How to hide and unhide an app on your iPhone or iPad (and why you may want to)
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iOS 18 introduced an official way to hide and lock individual apps on iPhone and iPad using Face ID, but the feature leaves traces in several system locations.
For anyone managing shared or borrowed devices, this gives a lightweight access-control layer on individual apps without third-party tools. The limitations matter: hidden status is per-device, most stock apps are excluded, and usage data still surfaces in Screen Time and Battery settings.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
Apps can be locked in place with Face ID or fully hidden from the Home Screen and Spotlight into a dedicated Hidden folder in the App Library.
Hidden apps remain visible in Screen Time activity, Battery usage, and App Store purchase history unless each is addressed separately.
The hide/lock state does not sync across Apple devices and cannot be applied to most default Apple apps.
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