How to Find Hidden Apps on an iPhone

Apple provides several ways to declutter an iPhone Home Screen. You can bury apps inside folders, completely remove them from the Home Screen so they only exist in the App Library, or even use the official “Hide App” feature introduced in modern iOS versions to lock them behind Face ID. Whether you have misplaced an app you use infrequently, or you need to find an application that was intentionally concealed, iOS provides a few foolproof methods for locating any software installed on the device.

Method 1: Search Using the App Library

The App Library is the master directory of your iPhone. Even if an app has been removed from all your Home Screens, it will always appear here.

1. Unlock your iPhone and go to your Home Screen.
2. Swipe left repeatedly, moving past all your pages of apps.
3. The very last page you reach is the App Library, where apps are automatically sorted into categorized folders.
4. Look at the very top of the screen for the search bar labeled App Library.
5. Tap the search bar. This changes the view into an alphabetical list of every installed app.
6. Type the name of the missing app. If it is installed on the phone, it will appear in the results. Tap it to open it.

Method 2: Use Spotlight Search

Spotlight is Apple’s system-wide search tool, and it is usually faster than swiping to the App Library.

1. Go to any Home Screen page.
2. Place your finger in the middle of the screen (not at the very top edge) and swipe down.
3. The Spotlight search bar will appear, along with your keyboard.
4. Type the name of the app.
5. It should appear under the “Top Hit” or “Applications” section. Tap the icon to launch it.

Method 3: Check the Official “Hidden” Folder (iOS 18+)

If you used the specific “Require Face ID & Hide” feature (which completely removes the app from Spotlight search, notifications, and normal App Library folders), you must look in a specific locked folder.

1. Swipe to the very last page of your Home Screen to open the App Library.
2. Scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the categorized folders.
3. Look for a folder named Hidden. Its icon will simply look like a crossed-out eye; it will not show you the apps inside it.
4. Tap the Hidden folder.
5. Your iPhone will prompt you for a Face ID scan, Touch ID, or your passcode.
6. Once authenticated, the folder will open, revealing all apps that have been explicitly locked and hidden.

How to Unhide an App and Put it Back on the Home Screen

Once you have found your app using the App Library or the Hidden folder, you likely want to put it back where you can easily find it.

1. Locate the app icon using one of the methods above.
2. Press and hold your finger on the app icon until a menu pops up.
3. If you found the app in the normal App Library, tap Add to Home Screen.
4. If the app is inside the locked “Hidden” folder, tap Don’t Require Face ID, authenticate yourself, and the app will become visible in normal searches again. You can then drag it back to your Home Screen.