How to hide apps from your iPhone home screen

And how to put them back.
By Andy Moser  on 
App icons displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo.
Time for a tidy up. Credit: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images

You wanna hide apps from your iPhone home screen, do you?

First of all, there are plenty of reasons to make an iPhone app more difficult to access, and many of them are perfectly wholesome. Perhaps you want to hide your Venmo/Cash App so it's not easily accessible on your home screen. Or maybe you want to hide your Instagram, TikTok, etc. if you have a little sibling who likes to steal your phone and post embarrassing pics and videos of you on your socials.

So now that you know we're not here to judge, here's how to do it:

Mashable Light Speed
Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?
Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Total Time
  • 2 min
What You Need
  • iPhone

Step 1: Find the app you want to remove from your home screen.

Step 2: Tap and hold the app until a menu pops up with the option to "Remove App".

You can also tap and hold the home screen until the apps start shaking, and then tap the little "minus" sign next to the app you want to hide.

A screenshot of an iPhone Spotify app and the menu allowing you to remove an app.
App mini menu. Yes we tried Power Vinyasa and yes it was really freaking hard Credit: Andy Moser / Apple

Step 3: Tap "Remove App".

You'll see options to either delete the app, remove it from the home screen, or cancel the action.

Step 4: Choose "Remove from Home Screen".

The app will be hidden and won't appear on your home screen.

A screenshot of an iPhone home screen showing how to remove an app from the home screen.
Tap "Remove from Home Screen" Credit: Andy Moser / Apple

Cool! But now...how do you find it again? The app, though hidden from your home screen, is still in your app library.

Check out our piece on how to find hidden apps.

Mashable Image
Andy Moser

Andy is a fellow on Mashable's Culture team. He graduated with a B.S. from the University of North Florida in 2018 and moved to New York to pursue journalism in culture and entertainment. He can (and will) talk for too long about Star Wars and movies in general. His fear of stinging insects and 80+ degree weather will keep him inside forever. He wishes he were shorter.


Recommended For You

'The Big Cigar' trailer follows Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton's escape to Cuba
André Holland as Huey P. Newton.

The best free dating apps for budget-conscious singles
By Leah Stodart, Miller Kern, Bethany Allard, Tabitha Britt, and Stacia Datskovska
Man looking at a dating site on his phone

How to mirror your iPhone to your TV
A mockup of an iPhone screen's Control Centre on an iPhone held by a person.

How to turn off location on your iPhone
A phone showing the settings page on a pattern of location icons.

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for May 1
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for May 1
a phone displaying Wordle



Everything you need to remember before 'Bridgerton' Season 3
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in "Bridgerton" Season 3.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!