How to hide apps on your iPhone fast - ZDNet

1 year ago 67
iPhone trying to AirPlay
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Once upon a time, you had 2 choices erstwhile it came to having an app connected your iPhone's location screens: you could support it installed and permission it there, oregon you could wholly uninstall it to get escaped of it. That is, unless it was 1 of Apple's first-party offerings, successful which lawsuit you were stuck with it whether you ever planned to usage it oregon not. 

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Luckily, Apple yet realized that it should fto its iPhone owners determine what they wanted connected their location screens. Not lone tin you present fell infrequently-used apps, but you tin adjacent region first-party Apple apps you'll ne'er usage from your precious location surface pages -- though you inactive can't uninstall them completely.

Despite however casual it is to bash this, galore users stay unaware it's adjacent an option. Let america amusement you however to rapidly and easy fell apps from your iPhone's location surface without uninstalling them.

How to fell apps connected your iPhone

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ZDNET
  • You need: An iPhone moving iOS 14 oregon newer
  • Estimated time: 1-5 minutes, depending connected however galore apps you privation to hide

Method 1: Hiding 1 app astatine a clip  

Find the app you privation to hide, property it and clasp it until you get the tactile cue your iPhone provides for long-press actions. This volition nutrient a pop-out paper with a clump of options, which volition alteration depending connected the app successful question. The enactment you request is the lone 1 successful red: Remove App. Tap it.

The long-press app paper   successful  iOS 15

The options beneath the darker Gray divider volition alteration betwixt apps, but those supra it volition enactment the same. You lone request to interest astir the 1 successful red.

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

Remove app is the aforesaid relation you tin usage to wholly uninstall an app. However, we're conscionable focused connected hiding the app portion keeping it installed, truthful you'll alternatively privation to tap Remove from Home Screen

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This volition permission the app successful question installed connected your iPhone but volition region its icon from your location surface oregon immoderate folders located connected your location screens. We'll amusement you however to find the app and adhd it backmost to your location surface below. 

The confirmation dialog  for hiding oregon  uninstalling an app connected  iOS

You tin besides delete the app from here. But, our extremity is to support it astir truthful we tin inactive usage it quickly.

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

Method 2: Hiding Multiple apps astatine once

If you're looking to fell respective apps, there's a somewhat faster mode to bash it and it's the aforesaid method you'd usage to determination astir apps. The quickest mode to participate the mode we request is to property and clasp connected immoderate blank portion of immoderate location surface page. 

This volition acceptable your apps to jiggling successful an animation that's been astir since the olden days of iOS. It volition besides adhd a circular - icon to the apical near country of each. Find the archetypal app you privation to fell and pat the - on it. 

iOS 15's app editing screen

Ahh yes, the acquainted imaginativeness of jiggling apps...

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

This volition nutrient the aforesaid dialog seen successful Step 2 of Method 1. Just similar successful that method, you'll privation to tap Remove from Home Screen to fell the app. Once it's removed, you'll beryllium returned to the location surface with the apps inactive jiggling. Repeat the aforesaid process of tapping the - and Remove from Home Screen for each app you privation to remove. 

When you're done, you tin exit this app editing mode by either clicking your location fastener (for iPhone models with a carnal location button) oregon swiping up from the bottommost of your show (for iPhone models without a carnal location button).

The confirmation dialog  for hiding oregon  uninstalling an app connected  iOS

Whether you usage Method 1 oregon Method 2, the confirmation dialog is the same

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

Finding hidden apps and returning them to your location screen

Since the full constituent of hiding an app, alternatively of uninstalling it, is to person it astir erstwhile you request it, it's important to larn however to find it and bring it backmost to your location screen. 

1. Open your App Library

The App Library tin beryllium recovered by swiping each the mode to the right, done and past each of your location surface pages. You'll cognize you've recovered it erstwhile you spot a database of apps, without names, organized into squares with a hunt barroom astatine the apical that helpfully work "App Library."   

The iOS 15 App Library

All of your installed apps volition ever beryllium disposable successful this section, careless of whether oregon not they're hidden.

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

2. Find your app

There are aggregate ways to bash this. You tin browse the categories you're instantly presented with. But, it is usually faster to conscionable pat the App Library hunt bar at the top. Doing this volition amusement you an alphabetized database (seen above) of each of your installed apps, including immoderate hidden ones. 

You tin either statesman typing successful the sanction of the app you're looking for until iOS surfaces it, oregon you tin simply scroll done the database to find it. If you conscionable request to usage it once, you tin pat it to unfastened it from the App Library. If, however, you'd similar to re-add it to a location surface for recurring use, proceed to measurement 3.  

The App Library hunt  interface successful  iOS 15

You tin either scroll done oregon commencement typing to find your app.

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

3. Re-add the hidden app to your location screen

If you'd similar to instrumentality a hidden app to your location screen, property and clasp connected the app icon itself, not the grey barroom to its right. Doing this volition make different pop-out paper with an Add to Home Screen option. Tapping this volition driblet the app backmost into the archetypal unfastened slot connected your earliest location surface page. Alternatively, you tin besides tap, hold, and resistance the app icon, which volition fto you spot it successful a circumstantial spot of your choosing.  

The pop-out paper   for re-adding apps to your location  surface  successful  iOS 15

It's akin to the pop-out paper to fell apps, but present we're unhiding them.

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

FAQs

This depends connected a fewer factors: 

  • Is it a ample app? - If so, you whitethorn privation to instrumentality that into consideration. Large apps instrumentality clip to re-install if you request to get them back. Conversely, they besides instrumentality up a batch of retention space. This means if you're moving debased connected section storage, it whitethorn beryllium worthy considering whether oregon not you truly request that app around, oregon if you tin conscionable uninstall it and prevention immoderate megabytes.
  • Is it an app you usage much than erstwhile a week? - If you usage an app connected a regular basis, but not regularly capable that you request instant access, it's champion to conscionable fell it. That mode you tin inactive unfastened it with an other fewer seconds of effort, but won't request to re-install it. 
  • Is it a first-party Apple app? - If it is, you can't uninstall it anyway. But, hiding apps you ne'er deliberation you'll usage is inactive a large method to get them retired of your mode and trim clutter.

Yes! The cosmopolitan hunt barroom -- recovered connected the left-most screen, oregon by pulling down from the mediate of immoderate location surface leafage -- volition inactive aboveground immoderate apps you person installed, adjacent if they're hidden. 

Generally speaking, no. They inactive person automatic updates (assuming you person them enabled), they inactive instrumentality up the aforesaid magnitude of retention abstraction arsenic if they were located connected a location screen, and they inactive motorboat astatine the aforesaid velocity they would if they weren't hidden. 

Hiding apps truly doesn't impact overmuch speech from wherever you'll find the icon to entree them. The apps themselves enactment wholly unchanged.

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