How to Delete Hidden Apps on an iPhone: Find and Fix in Seconds

Over time, it’s normal to decide you no longer want certain apps on your iPhone. 

There are various reasons for that, which might include no longer using a specific service, loss of interest or even that the app was discontinued by the developer or no longer supported by Apple. 

Regardless of the reason, if you have deleted apps that are now hidden, you might want to know how to delete them from your iPhone.

How to Delete Hidden Apps on an iPhone: Find and Fix in Seconds

If you know the name of the app that is currently hidden that you want to delete from you iPhone, simply swipe down, search for the app,  hold your figure over the app and then, once the X appears in teh top corner, click that to delete it. If not, you can go to your Apps and browse ones you want to delete.

Once you have hidden apps you no longer need on your iPhone, it can be tricky to locate them again. 

However, it’s possible to find those hidden apps so that you can delete them. They should conveniently appear in your App Library where you can then take steps to remove them from your iPhone.

Why Would Apps Be Hidden on an iPhone?

For some iPhone users, hiding apps is a convenience if their Home Screen is too cluttered and those apps aren’t used as often as some others. 

This is why you might have hidden apps on your device. 

If you have hidden apps, all you would have had to do to hide them was press and hold on the app, tap “Remove App” and choose “Remove from Home Screen.”

From there, the app would essentially be archived in your App Library. 

The App Library is a feature that came about with iOS 14’s release in September 2020. Any hidden apps are stored there since that version of iOS.

Can You Delete Hidden Apps on an iPhone?

Since iOS 14 was released, the iPhone has had the App Library feature, which allows you to hide apps you no longer want on your Home Screen.

This serves as a digital drawer that holds all the apps that are installed on your device.

While certain apps are hidden on your iPhone, you might not know how to access them. If you want to see them, you need to swipe from the right across your iPhone’s screen until the App Library appears. 

When scrolling through the App Library, you will be able to see any apps you have previously hidden from your device’s Home Screen.

Deleting hidden apps on iPhone is easy. Once you have decided on which specific hidden apps you want to delete, you can do so in a few different ways.

What are the Different Methods for Deleting Hidden Apps on iPhone?

If you want to delete hidden apps from your iPhone, there are a few different methods you can use to do so. 

One way you can delete hidden apps is through Spotlight Search.

Swipe down on your iPhone’s Home Screen and type in the name of the app you want to find to delete. 

Once the app appears, you can press and long-hold on it and then tap “Delete App” and then press “Delete.” This should remove the app from your iPhone.

You can also delete hidden apps from your iPhone’s Settings. To do that, access Settings and then go to General. 

Tap on iPhone Storage.

Depending on your iPhone storage and how many apps you have installed, it might take some time before all your apps are displayed when accessing them through the iPhone Storage option. 

Once the app you’re searching for loads, you can tape on its name. Then, tap “Delete App” to delete the hidden app from your iPhone.

Finally, you can also delete hidden apps from your iPhone directly from the App Library.

While on your iPhone’s Home Screen, swipe from the right to the left until you get to the App Library. 

Locate the app you wish to delete and then press and hold on it, tap “Delete App” and select “Delete.” This should completely remove the hidden app from your iPhone.

You can also swipe down while on the App Library to see a list of all the apps installed on your iPhone in alphabetical order. 

There is a search bar at the top of the screen that allows you to type in the name of the app you want to find to quickly get to it.

Please note that you can only delete hidden apps if your iPhone is running iOS 14 or later. 

These methods do not work on devices running older versions of iOS.

How Can You Delete a Hidden App from the App Store?

In addition to deleting hidden apps from your iPhone using the above methods, you can also delete hidden apps from the App Store. 

This can ensure that the next time you have apps that need to be updated, you won’t update an app you no longer care about and no longer want.

Open the App Store on your iPhone and tap on your profile picture.

You can also do this by pressing and holding on the App Store app and selecting “Updates.”

Scroll down to see if you can find the app you’re seeking. 

If it’s not there, you should pull down on the “Updates” screen to refresh it.

This should bring up any remaining apps that need updating.

If the app appears either under “Available Updates” or “Updated Recently,” you can swipe left on it and then choose “Delete.” That will delete the app from the App Store and from your iPhone altogether.

How Can You Hide Apps from Your Purchased Apps List?

If you’re interested in hiding apps, there’s another way to do it than from directly on your Home Screen, but it’s from your Purchases list on your iPhone. 

In order to do this, you should open the App Store app and tap on your profile picture.

From there, you should tap on “Purchased.”

You can use the search feature to find the app you wish to delete or scroll through to find it. 

Once you find the app in question, tap on “Hide” and then “Done.” This should effectively hide the app from your Purchased Apps list.

When you are no longer interested in or need an app you’ve previously hidden from your iPhone’s Home Screen, you have a few options for deleting it. 

Each of these methods is fast and easy and will allow you to free up some storage space on your device.