How to hide apps in Smartphones – Latest tips [2024]

There may be times when you want to hide apps in smartphones from for privacy and security reasons or just to maintain a clutter-free home screen. There are some methods to hide apps in smartphones, both Android and iOS devices. These hiding apps in smartphones methods will help ensuring your confidential data remains secure and out of sight from others.

Easy steps to hide apps in smartphones in 2024:

What is apps hiding?

App hiding in smartphones is the process of stopping specific applications from appearing on the home screen, app drawer, or any other visible location on your Android device. By doing so, these apps remain accessible only to those who know the secret hiding spot. It helps you keep away your apps from others or especially kids to avoid misuse.

Why should you hide apps in smartphones (Android devices)?

People hide apps in smartphones for various reasons. Some want to safeguard personal messages, sensitive photos, or financial apps from prying eyes. Others may hide specific apps to reduce clutter on their home screens and create a more organized user experience.

Benifits of hiding apps in smartphones:

Hiding apps on smartphones not only enhances privacy and security but also allows users to maintain a clean and minimalist home screen. It ensures that only authorized users have access to particular applications, adding an extra layer of protection against accidental or unauthorized access.

Tips to Hide Apps in Smartphones Using Built-in Features:

Hide apps with App Drawer:

Most Android devices provide an app drawer where you can store apps you do now want to display on the home screen. To hide an app using the app drawer, follow these steps:

1. Open the app drawer.
2. Tap and hold the app you want to hide.
3. Drag the app to the “Hide” or “Remove” option.

Disable App Notifications:

You can hide apps in smartphones by disabling their notifications from the smartphone settings. When notifications are disabled, the app’s activities remain hidden from the lock screen and notification bar which will keep the notifications private. Here are the steps to disable app notifications:

1. Go to “Settings” on your Android smartphone.
2. Select “Apps & Notifications.”
3. Choose the mobule app that you want to hide.
4. Select “App notifications” and turn off the toggle button.

Use Secure Folder (Samsung Devices):

Samsung users can benefit from the Secure Folder feature, which enables them to hide apps in smartphones behind an extra layer of security. To use Secure Folder:

1. Go to “Settings” on your Samsung device.
2. Navigate to “Biometrics and security” or “Lock screen and security.”
3. Find and select “Secure Folder.”
4. Set up a PIN, pattern, or biometric lock for the Secure Folder.
5. Add the apps you want to hide into the Secure Folder.

Third-party Apps Hiding Apps:

While Android provides built-in features for app hiding like secure folder, third-party applications offer additional customization and security options. Some popular third-party app hiders that will help you hide apps in smartphones include:

• App Hider
• Nova Launcher
• Apex Launcher
• Calculator Vault

To use these third-party app hiders, follow their respective instructions and configure your preferred settings.

Hide Apps from Specific People:

App lockers and benefits:

If you want to hide some of the apps from specific people or if you want to add an extra layer of protection to certain mobile applications, app lockers are the way to go. App lockers allows you to lock individual apps for privacy with passwords, patterns, or biometric authentication.

Setting up app lockers:

1. Download and install an app locker from the Google Play Store.
2. Open the app locker and set up a strong password or pattern.
3. Choose the apps you want to lock and secure them with the password or pattern.

Apps Icons Customization:

Change app icons:

To give an extra hide to your hidden apps, you can customize their icons to keep them away from viewers. This way, they will look like normal andeveryday apps. Many launchers allow you to change app icons easily.

Create hidden app folders:

You can group your hidden apps in a smartphone in a folder and give it a non-descriptive name, camouflaging the apps within the folder. This technique can make it even harder for others to discover your hidden apps.

Manage Hidden Apps in Smartphones:

Keeping track of hidden apps:

It’s essential to keep track of your hidden apps in smartphones to avoid forgetting where they are located. You can create a list or a reminder note to remember which apps you’ve hidden and where.

Restore hidden apps in smartphones:

If you decide to unhide apps in smartphones, follow the reverse steps of the method you used to hide it. For instance, if you hide an app in the app drawer, drag it back to the main home screen to restore its visibility.

Hide System Apps in smartphones (Advanced):

Is it possible to hide system apps in smartphones?

Hiding system apps in smartphones is more complex and requires advanced knowledge. In most cases, hiding system apps in smartphones is not recommended, as it can interfere with the device’s functionality.

Risks and precautions:

Hiding system apps can potentially cause malfunctions or instability in your Android device. If you’re not familiar with the process, it’s best to avoid hiding essential system apps in smartphones.

Difference between Hiding Apps vs. App Locking:

While hiding apps makes them visually disappear from the home screen or app drawer, app locking secures the apps behind passwords or patterns, preventing unauthorized access in smartphones.

Which one to choose?

The choice between hiding apps and app locking depends on your needs. If you seek visual anonymity, app hiding is ideal. On the other hand, if you prioritize strict access control, app locking provides stronger security.

How to hide apps in Smartphones -Apple iOS

When it comes to iOS devices, such as iPhones and iPads, users might occasionally wish to hide certain apps from view. Hiding apps can serve privacy purposes, reduce visual clutter, or limit access to specific applications. This article will explore various methods to hide apps on iOS devices, offering both basic built-in options and more advanced techniques.

Why Hide Apps in Smartphone (Apple iOS)?

Privacy concerns:

Hiding apps can be a valuable privacy measure in Apple iphones, especially when it comes to personal information, sensitive conversations, or financial data. Keeping certain apps away from prying eyes adds an extra layer of security to your device.

Organizational purposes:

Hiding apps in smartphones (Apple iOS) can help maintain a clean and organized home screen, allowing you to focus on essential apps while less frequently used ones remain tucked away.

Using App Folders for App Hiding in Apple iPhones:

Creating folders in apple iphones:

To hide apps in smartphones (iphone) using app folders, follow these simple steps:

1. Long-press on any app icon on your home screen until all the icons start to jiggle.
2. Drag and drop one app icon onto another to create a folder.
3. Name the folder something discreet and unrelated to the apps it contains.

Moving apps into folders:

1. Open the folder containing the apps you want to hide.
2. Press and hold the app you wish to hide until it jiggles.
3. Drag the app icon to the right of the folder’s last page, beyond the visible area.

By following these steps, the app will be hidden inside the folder and won’t be visible on the home screen.

Hiding Apps from Search & Siri Suggestions:

Restricting app search and Siri suggestions:

iOS allows you to prevent specific apps from appearing in searches and Siri suggestions. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Go to “Settings” on your Apple iOS smartphone.
2. Tap the option “Siri & Search” or “Spotlight Search” depending on iOS version of your smartphone.
3. Scroll down to find the app you want to hide.
4. Toggle off the switch next to the app’s name.

This will ensure that the app won’t show up when using the search function or when Siri offers suggestions.

Preventing apps from appearing in Spotlight search:

1. Access “Settings” on your iOS device.
2. Tap “Siri & Search” or “Spotlight Search.”
3. Look for the app you want to hide from Spotlight search.
4. Toggle off the switch next to the app’s name.

Once hidden, the app won’t appear in the search results when using Spotlight.

Using App Restrictions for Advanced Hiding in Apple iPhones:

Accessing Screen Time:

1. Open “Settings” on your Apple iOS smartphone.
2. Tap on the option “Screen Time” (iOS 12 and later) or “General” > “Restrictions”.
3. If you have not set up Screen Time before, select “Turn on Screen Time” and follow the prompts.

Setting up App Limits and Content & Privacy Restrictions:

1. In the Screen Time settings, tap “App Limits.”
2. Add a limit for the app you want to hide (e.g., 1 minute per day).
3. Tap “Add” to confirm the limit.

By setting a time limit for an app, it becomes less accessible, effectively hiding it from regular use.

For even more control, you can utilize the “Content & Privacy Restrictions” feature:

1. In the Screen Time settings, tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions.”
2. Enable the restrictions and create a passcode.
3. Scroll down to find the app you want to hide and toggle off its switch.

These restrictions will prevent the app from being used unless the passcode is entered.

Using Third-Party App Hiders in iPhones (Optional):

As iOS provides built-in features for hiding different apps, some users may also prefer additional customization options that are offered by third-party app hiders. However, keep in mind that using third-party apps may pose security risks, as they require access to your device and data.

App Store options for app hiders:

To find third-party app hiders, open the App Store and search for “app hider,” “app locker,” or similar terms. Look for apps with positive reviews and high ratings to ensure reliability.

Installing and using third-party app hiders:

1. Download and install the app hider from the App Store.
2. Follow the app’s instructions to set up a passcode or pattern lock.
3. Choose the mobile apps that you want to hide and secure them with the passcode or pattern.

Unhiding Apps in smartphones and Reversing Changes:

Retrieving hidden apps from folders:

To unhide apps from folders:

1. Locate the folder where the hidden apps are stored in your smartphone.
2. Drag the apps icon out of the folder by pressing on the app and move the home screen.

Resetting app restrictions & Screen Time settings:

If you wish to reverse the app restrictions and Screen Time settings, follow these steps:

1. Go to “Settings” on your iOS smartphone.
2. Tap “Screen Time” or “General” > “Restrictions”.
3. Select “Turn Off Screen Time” or “Disable Restrictions” from the settings.
4. Enter your Screen Time passcode or Restrictions passcode to confirm.

This will reset the app restrictions and Screen Time settings, restoring the apps’ regular accessibility.

Conclusion:

Hiding apps on your smartphones (Android and iOS devices) can be beneficial for privacy, organization, and limiting access to certain applications for everyone. Android and iOS operating systems offers built-in options to hide apps through app folders, restricting search for these apps and also in the voice assistants like Siri suggestions. These features provide a level of control and discretion over app visibility.

FAQs

1. How can I hide apps on my Android smartphone?

You can use either the built-in app hiding feature or third-party apps from the Google Play Store to hide apps on your android smartphone

2. Can I hide apps without using any third-party apps on Android?

Yes as some Android devices come with a built-in app hiding feature. You can typically access this feature through the settings menu or the app drawer in your android smartphone.

3. How can I hide apps on my iPhone (iOS)?

On iOS smartphone, you cannot hide apps easily as you can on Android but you can create folders and move apps you want to hide into those folders to organize them discreetly.

4. Are there any third-party apps available to hide apps on iOS?

iOS Apple restricts third-party apps from directly hiding other apps on your iOS devices. However, app lockers or password-protected app vaults can be used from the App Store

5. Will hiding apps affect their functionality on my smartphone?

Hiding apps using built-in features or third-party apps does not impact their functionality. You can access the hidden apps through the hidden app feature or app locker interface.

6. Can hidden apps still receive notifications?

Yes hidden apps will receive notifications as long as the app is running in the background.

7. Can I hide pre-installed apps on my smartphone?

Hiding pre-installed apps might not be possible using the iOS app hiding features. Third-party app hiders might provide the option to disable or hide them from the app drawer.

8. How can I unhide the apps I’ve hidden?

To unhide apps on your smartphone, access the app hider or built-in hiding feature, locate the hidden apps, and choose the option to unhide or restore them to their original position on the home screen or app drawer.

9. Are there any security risks associated with hiding apps?

Hiding apps using reputable app hiders or built-in features is safe.

10. Can hiding apps affect my smartphone’s performance?

Hiding apps does not impact your smartphone’s performance but third-party app hiders may have effect on device performance at times.