11 Methods to Fix 'Downloaded Apps Not Showing on iPhone' Issue

Sometimes, it's possible that you won't find it anywhere when you launch an app on your iPhone after installing it. Unexpectedly disappearing apps on your iPhone might be annoying, but there is nothing to worry about. This article provides 11 simple yet effective ways to fix this issue and get your downloaded apps showing on the home screen again.

1. Check in App Store

When you have an application installed on your iPhone, the word Open (or Update) will appear on the App Store page for that particular application you are looking for. If the app still needs to be downloaded or installed, this will display a Get or Download icon according to your location.

• Go to the App Store of your iPhone or iPad, and hit the Search bar.
• Enter the name of that particular application name.
• The app may have been installed if you can see 'Open' next to the app name. If you can see 'Get', the app hasn't been installed.

2. Enable Show Apps on Home Screen

If you activate these options using the following simple steps, you will be able to ensure that all of the apps you have downloaded will show up on the home screen of your device.

• Open Settings from your iPhone.
• Go to the “Home Screen” option from the list.
• Turned the toggle on for “Show on Home Screen”.

3. Drag App from App Library to Home Screen

Apple launched App Library in iOS 14, which organizes all of your apps into relevant clusters. This functionality has been carried over into later iterations of iOS, such as iOS 16 and iOS 17.

Swipe left on the very last Home Screen to access the App Library. This is the screen you need to access if you want to reveal hidden applications. Any applications that you found missing should be here. When you discover the application you're searching for, you can simply hold and drag it from the App Library onto the Home Screen.

4. Check Inside Folders

If an app isn't used frequently, we'll tuck it away in a folder so that it's not immediately obvious where it is located on our iPhone. After some time has passed, it is possible to forget about them.

If this is the case, you will need to open all of the application folders located on your iPhone's Home Screen and search within each of them for the application that has gone missing. As soon as you find it, you should drag the app icon out of the folder to the Home Screen as soon as possible.

5. Allow Apps from Screen Time

You or a parent can impose restrictions on Safari, Camera, FaceTime, Mail, and other iPhone applications by using the Screen Time feature. Similarly, you may restrict app use based on age limitations using Screen Time.

As a direct result of this, the application icons for the restricted applications will not be displayed on the Home Screen or within the App Library. They won't even appear in search results, and Siri won't have access to them either.

To unhide these apps, follow the mentioned steps:

• Navigate to Settings and open the "Screen Time" tab.
• Open "Content & Privacy Restrictions" section.
• Go to the "Allowed Apps" section and ensure each app on the list is permitted.
• Next, select "Allow All Apps" by moving back to the previous screen.

The vanished icons for those apps should then appear on your iPhone's Home Screen and in your App Library.

6. Unhide Home Screen Pages

You can hide Home Screens on your iPhone for a clean look, and any apps on the hidden home screen page is also inaccessible. So, you can unveil those hidden pages on the home screen:

• You should activate the jiggle mode by tapping and holding the home screen.
• Use your finger to tap the dots on the slider located at the screen's bottom.
• Let yourself view the pages you wish on the main screen by turning them on.
• Select the "Done" button in the upper right corner to finish.

7. Find the Missing App Using Spotlight

If you use a certain app sometimes, you might not even want to add it to your device's home screen. In this scenario, you may easily locate and use any hidden application you downloaded by following the instructions below.

• To access the search bar, swipe down from the home screen.
• Alternatively, you may access the Search screen by touching the little Search button that displays at the bottom of the screen, just above the dock.
• Type the app's name into the search bar, or use the microphone icon to speak your query directly into the app's search bar.

Your desired replacement app should rank highly. Make a tap on it to activate the door.

8. Open Apps by Asking Siri

Siri may be used to access apps even if they are no longer visible on your iPhone’s home screen. Invoke the voice assistant and say, "Open {Name the app you are looking for}."

You can open Siri by saying "Hey Siri" or by pressing and holding the Side button (on iPhones equipped with Face ID) or the home button (on iPhones with Touch ID). Siri's capabilities extend beyond simply launching apps; you can perform any task included in the iOS system.

9. Unhide Purchased Apps

You won't be able to access a hidden app on an iPhone that is part of a Family Sharing group. It's important to remember that this doesn't restrict the application from being re-downloaded once it's been downloaded. Here's how to unhide previously hidden apps in the iOS App Store.

• Go to the App Store on your device and tap on the profile icon.
• Select the “Purchased” tab.
• Click on Apple ID on the device, using Face ID , Touch ID, or sign by entering Apple ID credentials.
• Scroll down and tap on “Hidden Purchases”.
• Click “Unhide” to reveal apps.

10. Reset the Home Screen Layout

The home screen of your iPhone may be as messy as the rest of your life (big respect to you if you've got things under control)! Even while I can't help you figure out your life, I can assist you with organizing the home screen of your iPhone.

• Open your device’s “Setting” and scroll down to open the “General”.
• Tap on the “Transfer & Reset iPhone” option. Click on the “Reset”.
• Then, select “Reset Home Screen Layout” from the given options.
• Tap again on “Reset Home Screen Layout,” just to confirm your reset data.

Your home screen will revert to its previous state, at which point you may begin to organize it from the beginning and search for the application that went lost or disappeared.

11. Repair iOS System to Find Apps

FoneGeek iOS System Recovery is a system repair tool that you may use if all of the above options have been used and you are still unable to locate the applications that have gone from your iPhone. Issues with the iOS software can occasionally result in apps failing to function properly after being updated or in other circumstances.

Go to the FoneGeek website. Download and install the iOS System Recovery software on your PC, then follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the software and attach your iPhone/iPad to your PC, and select Standard Mode if you want a quick solution that won't dab your data while fixing the problem of disappearing applications on your iPhone.

Step 2: Now, the software asks you to Download the required firmware package. This process can take some time as per your connection speed.

Step 3: When the package is completely downloaded, select the Fix Now option. After the compilation of the repair process, your device will be restarted automatically, and Boom, your device will be problem-free.

FAQs

Q1. Can I search apps using Siri?

Yes. If Siri is enabled and the apps are installed, you can ask Siri to open the app that you are searching.

Q2. Does Apple provide hidden folders for apps?

There is no official folders for hidden apps. You can hide apps you want using screen time or hiding the home screen page.

Conclusion

A typical issue with iPhones is that apps disappear for no apparent reason, but this is easy to fix in several ways mentioned above. These are the quickest ways to discover any hidden or misplaced iPhone apps. You probably removed the app if you can't locate it anywhere. If that's the case, try downloading it again from the App Store. Try the solutions above if the apps suddenly vanish from the home screen.