[9 Ways] How to Find Hidden Apps on iPhone in 2024

Can apps be hidden on an iPhone? Absolutely! You can easily hide all the downloaded apps on your iPhone from others who might snoop or from yourself if you're addicted to some games.

But what if you need to locate apps you haven't used for a while and have no idea where they went? Or you need to find any apps that have been hidden on your children's iPhone?

Don't worry! We're here to help you out. This article will show you how to unhide apps on your iPhone as well as how to find app data that might be important to you.

How to Find Hidden Apps on iPhone?

Way 1. Find Hidden Apps Using iPhone's Spotlight Search

The simplest way to search for hidden apps on an iPhone is by using the Spotlight Search feature. It allows you to search through your iPhone for any installed apps. Here's how to find hidden apps using iPhone search.

1. Unlock the iPhone and swipe down from the Home Screen to get to the Spotlight.
2. In the search bar, input the name of the app you want to find and click Go or Search.
3. If the app is installed on the iPhone (hidden or not), it will automatically show under the application in the search results.

Way 2. Find Hidden Apps on iPhone Using Siri

If the app doesn’t appear in the search results and you are sure it is installed on the iPhone, it might be because the app is restricted from showing in the search results. In such cases, you can look up the app by asking Siri to open the app you want.

Follow the steps below to find hidden or missing apps on your iPhone with the Siri voice command.

1. Unlock the iPhone and invoke Siri by pressing and holding the Side button or saying Hey Siri.
2. Ask Siri to Open + Hidden App's name.
3. Siri will search through the iPhone and automatically open the app even if hidden from the Home Screen.

Way 3. Find Hidden Apps in iPhone App Library

The App Library displays all installed apps on your iPhone in groups, so you can hide apps from Home Screen pages without having to uninstall them. You can easily access the hidden apps and add them back on the Home Screen. Here's how to unhidden apps in the iPhone App Library:

1. On your Home Screen, swipe from right to left to open the App Library on your iPhone.
2. Tap the search bar at the top of the screen and scroll down to find the app you're searching for, or type the app's name into the search bar.
3. Now tap and hold the app icon until a menu appears, then tap Add to Home Screen to bring the app out of the App Library.

Tip: If you choose to hide the app from your Home Screen later. Just hold down the app until the menu appears. Tap Remove App, then choose Remove from Home Screen.

Way 4. Uncover Hidden Home Screen Pages to Find Apps

Sometimes, you may hide entire Home Screen pages to hide apps on your iPhone. You can still access these apps via Search, Siri, or the App Library. In addition, you can choose to unhide the Home Screen pages to find the missing apps. Follow the steps below to do that:

1. Long press a blank area of your Home Screen until your apps jiggle.
2. Tap the dot strip at the bottom of the screen to see visible and hidden Home Screen pages.
3. Every page has a checkbox that indicates if the page is visible. Pages that haven't been checked are hidden.
4. Simply tap the empty circle to make the hidden Home Screen page visible and unhide the apps inside it.

Way 5. Find Hidden iPhone Apps from the App Store

Another way you can find hidden or missing apps on your iPhone is by going through the Hidden Purchases page from the App Store. All of the apps on your iPhone are available here. Even the deleted apps are also included.

Below are the steps you can follow to find hidden apps from the App Store Purchased page:

1. Unlock your iPhone and open the App Store.
2. At the top-right corner of the App Store, you will find the profile icon; click on it.
3. Tap your name on the next screen, scroll down to find Hidden Purchases, and tap on it.
4. Now, you can browse the list for the app you want. Once you find it, tap the download button to add it back to your iPhone.

Note: Any private purchases associated with your Apple account will also be shown here.

Way 6. Find Hidden Apps in iPhone App Folders

Grouping apps together by dragging will create app folders on the iPhone. Usually, a folder can have up to 12 pages of apps, so the app you are searching for might be invisible unless you go through all the pages.

1. Unlock your iPhone and then locate app folders on your iPhone. On the Home Screen, any icon that has more than one app inside the icon is an app folder.
2. Open the app folders to locate the app you are searching for.
3. You should check if there are two dots at the bottom. If there are two dots, it means there is a second screen of that folder containing more apps.
4. Swipe left to open the second screen to view more apps. You might be lucky the app you are looking for will be inside the app folder.

Way 7. Find Apps by Removing Screen Time Restrictions

Screen Time is a helpful feature that limits the time you spend on your iPhone. It also lets you restrict or hide apps like Messages, Mail, Camera, etc. For the apps that have been hidden by Screen Time, you can't access or open them using any other methods until you remove the Screen Time restrictions.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. Enter your iPhone's Screen Time password when required.
3. After that, go to Allowed Apps and turn on the toggles next to the apps you want to unhide. They will appear on the Home screen immediately.

Way 8. Find Hidden Apps by Resetting Home Screen Layout

If you haven't been able to locate the app you are looking for so far. You may have forgotten the app name or you're not spelling it quite right, then you can try resetting the Home Screen Layout.

With the layout of your iPhone set to the original, app folders will be deleted, and apps hidden from the Home Screen will reveal themselves.

1. Unlock your iPhone and go to the Settings app.
2. Tap General and then scroll down to Transfer or Reset iPhone.
3. Tap on Reset and select the option to Reset Home Screen Layout.
4. After the reset is complete, go to the Home Screen, and the app should reveal itself.

Way 9. Restoring iPhone Backups to Find Hidden Apps

Creating backups is an excellent way to keep your data safe on your iPhone. As long as Apple lets you make backups using iTunes and iCloud, You can always access missing data and hidden apps using these two methods.

Restoring iPhone Backup from iCloud

1. Reset your iPhone by erasing everything on it before starting this process.
2. Set up the deivce and in the App & Data screen, select Restore from iCloud Backup.
3. Sign in to your iCloud account using your Apple ID to locate your backup files.
4. Choose the time and date of the backup you want to restore.
5. Once done, all hidden apps will reveal themselves.

Restoring iPhone Backup from iTunes

1. On your computer where you keep your device backup, launch iTunes.
2. Connect your iPhone with your computer via a USB cable.
3. Next, in iTunes, click on the option of Restore Backup.
4. Choose the time and date of the backup, and wait for the process to complete.
5. Don’t disconnect your iPhone until the process synchronizes completely; once done, all hidden apps will reveal themselves.

How to Find App Data from iPhone

If you still can't find the hidden app you are looking for, you can rely on a third-party tool like FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. It is a powerful software that comes with a range of features to recover lost data, including app data on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery is compatible with all iOS versions and iOS devices, and its user-friendly interface and powerful algorithm make it a useful tool. It is the top choice of many iPhone users because of the advanced technology that searches for lost data in the SQLite database. Here’s how to find app data on an iPhone with this powerful software.

Step 1: Firstly, open FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery on your PC and select the "Recover Data from iOS device" tab. Connect your iPhone to your PC, and click on the option labeled "Start."

Step 2: Next, choose the type of app data you intend to find. Be-it messages, contacts, third-party app data, phones and videos, memos, and others, FoneGeek can get it done. Once selected, click on "Scan."

Step 3: Preview the data listed once the scan is completed. The list will include hidden app data. You can then check the tab accordingly to find the app data you intend to recover. Click "Recover to PC" and then select the location where you want to store the files, and you are all done.

FAQs

How do you unhide apps on Apple Watch?

To unhide apps on your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on the paired iPhone, then go to My Watch to locate the app you want to unhide on your watch. Tap on the app and turn on Show App on App Watch.

How do I unhide all apps on my iPhone?

Well, there is no way to unhide all hidden apps on your iPhone at the same time. You should find each app in Hidden Purchases and re-download them one by one.

How to delete hidden apps on iPhone directly?

On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and all your apps will be listed with their memory sizes. Find the hidden app that you don't need anymore and tap it, then hit Delete App.

Conclusion

The next time you search for an app you are sure is on an iPhone, consider using any of the methods mentioned in this article. If you can’t still find the hidden app, it is likely the app has been uninstalled from the iPhone. If you want to recover the hidden app's data, consider using FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. This tool allows for free scaning and previewing. Download it and have a try!