How To Find Hidden Apps on iPhone

If you’re worried that someone may have hidden apps on your iPhone to monitor you or conceal certain activities, you’re not alone.

With the increasing focus on privacy — and the new iOS 18 feature that makes hiding apps even easier — it’s more important than ever to know how to uncover hidden apps.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to find hidden apps on your iPhone so you can regain control of your device.

What Is the Hidden Apps Feature?

Whether you’ve intentionally hidden an app or suspect someone else has, locating them can be tricky — especially with the release of iOS 18, which makes it even easier to conceal apps.

There are two main reasons you might encounter hidden apps on your iPhone:

• Your choice: You may have hidden apps to maintain privacy or declutter your Home Screen.
• Someone else: Sometimes, someone could have hidden an app to cover up evidence of device monitoring. While Apple’s security measures make this challenging, it’s not impossible to do so if someone has access to your passcode or unlocked device.

With iOS 18, Apple has introduced a “Hide and Require Face ID” feature. A long press on an app icon now allows you to hide the app, making it invisible on the Home Screen.

The app is then only accessible via the “Hidden Apps” folder in the App Library, which requires Face ID or passcode authentication to view. Once hidden, the app will also no longer appear in searches or display notifications.

Fig 1. Using the Hidden Apps feature on iOS 18.

While this feature improves privacy, it raises concerns about how it can be misused to hide apps for malicious reasons. 

Luckily, several methods exist to uncover hidden apps. But first, let’s explore some other ways apps can be hidden and, later, how you can find them.

Other Methods to Hide Apps on an iPhone

Jailbreaking

If your iPhone has been jailbroken, it opens up a new level of vulnerability. A hacker or cyberstalker could use this access to install malicious apps on your iPhone.

These apps are usually invisible on your Home Screen, in the App Library, and even in Spotlight Search, making them extremely difficult to detect.

This level of concealment allows them to operate in the background, potentially monitoring your activity, stealing personal data, or causing other harm without your knowledge.

Hidden in plain sight

Another tactic someone might use to hide an app on your phone is moving it into a folder you rarely access. This could be a folder like “Utilities” or any other collection of apps that you don’t use frequently.

Removing the app from the Home Screen

Similar to the Hidden Apps feature, this allows an app icon to be removed from the Home Screen while keeping the app itself installed. This capability is included in all versions of iOS so could be an option if your device doesn’t support iOS 18.

To do this, someone would have to long-press the app, choose “Remove App,” and then “Remove from Home Screen.”

Removing an app from your home screen wouldn’t completely hide it, as it could still be found by searching or browsing the App Library, but it could obscure apps someone doesn’t want you to readily see.

Using screen time restrictions

While Apple’s “Screen Time” feature was designed for managing app usage and setting parental controls, it can be misused to hide apps on someone else’s phone without their knowledge or consent.

You can easily hide default Apple apps like Safari, Mail, and Calendar. While hiding individual third-party apps isn’t directly supported, someone could use age restrictions to hide all apps with a certain rating. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. Toggle the Content & Privacy Restrictions switch on.
4. Tap back, then select Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content.
5. Tap Apps.
6. Choose an age limit, like 4+, which will hide apps rated above this limit.

By selecting a restrictive age limit, someone can hide many third-party apps, causing them to disappear from both the Home Screen and App Library until the restriction is lifted.

How to Find Hidden Apps on an iPhone

1. Check your app library for apps you don’t recognize

First, one of the quickest ways to check for hidden apps is by checking your app library. Luckily, it’s easy to do this:

Swipe left on your Home Screen until you reach the App Library. Here, you’ll see all your apps organized into categories.

Check your hidden apps folder

To access this folder, open the App Library and look for the Hidden Apps category or folder. Tap on it to view all apps not displayed on your Home Screen but still installed on your device.

2. Check app folders on your home screen

Next up, regularly go through the folders on your iPhone’s home screen, especially less frequently used ones like Utilities, to see if any apps are hidden there.

Fig 2. Checking app folders for hidden apps.

3. View installed apps in iPhone Storage

Another way to check for hidden apps on your iPhone is to check your storage. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on General.
3. Tap on iPhone Storage.
4. Scroll down to find a list of all the apps on your phone.

Fig 3. Checking for hidden apps in iPhone Storage.

4. Run a scan with Certo AntiSpy

If you are worried your iPhone is compromised, another important step is to do an antivirus scan.

Our iPhone anti-spyware tool helps detect hidden or malicious apps, even on jailbroken devices.

Here’s how to scan your phone using Certo AntiSpy:

1. Download and install: Download and install the Certo AntiSpy app on your computer.
2. Connect your iPhone: Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer using a USB cable.
3. Open Certo AntiSpy: Launch the Certo AntiSpy application on your computer.
4. Start the scan: The software should automatically detect your connected iPhone. Follow any on-screen prompts to initiate the scan.

5. Check your App Store purchase history

Checking your App Store purchase history is a valuable way to uncover hidden apps, even if they’ve been removed from your Home Screen or App Library. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the App Store and tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
2. Select Apps (if your device uses Family Sharing tap My Apps.)
3. Scroll through the list, paying close attention to apps you don’t recognize or remember downloading. An Open button indicates it’s currently installed, while a cloud-shaped Download symbol means it was previously downloaded but is now deleted.

Fig 4. Checking for hidden apps in App Store purchase history.

It’s important to note that an app can be hidden from your purchase list and won’t appear in the App Store’s “My Apps” section.

However, it will still be visible in your complete purchase history. Here’s how to view hidden app purchases on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app and tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
2. Tap Media & Purchases and select View Account.
3. Authenticate yourself with Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode.
4. Scroll down and tap Hidden Purchases.
5. To unhide hidden apps, select Unhide next to an app to add it back to the App Store purchases page, or tap the app’s name to go to its store page. You can then tap Open to launch the app or Get to re-download it.

6. Check your app permissions

Another way to uncover hidden apps on your iPhone is by checking app permissions. Apps that access sensitive features like the camera, microphone, or location services might be doing so without your knowledge, which could indicate a hidden or malicious app.

By reviewing which apps have these permissions, you can spot anything unusual or suspicious that could invade your privacy.

Here’s how to check app permissions on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
3. Select the permission you’re concerned about (e.g., Camera, Microphone, Location Services).
4. You’ll see a list of apps that have access to that permission.
5. Look for any apps you don’t recognize or find suspicious.

Fig 5. Checking app permissions for hidden apps.

7. Leverage built-in tools to uncover hidden apps

Even if an app has been tucked away in the App Library or removed from your Home Screen, your iPhone’s built-in tools can help you find it.

These methods work best if you know the app name you’re looking for. If unsure, use the methods we mentioned above to find hidden apps.

Ask Siri

1. To activate Siri, say “Hey Siri” or hold the Side button.
2. Give the command by saying, “Open [app name].”
3. If the app is installed, Siri will launch it directly, even if it’s not visible on your iPhone home screen.

Use iPhone’s spotlight search

1. To access spotlight, swipe down from the middle of your Home Screen or tap the Search button above the Dock.
2. Type the name of the app you’re looking for in the search feature, then tap Search.
3. The app should appear in the search results. Tap on it to open it directly.

How to Delete Hidden Apps

If you have followed the steps above and found any apps you did not download, you should
delete them immediately.

Here are three methods you can use to uninstall hidden apps on an iPhone:

Method 1: From the Home Screen

1. Find the app you want to delete on your Home Screen.
2. Press and hold the app icon until a menu appears.
3. Tap Remove App.
4. A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm. Tap Delete App.

Fig 6. Removing a suspicious app from the Home Screen.

Method 2: From the App Library

1. Swipe left past your last Home Screen page to reach the App Library.
2. You can browse through the categorized folders or use the search bar at the top to find the app.
3. Press and hold the app icons until a menu appears.
4. Tap Delete App and confirm by tapping Delete again.

Fig 7. Removing a suspicious app from the App Library.

Method 3: From Settings

1. Go to the Settings app.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap on iPhone Storage.
4. Scroll down the list to find the app you want to delete.
5. Tap on the app and then select Delete App. Confirm by tapping Delete App again.

Fig 8. Removing a suspicious app via Settings.

How to Keep Your iPhone Protected from Suspicious Hidden Apps

Keeping your iPhone free from hidden apps requires a few easy steps. Here’s how to stay ahead of anyone trying to hide a malicious app on your device.

• Update your passcode: Regularly change and keep your passcode private via Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode.
• Shorten auto-lock: Set your phone to auto-lock quickly in Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.
• Regular app audits: Check your App Store purchases frequently and remove unfamiliar apps.
• Update iOS: Always install the latest iOS updates under Settings > General > Software Update.
• Monitor permissions: Limit app permissions, especially for sensitive data.
• Manage location services: Control location access in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
• Install security software: Use spyware detection tools like Certo AntiSpy to scan for malicious apps.

Final Thoughts

Using the steps in this guide, you can easily find hidden apps and protect your privacy on your iPhone. Whether you’re checking your App Library, adjusting app permissions, or running a security scan, these methods will help keep your device secure.

With iOS 18 making it easier to hide apps, staying alert and checking your phone regularly is more important than ever. These simple actions will help you stay in control and ensure your iPhone stays free from unwanted or hidden apps.