How To Reveal Hidden Apps on iPhone in iOS 18

Hiding apps in iOS 18? Yeah, it’s kind of a neat feature for keeping things private, but sometimes it’s more frustrating than useful, especially when you forget how to unhide or find those apps later. If you’ve hidden apps and now they’re nowhere to be seen—maybe even in the App Library or just not on your Home Screen—this guide aims to clear that up. Because of course, iOS makes hiding and unhiding apps a bit more convoluted than it needs to be. The good news is, once you get the hang of where to look and what settings to tweak, it’s not too bad. Plus, you’ll be able to access or unhide apps without having to reset everything. So, let’s get into how to find those sneaky hidden apps, whether they’re in the Hidden folder, disallowed by restrictions, or just uninstalled by mistake.

How to unhide apps on an iPhone

The main thing to remember: hidden apps usually go to the Hidden folder in your App Library. So, if they’re hidden, they’re not gone, just tucked away. And if you want to bring apps back to your Home Screen or just access them from the App Library, these steps should help. On some setups it works right away, but other times, you gotta just mess around a little more, especially if restrictions or uninstallations are involved.

Viewing hidden apps in iOS 18

This is the easy part. When you hide an app, it gets sent to the Hidden folder inside your App Library. To check or get to your hidden apps:

Swipe left on the Home Screen until you land in the App Library. Usually, it’s the last page after all your Home Screen pages.
Scroll through or use the search at the top to find the Hidden folder. It’s often just a standard folder, so don’t panic if it’s not obvious at first glance.
Tap it, and if it’s locked, authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode—whatever your iPhone uses for security. The hidden apps should appear here.

On some setups, I’ve noticed the Hidden folder sometimes doesn’t show up right away or needs a reboot. Not sure why it works, but occasionally a restart of the device clears up weird display bugs.

Unhiding apps and bringing them back to Home

If you want an app visible again or just easier to launch, it’s pretty straightforward. When the app is in the Hidden folder, you can unhide it like this:

Swipe left to the App Library again and open the Hidden folder with Face ID or passcode.
Press and hold on the icon of the app you want to unhide. This is where it gets tricky; sometimes, the quick options menu might not show ‘Unhide’ directly—then you have to go the long way.
Tap Unhide App or, if that’s not available, choose Add to Home Screen. When you add it here, it will appear directly on your Home Screen. That’s handy if you’re constantly using that app.

Really, the main point is just to tick that app over in the Hidden folder or toggle it back in Restrictions.

What if things aren’t working? Other tricks to try

If the Hidden folder isn’t showing up, or the app refuses to show after unhide attempts, then it’s time for some other options. Sometimes, something just needs a little kick in the pants—like a restart or checking restrictions.

Check Content & Privacy Restrictions

This is a common culprit because apps can be hidden under restrictions. If you set some parental control or restrictions, they might be blocking certain apps or hiding them altogether.

Open Settings.
Head over to Screen Time and tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Enter your passcode if prompted.
Look for Allowed Apps & Features. If your app is toggled off here, that’s why you can’t find or open it.
Turn on the toggle for that app or feature. Boom, it should appear again in your App Library or Home Screen.

This is often the primer step; on some machines, just toggling Content Restrictions on and off can shake loose hidden apps. Sometimes, I’ve seen apps magically reappear after a reboot or toggling settings.

Uninstalled apps? Check Hidden Purchases

Sometimes, you’re hunting for an app that’s not just hidden but *actually uninstalled*.When you try to reinstall, it might not show if it’s hidden from your purchase history. Here’s what to do:

Open the App Store.
Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
Choose Purchased > Hidden Purchases.
Find the app in this list and tap Unhide. Now, go back and reinstall it like usual.

This is weird but on some setups, the app is technically uninstalled but still marked as hidden, so you gotta unhide it first.

Add back to Home Screen manually

If the app is in the App Library but not on your Home Screen, just find it via search or in the App Library, tap and hold, then drag onto a preferred spot. Or tap Add to Home Screen when options pop up. Mostly, that’s how you get quick access without juggling with restrictions or hidden folder nonsense.

Worse case, resetting all settings might fix deep-rooted glitches, but that’s a last resort after exhausting these options. Usually, just toggling restrictions, revisiting the Hidden folder, or un-hiding from Hidden Purchases does the trick.

Wrap-up

Getting comfortable with iOS 18’s app hiding features takes a little time, especially since the folders and restrictions can feel like a maze. But once those steps are clear, it’s mostly a matter of navigating the App Library and restrictions settings. Sometimes, a quick restart or toggling a setting clears things up faster than you’d expect. Not always straightforward, but it works once you figure out the combo of hiding/unhiding, restrictions, and app reinstalling.

Summary

Check the Hidden folder in the App Library.
Ensure no restrictions are blocking app visibility in Settings > Screen Time.
If an app is uninstalled, look in Hidden Purchases in the App Store.
Use search to manually find and drag apps back onto the Home Screen.
Reboot or reset settings if weird glitches keep happening.