How to Unhide Apps on iPhone in iOS 26
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In iOS 26, an app can be missing from the Home Screen for several reasons: it may have been removed from the Home Screen but still be in App Library, it may sit on a hidden Home Screen page, or it may have been deliberately hidden in the protected Hidden folder. The correct way to restore it depends on which type of hiding was used.
If the app is in the Hidden folder
- Swipe left past all Home Screen pages to open App Library.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Hidden.
- Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- Touch and hold the app.
- Tap Don’t Require Face ID or the equivalent shown on your device.
- Authenticate again if requested.
Apple says the app then returns to the normal App Library.
See all hidden apps in Settings
Go to Settings → Apps → Hidden Apps and authenticate. This lets you confirm which apps are currently hidden.
If the app was only removed from the Home Screen
Removing an app from the Home Screen is different from hiding it with authentication. Swipe to App Library and locate the app. A normal App Library app can still appear in Search and can be added back to the Home Screen.
If an entire Home Screen page is hidden
- Touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen.
- Tap Edit, then Edit Pages, or tap the page dots near the bottom.
- Tap an unchecked page circle to make that page visible again.
Apps on a hidden Home Screen page still exist in App Library and can normally be found with Search. That differs from an app in the protected Hidden folder.
Why Search may not find a truly hidden app
Apple says an app hidden using the iOS 18-and-later hidden-app feature no longer appears normally on the Home Screen or in App Library and cannot be found with Search. If Search does not find an app you know is installed, check Hidden instead.
Limits of hidden apps
Apple says built-in apps cannot be hidden with this feature; only separately downloaded apps can be hidden. A hidden app can still leave its name visible in system areas including Screen Time, battery usage information and App Store purchase history. Hiding is therefore a privacy convenience, not a way to erase every record that an app exists.
The hidden or locked status is device-specific and does not sync through iCloud.
If the app still is not there
Open the App Store and check whether the app needs to be downloaded again. Also consider Screen Time restrictions if an app or feature is being limited by parental or content controls.