If you can’t find an app on the Home Screen on your iPhone

The app might still be in your App Library, it could be on a hidden page or it could be in the Hidden folder.

Use Search to find an app

  1. Swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen. Or in iOS 16 and later, tap the Search field at the bottom of your Home Screen to start a search.

  2. In the Search field, enter what you’re looking for. As you type, Search will update results in real time.

  3. If the app icon appears, tap the icon to open it.

    iPhone screen showing search results with an app icon and name, and a Night Shift toggle.

If the app icon doesn’t appear, you might have to download the app from the App Store or check your Hidden folder.

Check if an app is on a hidden Home Screen page

When you hide or remove a page from your Home Screen, the apps on that page still appear in the App Library. You can use Search to find apps on a hidden Home Screen page.

To hide or unhide Home Screen pages:

  1. Touch and hold an empty area on your Home Screen.

  2. Tap the Edit button.

  3. Tap Edit Pages. Or, tap the dots near the bottom of your screen.

  4. Tap any unchecked circles to unhide a hidden page.

    Edit the iPhone Home Screen to view all your app pages.

Check the Hidden folder in your App Library for an app

You can hide apps on your iPhone in iOS 18. If you hide an app, it no longer appears on your Home Screen or App Library and it can’t be found with Search.

To check your Hidden folder for apps:

  1. Swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to get to the App Library.

  2. Scroll down to find the Hidden folder.

    iPhone Home Screen showing app folders like "Creativity" and "Information & Reading."

  3. Tap the Hidden icon.

  4. Use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to unlock the Hidden folder.

To unhide an app, touch and hold the icon, then tap Don’t Require Face ID. The app returns to your App Library.

To view a list of all of your hidden apps, go to Settings, then tap Apps. Tap Hidden Apps, then use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.

Add an app back to your Home Screen

If you can't find an app, you may need to download it again. If you find an app on a hidden Home Screen page or in the App Library, you can move it back to a Home Screen page:

  1. In your App Library, touch and hold the app.

  2. As you hold the app, drag it to the Home Screen page where you want to place the app.

  3. Tap the Done button.

Learn how to reset your Home Screen and apps to the original layout so apps you downloaded are arranged alphabetically after apps that came with your iPhone.

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