Hide applications easily on the iPhone and iPad. This trick is useful if you want to give your iPhone or iPad to someone else and you do not want them to mess with some of your apps. OR if you want to give your iPhone or iPad to your kid brother or an under-age person, you can hide the inappropriate apps for under-age persons. You can also prevent apps from being deleted on iPhones and iPads.

You can choose to display only the default apps and hide all the others which you have downloaded from Apple app store. Or you may want to hide all default apps and display only the apps you have downloaded.. Alternatively, you can choose to hide apps individually.

The iPhone Monk will show you three different ways of hiding applications on the iPhone and on the iPad. I will show you how to:

1. Hide the default Apple apps and display only downloaded apps.

2. Hide all downloaded apps and display only the default apps.

3. Hide specific apps in a folder.

Hide iPhone and iPad default apps only

This method will hide default apps on the iPhone or iPad. You can hide apps like Safari, FaceTime, iTunes and Camera. (Yes, you can disable your iPhone camera).

Step 1: From your iPhone or iPad, open Settings and go to General

Step 2: Go to Restrictions, then click Enable Restrictions. You should set a Passcode to prevent unauthorized access to your Restrictions.

Step 3: Under the Allowed Content area, switch off the apps you wish to hide. For example, if you wish to hide FaceTime, change its status to OFF.

That’s it for default apps. You can now see that the hidden apps are no longer visible on your home screen.

Hide All Downloaded iPhone/iPad apps only

Now, this method would instantly hide all apps downloaded from the Apple app store and disable them from showing up on your home screen.

Step 1: From your iPhone or iPad, visit Settings, then go to General.

Step 2: Click Restrictions, then Enable Restrictions (if they are not already enabled)

Step 3: Look under the Allowed Content area, you would see Apps. Select Don’t Allow Apps.

Step 4: Exit to your home screen.

Now, you would notice that the only apps showing up on your home screen are the default apps from Apple which came with your device.

Hide Selected Apps In a Folder On iPhones and iPads

Ok, this method does not completely hide the app, if only makes it difficult for other people to see it. It is very straight forward.

Step 1: From your iPhone or iPad home screen, click and hold on an app you wish to hide. When it starts to wiggle, drag the app and drop it on another app you wish to hide. Doing this will create a new folder. Give this folder a name that would discourage people from opening it. For example: Trash can, Unused, Deleted, Old Items, e.t.c. You can click and drag other apps into that folder to hide them as well.