How-to-Hide-App-Icons-iOS-9While Tim Cook has promised Apple will "figure out a way" for iPhone and iPad users to remove certain default apps, a new limited trick allows for stock icons to be temporarily hidden on devices running iOS 9.0 to iOS 9.2 without jailbreaking.

YouTube channel videosdebarraquito shared a video of his trick over the weekend, and we have confirmed the method works as shown. Follow these step-by-step instructions and watch the video below for a demonstration.

How to Hide App Icons on iOS 9

  1. Hold down on the app icon you want to hide until it starts to wiggle.

  2. Drag the app icon over any other app to create a folder.

  3. Take your finger off the icon once in the folder. Do not press the Home button.

  4. Drag the app icon to the second page of the folder. Take your finger off the icon.

  5. Drag the app icon to the third page of the folder and keep your finger on it.

  6. Drag the app icon to the edge of the folder and press the Home button simultaneously.

As long as the device remains powered on, including when the display is locked, the app icons removed with this trick will remain hidden.


Keep in mind that the hidden app icons will reappear when the iPhone and iPad is restarted, so this trick only serves as a temporarily solution.

As a boilerplate disclaimer, this is an unofficial trick and we cannot guarantee it will not cause any unforeseen problems on your iPhone or iPad.

(Thanks, Jose!)

Top Rated Comments

Adithya007 Avatar
118 months ago
Why can't Apple just make a way to hide apps of the user's choice?

And why do I need an Apple Watch app when I don't have one? Can't the Apple Watch owners just go to the App Store and download the app? :/
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdridwan47 Avatar
118 months ago
I don't want to just hide it. I want to remove it. And if necessary redownload it from the app store.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrodieApple Avatar
118 months ago
I can see why people want apps to be hidden, but I don't see whats so annoying about having it just on the last page of a folder. Or a seperate page on your home screen.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Smultie Avatar
118 months ago
Lol, you iPhone users still can't do that :)

So a simple 'hide' option would solve two of them, so the third is storage space.

Are you really quibbling over 100MB?
Is Apple still selling phones with 16GB? Then yes, people will still be b*tching about 100MB.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
118 months ago
Is Apple still selling phones with 16GB? Then yes, people will still be b*tching about 100MB.
It's clear from your other post that you don't have an iPhone, but let me put 16GB devices into perspective for you. 100MB is less than 1% of available storage on a 16GB iPhone. Besides, those people bought a 16GB device.



WTH??? Are you blind?

If something is there that you don’t like/need it’s not too much of a stretch that it be described as clutter.
Personally, I’ve never gone down the space used line. But waste is waste and at the premium Apple charge for space I’d rather it was used for something I actually want or that it be free space.
The default apps that I don’t want are crap, (to me), in fact they’re not even that good. At least with the 3rd party ones I can remove them.
Like I said, a simple 'hide' option would solve two of them but as it's not an option yet, just stick them in a folder and done. This really is a non-issue.

And in terms of "premium" Apple storage, 100MB is 20 cents.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
skylerolson Avatar
118 months ago
Hold on a sec, this is becoming one very slippery slope... One minute it's about clutter, the next it's about space used and now it's about advertising?

What exactly is your problem with default iOS apps? Make your mind up!
All of the above! :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
MacBook Air 15 Inch Feature Blue

MacBook Air Likely Apple's First Product Update of 2025: What to Expect

Wednesday January 15, 2025 8:49 am PST by
There is a good chance that Apple's first product announcement of 2025 will be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip. Last month, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.2, and in doing so it accidentally confirmed new MacBook Air models are coming this year (unsurprisingly). Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some...