The Tech Geek‘s Guide to Deleting Hidden Apps on iPhone
As an iOS power user, nothing is more irritating than running out of storage space. Between constantly updating apps, capturing high-res photos and videos, and caching offline content, our iPhones are quick to max out the onboard storage capacity. When this happens, your iPhone performance suffers dramatically from low storage.
While adding more cloud storage can help, the most direct solution is regularly removing unneeded apps and data straight from your device. This guide will cover step-by-step instructions for locating and deleting hidden apps. But we’ll also dive deeper – analyzing the tech behind iPhone storage as only a true iOS geek could!
Let‘s dig in with some storage stats first.
Just How Full Are Our iPhones?
The average iPhone packs either 128GB or 256GB of storage these days. But a 2021 study by Uswitch [1] found that the average user has already filled 96.7GB! This leaves little wiggle room for new apps, media files, or iOS updates which are increasingly massive.
Photos and videos hog the most storage on average at 63GB combined. Apps themselves take up the next most at around 10GB typically [2]. However, some heavy app users or mobile gamers can use up to 80-100GB just with apps and their associated data.
No wonder it’s so common for iPhone users to constantly battle storage limits. Adding new apps when your phone is already full causes other apps to become hidden as iOS attempts to optimize what little space you have left.
Where Do Hidden Apps Come From Anyway?
Apps become hidden on your iPhone for a handful of key reasons:
Offloading Unused Apps
iOS can automatically offload unused apps while keeping their documents and data. This removes the app itself to clear up space. Any offloaded apps disappear from your Home Screen, essentially hiding them.
Deleting Partially
Starting in iOS 14, deleting an app icon from the Home Screen merely hides it instead of fully removing it. These apps vanish from sight.
Moving to App Library
The App Library introduced in iOS 14 is essentially iOS’s attempt to declutter your home screen by stashing lesser used apps out of sight. Any apps not on your home screen get grouped by category here.
Updates and Conflicts
Sometimes app updates don’t complete properly or data conflicts arise. This can cause apps to become corrupted and hidden from use while still taking up storage potential.
Jailbreaking Side Effects
Modifying core system files during some iPhone jailbreaking procedures can lead to apps disappearing entirely if system permissions aren’t set properly afterwards.
Now that you know why apps hide themselves on iPhones, let’s explore how to bring them back into view for removal when necessary.
Locating Those Hidden iPhone Apps
Hunting down hidden apps takes a bit of digital sleuthing. Here are 5 go-to techniques for uncovering their hiding spots:
1. Search via the App Library
The App Library introduced in iOS 14 serves as the perfect spot to uncover apps that have hidden themselves on your device because it has a handy search tool at the top.
- Swipe along your home screens until you reach the App Library
- Tap the search bar at the top
- Type in the name of your hidden app
- Scroll through the search results list for a match
Even if the app no longer resides on your home screen, the App Library indexes every installed app on your iPhone. Use this to your advantage for uncovering hidden offenders.
2. Use iOS Search from the Home Screen
Don’t want to leave your home screen? Use iOS universal search instead!
- Swipe down from the middle of your screen to access Search
- Type the app name into the search bar that appears up top
- Scroll down to view the full list of search results
- Even missing apps should appear here if still installed somewhere in iOS
This searches beyond just your home screen apps, making it useful for finding those that have been hidden away in the background.
3. Spotlight Search from Springboard
Similar to iOS search, Spotlight allows hunting down apps without launching the App Library view.
- Swipe down on the springboard (your first home screen)
- Type the name of your hidden app
- The icon will bubble up in the search results if the app still resides on your device
Spotlight powers searches throughout your phone, not just the home screen. Leverage this to uncover hidden apps super quickly.
4. Scroll Through Home Screen Folders
Sometimes apps remain installed and functioning but simply get buried inside home screen folders, hidden from view.
Thoroughly check inside each folder manually to uncover these sneaky apps:
- Locate all folders on your various home screen pages
- Open each folder individually
- Scroll through the apps inside to see if your missing app resides within
Doing this periodically can help surface apps that have become inadvertently hidden over time.
5. Connect to iTunes and View the Full List
As a last resort, connect your iPhone to a computer running iTunes to see the complete list:
- Connect your iPhone to a computer via the USB cable
- Open the latest version of iTunes on the connected computer
- Click the small iPhone icon in the upper-left corner
- Select the “Apps” listing on the left sidebar
- Here you’ll see the full list of every app installed on your iPhone, including hidden ones
While tedious, this method provides a foolproof way of revealing apps that might otherwise seem to have vanished.
Next let‘s drill into the best practices for actually removing hidden apps once unearthed…
Deleting Hidden Apps for Good
Now that you’ve tapped your inner detective and located those hidden apps, here are 3 routes for removal:
Delete Directly from the Home Screen
If your search uncovered the hidden app waiting stealthily on your home screen, removing it takes just a few taps:
- Press and hold the app icon until they all begin to jiggle
- Tap the “X” displayed in the corner of the app targeted for removal
- Tap “Delete” to confirm eradication
Doing this removes the app completely rather than just hiding the icon out of view.
Remove from the App Library
For apps uncovered residing within the App Library itself, deleting requires visiting there specifically:
- Open the App Library via the last home screen
- Locate the app again through Search
- Long press on the icon to trigger delete mode
- Tap “Delete App” then confirm your selection
This removes it identically to the home screen deletion steps. Zero trace will remain.
Eradicate Via iPhone Storage Settings
Your last option is using the iPhone Storage settings menu:
- Launch Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- Locate the app in the list
- Tap into the app details
- Choose “Delete App”
No matter which technique you use, the outcome remains the same – permanent eradication from your iPhone’s storage capacity.
What Happens Behind the Scenes When Deleting Apps?
Curious about what iOS is doing behind the scenes when removing apps? Deleting an app fundamentally removes its executable code and related files from the phone’s data partition.
Here’s a high-level look at what happens under the hood:
- iOS flags the app bundle for removal.
- The bundle’s directory path gets erased from the phone’s database.
- The app sandbox loses access permissions to the phone’s file system.
- The app bundle itself undergoes physical deletion freeing up occupied space.
Based on the app’s complexity, this process can take just seconds or up to several minutes for very large apps with extensive background processes tied throughout iOS.
Once deleted, it’s almost as if the app never existed in the first place according to iOS! Only by restoring an archived backup would the app be surfaced again.
Now let’s shift gears into proactive organization and storage management…
Keeping Your Apps Organized
Beyond reactive deletions, a little proactive organization goes a long way towards app management. Here are 3 tips for staying organized:
Use Custom Home Screen Folders
Folders make excellent homes to cluster related apps and tame your pages:
- Enter jiggle mode by pressing and holding any icon
- Drag one icon over another to start a folder
- Name the folder something descriptive as desired
- Continue housing associated apps together
Folders tidy up your home screen while keeping icons visible and just a tap away. Much better than apps getting lost!
Tag Frequently Used Apps
iOS 15 introduced the ability to tag apps with custom keywords. This helps create a flexible organization system beyond rigid folders:
- Long press an app icon to enter jiggle mode
- Lift your finger, then tap the tag icon
- Assign keywords matching the app’s function or your usage patterns
- Search or filter the home screen using tag names
Categories like “Social”, “Entertainment”, and “Work” make locating apps associated with certain activities easier.
Remove Icons Without Deleting Apps
For apps you use infrequently, remove their visible icons without fully uninstalling via:
- Entering jiggle mode by pressing and holding any icon
- Tapping the “-“ displayed on the target app
- Selecting “Remove from Home Screen” to merely hide it
This frees up home screen space while keeping the app ready via Search or the App Library only when needed. Reduces clutter without losing functionality!
Best Practices for Storage Management
In addition to better organization, developing good storage management habits is critical. Here are 4 top tips:
Routinely Check Storage Breakdowns
Stay constantly aware of what’s occupying your precious storage by checking the breakdowns routinely:
- Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- View storage usage by category at the top
- Spot check the last time each app was used
- Monitor the app list sorting options like app size
Doing storage checkups biweekly or monthly ensures you catch storage hogs before space runs too low.
Set App Limits Based on Usage Patterns
Every user‘s needs differ, so set storage limits customized to how you use apps:
- Categorize each app you have installed as either active, semi-active or inactive
- Benchmark the top storage sizes for each category based on your usage
- When any app exceeds the limits for its category, immediately offload or delete it
Custom benchmarks fit your distinct app habits rather than imposing one-size-fits-all restrictions.
Automate Offloading of Inactive Apps
Instead of manual offloading, enable auto-offload:
- Launch Settings > [your name] > iCloud
- Enable “Offload Unused Apps”
- Set the "Offload App" switch to green
Now iOS automatically offloads unused apps as needed while retaining their documents and data to redownload later. Saves you both time and space!
Clear Cache and Temp Files Regularly
Beyond the apps themselves, cached data and temp files accumulate causing hidden bloat:
- Once weekly, offload the largest apps
- Upon reinstalling, their cache gets cleared
- Alternatively, use a cache clearing app to erase temp files
This forces iOS to start fresh eliminating junk making apps faster while using less space behind the scenes.
Developing organized habits combined with storage best practices helps halt app chaos before it has a chance to start!
Use Search to Quickly Delete Anything
We’ve covered quite a few tips already. But I wanted to highlight one more “power user” shortcut.
Leverage iOS Search or Spotlight as app drag-and-drop deletion tools for lightning fast mass removal without digging through any other menu or list!
- Swipe down from your home screen to engage Search
- Type the name of your first deletion target
- Press and hold the resulting icon
- Drag it upward toward the top of the screen
- The app vanishes instantly with zero additional taps
Rinse and repeat for other apps you want gone. This trick delivers the most efficient path to deleting a batch of apps in a hurry!
Summary & Final Thoughts
Let’s recap the key topics we covered:
- Common reasons apps vanish into hidden status on iPhones
- Steps to track down hidden apps scattered throughout iOS
- Techniques for complete removal once rediscovered
- How the iPhone operating system handles app deletion
- Organizational best practices for home screen management
- Pro tips for effectively managing overall storage space
- Leveraging Search as a shortcut to super fast app deletion
Hopefully this guide served as your complete master class into the tech behind iPhone app management! Take control by following the steps outlined to locate hidden apps, comprehensively delete them, organize your space effectively, and manage your storage properly.
A few parting thoughts:
- Always remember to backup your data before deleting anything
- Be mindful of removing Apple’s default apps as they integrate tightly into iOS
- Periodically reboot your iPhone after app purges to allow the OS to reclaim space fully
- Try your best to maintain at least 10% free space at all times
What about you? Have your own clever tricks for keeping apps visible and space under control? Share your thoughts and advice below!
