Operation: Stealth Squirrel - How to Hide Apps on Your iPhone SE (Because Adulting is Hard)
Let's face it, our iPhones can get cluttered faster than a toddler's room after a playdate with a sugar rush. Among the usual suspects: that weird karaoke app you downloaded on a dare, the questionable game you haven't touched since 2019, and of course, that social media you swore you'd quit but secretly check 17 times a day.
But fear not, fellow iPhone SE warriors! There's a way to banish these digital eyesores from your home screen and reclaim your sanity (or at least the illusion of it). Today, we embark on Operation: Stealth Squirrel, a top-secret mission to hide apps so well, even your FBI agent assigned to monitor your memes won't find them.
Step 1: App Banishment - The Art of the Disappearing Act
- Locate the app you wish to banish to the digital abyss. Tap and hold that little icon until it wiggles like a bowl full of Jell-O after an earthquake.
- A menu will pop up, offering you the chance to "Remove App." Don't be intimidated by this dramatic wording. We're not deleting it, just giving it a luxurious all-expenses-paid vacation...in the App Library (more on that later).
- A sub-menu will then appear, taunting you with the option to "Delete App." Resist the urge! We're not Marie Kondo-ing our phones today. Just tap the much gentler "Remove from Home Screen." Poof! Your app is gone. Just like that embarrassing magic trick you attempted at your cousin's birthday party.
Pro Tip: Feeling overwhelmed by a whole page of clutter? Hold down the dots at the bottom of your screen to see all your home screen pages. Then, simply uncheck the page you want to hide. Just be sure you remember where you put it, unlike your car keys that seem to disappear every single morning.
Step 2: The App Library - A Hidden Oasis (Unless You Forgot Where You Put Your Apps)
The App Library. It's like the Bermuda Triangle for apps, where things go in but sometimes struggle to find their way back. But fear not, intrepid explorer! Here's how to navigate this uncharted territory:
- Swipe all the way to the right on your home screen until you land in a land filled with categorized app folders. This, my friend, is the App Library.
- Your banished app will likely be chilling in a folder based on its category (Games, Entertainment, who knows, maybe even a mysterious "Other" folder).
Important Note: The App Library isn't exactly the witness protection program for apps. Anyone with access to your phone can still find them here. So, if you're hiding evidence of your questionable app downloads from your significant other, this might not be the most foolproof plan.
Mission Accomplished? Maybe.
Congratulations! You've successfully hidden your apps. But let's be honest, how long will it be before you forget where you put them and end up frantically swiping through the App Library muttering to yourself. Hey, at least it'll be a fun distraction from the real world, right?
So there you have it, folks. Operation: Stealth Squirrel complete (ish). Now go forth and conquer your digital clutter, one hidden app at a time. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility (and the possibility of a future meltdown when you can't find that hidden game you really need to play right now).
