Alright, let's dive into the world of keeping your iPad Pro apps a little more private! Ever handed your iPad to someone and wished certain apps weren't so... visible? You're not alone! While the iPadOS doesn't have a built-in, foolproof "hide" function in the traditional sense, there are several clever workarounds to achieve a similar effect.
Ready to make some apps disappear (well, almost)? Let's start with Step 1!
Step 1: Decluttering Your Home Screen - The First Line of Defense
This is the most straightforward approach and often sufficient for casual privacy. Think of it as tidying up your digital living room.
Moving Apps to the App Library
Introduced in iPadOS 14, the App Library is a fantastic way to organize your apps and remove them from your home screens without actually deleting them.
- Find the App You Want to "Hide": Locate the app icon on your home screen that you wish to make less visible.
- Enter Jiggle Mode: Tap and hold the app icon until a menu appears, or simply tap and hold any empty space on the home screen until all the app icons start to jiggle.
- Move to App Library:
- Option 1 (Quickest): While the apps are jiggling, tap the small "x" that appears in the upper-left corner of the app icon. A menu will pop up. Select "Remove from Home Screen". This sends the app directly to the App Library.
- Option 2 (Multiple Apps): While in jiggle mode, drag the app icon to the far-right edge of your last home screen. This will move the app to the App Library. You can repeat this for multiple apps.
- Accessing Hidden Apps: To find these apps later, simply swipe left past your last home screen. This will bring up the App Library, where all your apps are organized into categories. You can also use the search bar at the top to quickly find a specific app.
Why this helps: This method removes the visual presence of the app from your main working space, making it less likely for someone casually browsing your iPad to stumble upon it.
Step 2: Organizing Apps into Less Obvious Folders
Folders can be your allies in the quest for app obscurity. You can bury less frequently used or more "private" apps within nested folders.
Creating and Nesting Folders
- Create a Folder: Tap and hold one app icon you want to hide and drag it onto another app icon. This will automatically create a new folder containing both apps.
- Rename the Folder: The folder will have a default name. Tap on the name to edit it. You can choose a generic name that doesn't reveal the contents, like "Utilities," "Tools," or even just a single dot or symbol (though this might not be ideal for easy identification).
- Add More Apps: Drag other apps you want to hide into this folder.
- Nesting Folders (A Bit More Involved): While iPadOS doesn't officially support nested folders in the traditional desktop sense, you can create a similar effect by putting a folder with your "hidden" apps onto a less frequently accessed home screen page. Then, you can place another less revealing folder on your main home screen.
Think of it like this: You have a drawer labeled "Tools" (your folder on the home screen). Inside that drawer (when you open the folder), you have another box labeled "Misc" (the apps you want to hide). It's not perfect nesting, but it adds a layer of indirection.
Step 3: Utilizing Restrictions (Screen Time) - For More Control
The Screen Time feature offers a more robust way to limit access to certain apps, effectively "hiding" them from view.
Hiding Apps Through Allowed Apps
- Open Settings: Launch the Settings app on your iPad Pro.
- Navigate to Screen Time: Scroll down and tap on "Screen Time."
- Turn On Screen Time (If Not Already Enabled): If Screen Time isn't enabled, tap "Turn On Screen Time" and follow the prompts.
- Tap "Content & Privacy Restrictions": This is where the magic happens.
- Enable Restrictions: Toggle the "Content & Privacy Restrictions" switch to the "on" position.
- Tap "Allowed Apps": You'll see a list of default Apple apps that are always allowed.
- Toggle Off the Apps You Want to Hide: Simply switch off the toggle next to any app in this list that you want to "hide." These apps will disappear from your home screens and will not be searchable.
Important Considerations with Restrictions:
- Password Protection: You'll be prompted to set a Screen Time passcode if you haven't already. Remember this passcode! You'll need it to change these settings later.
- Impact on Functionality: Completely hiding an app through this method also prevents it from running in the background or sending notifications. Be mindful of this if the app provides important alerts.
- Default Apple Apps: This method primarily works for default Apple apps. You cannot directly hide third-party apps using this specific "Allowed Apps" setting.
Step 4: Removing Apps from Search and Siri Suggestions
While this doesn't completely hide the app, it makes it less likely to appear in Spotlight search results or Siri suggestions, adding another layer of subtle privacy.
Adjusting Siri & Search Settings
- Open Settings: Go to the Settings app.
- Tap on the App Name: Scroll down the main Settings menu until you find the name of the app you want to make less discoverable and tap on it.
- Siri & Search Options: Within the app's settings, tap on "Siri & Search."
- Toggle Off Relevant Options:
- Show App in Search: Turn this off to prevent the app from appearing in Spotlight search results.
- Suggest App: Turn this off to prevent Siri from suggesting the app.
- Show Content in Search: Turn this off to prevent content within the app from appearing in search results.
- Learn from App: Turning this off prevents Siri from learning your usage patterns within the app.
Subtlety is Key: This method makes the app less obvious but doesn't remove it from your App Library or home screens if it's still there.
Step 5: Managing Notifications for Discreetness
While not directly hiding the app, controlling notifications can prevent unwanted attention to certain apps.
Configuring Notification Settings
- Open Settings: Launch the Settings app.
- Tap "Notifications": Scroll down and tap on "Notifications."
- Select the App: Find the app you want to manage notifications for and tap on its name.
- Customize Notifications:
- Allow Notifications: You can turn off notifications entirely.
- Alerts: If you choose to allow notifications, you can customize where they appear (Lock Screen, Notification Center, Banners) and whether they show previews. For maximum discretion, you might choose to turn off Lock Screen and Banner notifications and only see them in the Notification Center (which requires a swipe down to view).
- Sounds and Badges: You can also disable sounds and app badge icons to make the app's activity less conspicuous.
Peace and Quiet: Managing notifications helps keep the app's activity private and reduces the chances of someone noticing its usage.
Step 6: Considering Third-Party "Vault" Apps (Use with Caution)
While iPadOS doesn't have native app hiding, some third-party apps in the App Store claim to offer this functionality.
A Word of Caution: Be extremely careful when downloading and using such apps. They often require significant permissions and may pose privacy risks. Research the app thoroughly, read reviews, and understand their data policies before entrusting them with your private information. Many of these apps don't truly "hide" apps but rather store files and media within their own secure environment, requiring you to import content into them.
Step 7: Utilizing Parental Controls for Specific Apps (Another Screen Time Feature)
Similar to the "Allowed Apps" feature, you can use other aspects of Screen Time to restrict access to specific third-party apps based on age ratings. While not a direct "hide," it can make them inaccessible without the Screen Time passcode.
Setting Content Restrictions
- Open Settings: Go to "Screen Time" in the Settings app.
- Tap "Content & Privacy Restrictions": Ensure this is turned on.
- Tap "Content Restrictions":
- Tap "Apps":
- Choose an Age Rating: Select an age rating that is lower than the rating of the app you want to restrict. For example, if the app is rated 17+, choosing "4+" will effectively hide it from view.
Keep in Mind: This method is more about restricting access based on age appropriateness rather than discreetly hiding apps. It might also affect other apps with similar or higher age ratings.
Step 8: The "Offload Unused Apps" Feature - A Side Benefit
While not a direct hiding method, the "Offload Unused Apps" feature can automatically remove apps you haven't used in a while, freeing up storage space and making your home screen cleaner. The app icon remains on your home screen with a download cloud icon, allowing you to easily reinstall it if needed.
Enabling Offload Unused Apps
- Open Settings: Go to the Settings app.
- Tap "App Store":
- Toggle On "Offload Unused Apps":
Automatic Tidying: This helps declutter your home screen over time without you having to manually remove apps.
Step 9: Creating Web App Shortcuts for Certain Apps
For some services that primarily exist as web applications, you can create a shortcut on your home screen that opens the website in Safari. This can sometimes be a less obvious way to access a service without having a dedicated app icon.
Creating a Web App Shortcut
- Open Safari: Navigate to the website of the service you want a shortcut for.
- Tap the Share Button: This is the square icon with an arrow pointing upwards, usually located at the bottom (or top, depending on your iPad orientation).
- Scroll Down and Tap "Add to Home Screen":
- Edit the Name (Optional): You can change the name of the shortcut that will appear on your home screen.
- Tap "Add": The website icon will now appear on your home screen like an app icon.
Web Alternative: This works best for web-based services and doesn't hide actual installed apps.
Step 10: Regularly Reviewing Your Home Screens
The simplest yet often overlooked step is to periodically review your home screen layouts and ensure only the apps you actively need are readily visible. Make it a habit to move less frequently used or more sensitive apps to the App Library or into less obvious folders.
Digital Spring Cleaning: A regular review helps maintain a clean and private digital space.
How to... Frequently Asked Questions
How to quickly access the App Library?
Simply swipe left past your last home screen. The App Library will appear.
How to move multiple apps to the App Library at once?
Enter jiggle mode (tap and hold an empty space on the home screen), then drag each app individually to the far-right edge of your last home screen.
How to find a hidden app in the App Library?
Open the App Library (swipe left past your last home screen) and use the search bar at the top to type the app's name.
How to unhide an app moved to the App Library?
Open the App Library, find the app, tap and hold its icon, and then select "Add to Home Screen".
How to remember my Screen Time passcode?
Unfortunately, if you forget your Screen Time passcode, you'll need to reset your iPad to factory settings to remove it. Apple does not have a way to recover this specific passcode.
How to tell if an app is hidden using Screen Time restrictions?
If an app has been hidden through "Allowed Apps" in Screen Time, its icon will completely disappear from your home screens and will not show up in search.
How to re-enable a hidden app through Screen Time?
Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps, and toggle the switch for the app back on.
How to stop an app from appearing in Spotlight search?
Go to Settings, find the app's settings, tap on Siri & Search, and turn off "Show App in Search".
How to make app notifications more private?
Go to Settings > Notifications, select the app, and customize the alert style, disable Lock Screen and Banner notifications, and turn off sounds and badges.
How to completely remove an app from my iPad Pro?
Tap and hold the app icon on your home screen until the menu appears, then select "Remove App" and confirm by tapping "Delete App". This will uninstall the app and all its data.
Remember, achieving true, invisible app hiding on an iPad Pro isn't really possible with the built-in features. These methods focus on making apps less obvious and accessible to casual users. Choose the techniques that best suit your needs and the level of privacy you desire!
