How to Delete a Hidden App on iPhone?

One of the reasons iPhones are so universally beloved is the quality of mobile applications available from the App Store. In general, having access to a lot of apps is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean you should keep every piece of software that ends up on your phone. Cleaning up unused or unnecessary apps should be a part of your regular maintenance and backup routine, but some apps might slip your attention and remain on the device, taking up valuable space. So, you may wonder Why can’t I delete Apps on iPhone and How to Fix?

To remove such apps, it’s necessary to look past the home screen and perhaps even use a specialized tool for data management. While this may sound complicated, in practice it doesn’t take too much time or effort to perform this action. It certainly helps to be aware of the different ways how to delete a hidden app on iPhone, so that you can make a rational choice and keep your phone memory tidy.

This article will show you how to find such apps and make sure they are gone from your iPhone forever.

How to Delete an App not on Home Screen?

Your iPhone has a feature that lets you control which apps are installed, and you can access it from the phone menu. Even if a certain app isn’t represented with an icon on the Home Screen, you can still find it and remove it from the phone completely with this method.

Step 1. Go to Settings, then select General and choose the iPhone Storage option.

Step 2. Now, you will see the full list of apps that are currently present on the device. Select the app you would like to delete and right-click on it.

Step 3. Choose Delete from the pop-up menu to permanently remove the app.

While this is pretty simple to do, you still need to sift through all the apps manually, which demands intense attention and a bit of time if you’ve been using the iPhone for a while and have dozens of apps that you barely remember installing. Also, this method can only remove third-party apps so if you want to get rid of some pre-installed software supplied by Apple you will need a different tool.

How to Delete Apps on iPhone that are Hidden – the Easiest Way

In addition to the native feature of iOS that was described above, you could also use a number of external applications to complete this task with even less hassle. AnyTrans by iMobie enjoys excellent reputation in the industry for versatility and reliability and it is compatible with practically all iPhone models, including the latest iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

With AnyTrans, deleting hidden apps becomes easy and anyone can perform it very quickly. Instead of deleting them one by one, you can select unused or hidden apps with one click and remove them all in the same action. With the possibility to preview all apps installed on your iPhone, AnyTrans allows you to decide what to do with them. Since AnyTrans can also help you with deleting, backing up, or transferring other types of content, it’s highly recommended for all iPhone owners who would like to keep their phones in perfect order at all times.

Now, get the latest version of AnyTrans on your Windows PC/Mac, and delete apps on iPhone that are hidden with the following steps:

Step 1. Click Apps to Manage

Launch AnyTrans > Head to Device Manager > Click the Apps category to preview all apps on your device.

Step 2. Delete the App Not Deleting on iPhone

All your apps are listed here, including version, app size, etc > Select the app that won’t delete on your iPhone > Click the Delete button. Also, you can click Uninstall button.

Step 3. Confirm to Delete the Selected App

Then AnyTrans will pop up the window to let you confirm whether to permanently delete the selected apps > Click Yes to permanently delete the app.

Delete a Hidden App on iPhone Using iTunes

iTunes is another great software that can help you remove unwanted apps from an iPhone. Most iPhone owners are familiar with this smart tool, which has been a part of Apple’s ecosystem for decades. With iTunes you can control what you keep on any Apple device in your possession, not just the one on which it’s installed. This is why you have to remove unwanted apps from iTunes library after you deleted them from the phone, or they might return the next time the devices are synced.

Here is what you have to do in order to permanently delete the apps in iTunes:

Step 1. Open the iTunes Library on your computer.

Step 2. Click on the Apps tab you will find in the menu on the left side of the screen, and select the device on which they are stored (i.e. iPhone).

Step 3. Right-click on each app you don’t want on the device, and choose Delete.

With this method, you can ensure that hidden apps will be permanently removed and won’t take up the space on your iPhone any more.

Delete an App not on Home Screen from Spotlight

If your iPhone is running iOS 16/iOS 15, you should learn how to delete an app not on home screen using the Spotlight app. This software lets you search your phone for any item you want to find, and the entire procedure to delete unwanted apps with it involves just a few simple steps:

Step 1. Type the name of the app you want to remove into the search field.

Step 2. If the requested app is present anywhere on the phone, its icon and name will be shown on your screen.

Step 3. Press the icon and hold it for a few seconds until a pop-up menu appears.

Step 4. Choose Delete from this menu, and you can clear out that app from your phone.

This method is faster than going through Settings, and is well-suited for discovering apps that are not on the home screen and that you are not using regularly. On the other hand, you don’t have to download any third-party software if you can use Spotlight to complete the deletion.

The Bottom Line

It’s very impractical to keep adding new apps to your iPhone without deleting those that serve no purpose, so learning how to delete apps on iPhone that are hidden is something you will be glad you did. Apple already provided you with solid tools to manage your hidden apps, but if for some reason those are not enough for your needs, you can always get a well-regarded third-party product like AnyTrans. It doesn’t take long to find and delete all the hidden apps on your iPhone, so you should make it a habit to look them over from time to time and remove any that you don’t have good use for.