I’m Kayla, and I use an iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17. I test this stuff for real. And honestly, I kept thinking my apps were gone. They weren’t. They were just hiding.
If you want the longer story of how I went from panic to pro, I broke it all down in this deeper dive that pairs nicely with what you’re reading now.
One Sunday, coffee in hand, I swiped and swiped. No Spotify. No Duolingo. I felt silly. Then I got mad. Then I found them. Here’s exactly what worked for me, with real examples, and a few “gotchas” you might hit too.
For anyone who learns faster by watching, I also recorded a concise screen-recording over on Woopid that steps through each trick.
Quick plan:
- Search first, then the App Library
- Check hidden Home Screen pages and Focus
- Hunt in Settings (Storage and Siri & Search)
- Look at Screen Time limits
- Check the App Store history
- Reset the layout only if you must
Fastest move that saves the day
Swipe down on the Home Screen to open Search. Type the app name. Simple, right? Yet I forget it all the time.
Real examples:
- I typed “Spotify.” It showed “Spotify — App.” I tapped. It opened from the App Library. No icon on Home, though.
- I typed “Forest.” It did not show. That told me it was either deleted, blocked by Screen Time, or hidden from search (more on that).
If Search doesn’t show it, keep going.
The App Library trick I use every week
Go to your last Home Screen page, then one more swipe left. That’s the App Library. It sorts apps into boxes.
Need a refresher on everything the App Library can do? Apple’s official guide, Use the App Library to find your apps, walks through every step.
Real examples:
- Reddit was not on my Home Screen. In the App Library, I found it under Social. I pressed and held the icon, then tapped Add to Home Screen.
- My camera scanner app, “Genius Scan,” was in Productivity. I had set it to “App Library Only” months ago and forgot.
Pro tip I learned the hard way: press and hold the app, then drag it back to your Home Screen. Don’t just tap it and leave. Or you’ll lose track again.
Side note: if you’re often hopping into the driver’s seat and rely on a tidy launcher there too, my list of CarPlay apps that actually stick shows which icons earn dashboard real estate.
Hidden pages? Yep, that’s a thing.
This one got me during back-to-school week.
How to check:
- Press and hold on a blank spot on your Home Screen until the icons jiggle.
- Tap the dots at the bottom (the page dots).
- You’ll see thumbnails of your pages. If a page is unchecked, it’s hidden.
- Check the box to show it again. Tap Done.
Real example:
- My “Work” Focus hid a whole page with Slack and Notion. The page thumbnail was unchecked. I checked it, and boom, the app grid came back.
You know what? I thought I deleted Slack. I didn’t. I just hid the page during summer and forgot.
Focus can hide apps too (sneaky, I know)
Focus modes can hide certain pages while that Focus is on.
If you need deeper instructions, Apple’s support article, Use Focus on your iPhone or iPad, details how to fine-tune or disable these modes.
What I hit:
- I turned on a “Work” Focus that allowed only work apps. My music and photo editing apps vanished from Home, but lived in the App Library.
What I did:
- Settings > Focus > Work > Home Screen. I turned off “Custom Pages.” Once I did that, all pages showed up again.
Settings told me the truth: the Storage list
The most honest list on your phone is here:
- Settings > General > iPhone Storage
You’ll see every installed app, even if it’s hidden from Home or Search.
Real examples:
- I saw “VSCO” in the list. It wasn’t on my Home Screen. So I knew it wasn’t deleted. I tapped it, then used Offload App and Reinstall to refresh it. After reinstall, I found it in the App Library and dragged it out.
- I found an old budgeting app I didn’t need. Deleted it right there. Felt like spring cleaning, but with apps.
Siri & Search can hide apps from Search (yep, that’s a toggle)
If someone turned this off, Search won’t show the app at all.
Check it here:
- Settings > Siri & Search > scroll to your app > Show App in Search (turn it on)
Real example:
- Signal didn’t appear when I searched. In Siri & Search, “Show App in Search” was off. I turned it on, and it popped back up in Search right away.
I ran into a similar hiccup with Telegram alternatives while I was comparing them—my notes on which ones actually worked are over here.
Screen Time can make apps “disappear”
If an app is blocked, you often can’t see or open it.
Where I fixed it:
- Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions
Two places to check:
- Allowed Apps (make sure the app category is allowed)
- Content Restrictions > Apps (set to Allow All for testing)
Real examples:
- Duolingo was blocked by my “Study” downtime. It didn’t launch. I changed Downtime for that hour, and it came back.
- My kid’s iPhone hid the App Store itself. In Allowed Apps, I turned App Store back on. The icon appeared again. Crisis over.
While testing messenger apps for teens I noticed that Kik alternatives vanish the same way when a parent toggles the wrong switch.
Anonymous chat spaces such as Whisper look-alikes I tried can be especially prone to vanishing if your Content Restrictions skew strict.
Similarly, some adult cam platforms never make it into the App Store at all—Apple’s guidelines keep them web-only—so you’ll only find them in Safari. If you’re curious how one of the most popular services stacks up, my detailed overview of MyFreeCams is right here. It breaks down what’s free versus paid, the community vibe, and the privacy settings so you can decide whether bookmarking it is worth your time. And if you’re planning a night out in Southern California and prefer on-the-ground intel instead of an app that might not exist, the crowd-sourced Long Beach section of USA Sex Guide offers real user reviews, price ranges, and safety tips so you can navigate the local adult scene with confidence.
The App Store “Purchased” list saved me once
If you think you deleted it, check your history:
- App Store > your profile photo > Purchased > My Purchases > Not on this iPhone
Real example:
- I thought Snapchat was installed. It wasn’t. It was in Not on this iPhone. I re-downloaded it. And yes, I had that facepalm moment.
Folders and fake names: the messy drawer problem
Sometimes we hide apps in plain sight. Or we get clever and forget.
Real examples:
- I found TikTok in a folder called “Cooking.” Why? I don’t know. Past me was chaotic.
- I once made a Shortcuts icon that looked like the Apple Calculator. It opened a locked note. Not a real app, just a trick. Took me a week to remember.
What helps:
- Open each folder and pull apps out. Rename folders so they make sense. “Fun,” “Money,” “Work,” “Kids.” Keep it simple.
Rare, but worth a peek: Profiles and work rules
If your job or school manages your phone:
- Settings > General > VPN & Device Management
Real example:
- My work profile hid a beta VPN app and locked some settings. I couldn’t remove it without admin help. Work phones do that. Personal phones usually don’t.
Last-ditch fix: Reset the Home Screen layout
This brings your Home Screen back to the default layout. Your apps stay installed.
How:
- Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout
I did this once when I had too many folders. Pro: I could see every app again. Con: I had to rearrange my icons. It felt like moving furniture—loud, but clean in the end.
My quick checklist (I follow this now)
- Search by name