How to hide your iPhone apps and homescreens WITHOUT deleting them
WANT to clean up your homescreen? The latest iPhone update makes it easier than ever.
You can now easily hide apps on your homescreen without deleting them.
And if you've got loads of homescreen pages then you can hide those too – while keeping their layout intact.
The iPhone has been out since 2007, and over that time the number of apps we've downloaded has ballooned.
Even if you keep them organised in folders, it's likely you still have several homescreen pages.
It was previously impossible to hide apps or pages without actually deleting apps.
But the latest iOS 14 update adds new features that let you reorganise your iPhone with zero downsides.
For a start, you've now got a permanent App Library if you scroll all the way to the right of your homescreen.
This is where all of your apps are stored, and they're automatically organised into their own categories.
So if you've got any apps on hidden homescreen pages, they'll still be visible in your App Library.
Hiding a homescreen page is simple.
First, make sure any apps that you want to hide are stored on a homescreen page you're happy to hide too.
Then hold your finger down on the homescreen until your app icons start wiggling.
Next, tap on the bubble with dots inside at the bottom of your screen – the one that shows which page you're on.
This will bring you to a homescreen view that lets you hide individual pages – by "unticking" them.
Once you're finished, just click Done in the top right-hand corner.
These pages aren't gone forever, and are perfectly preserved until the next time you want to unhide them.
Of course, you can also leave them hidden forever too.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best...
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
The new iPhone update added loads of other nifty features too.
You can now add widgets to your homescreen, using the left-most homescreen panel.
These include widgets for tracking your fitness metrics, showing notes or calendar appointments, and info about the news or weather.
The update is free to download and is available right now.
In other news, Apple has designed a sci-fi new iPhone that promises to make smashed phone screens a thing of the past.
Apple is heavily rumoured to be releasing a new "Mini" iPhone this month.
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And, the upcoming iPhone 12 could be the first Apple mobile that ships without headphones or a charging plug in the box.
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