How to Hide and Restrict Apps on iPhone
How to Hide Apps on iPhone
There are several reasons why we would decide to hide an application yet still want to have access to it yourself. We would not get too nosy about why you might want to do that, but the only way to do this in iOS 12 is by simply putting that application in an out-of-the-way folder located on an empty home screen. Unless someone knows where exactly to look for it, it will basically stay hidden from the view. Name the folder something that will make it un-noticeable.
However, if you are a parent, and you need a fool-proof way to restrict app access for your children, you will need a more effective method. To block certain application from coming up on the screen at all, you will have to use Screen Time.
Screen Time in iOS 12
When you go to the iOS Settings application > Screen Time, the first window that you would see is a breakdown of how much time you have spent on your phone that particular day, and what you did with those time. If you press it, you can see a more conscise breakdown. This would show you exactly what application you used and how much time you spent on those applications.
Use Downtime to Limit Phone Usage
Versions of iOS below iOS 12 have a tool known as Restrictions, that you could locate under the Settings > General section. The aim of this was to limit a user from seeing certain content in an app, or in the entire app. The reason for this feature was primarily to stop users, expecially children, from seeing explicit content or making unauthorized purchases from the store.
Downtime is the first part of settings in Screen Time, and it shows the overall purpose of the feature. It allows you to set a schedule for the time away from your screen. When Downtime is turned on, you will not be unable to access any apps, except for the ones that you have allowed.
Screen Time App Limits
This is the part that allows you to set time limits for applications. Note that you canot set limits for specific applications; iOS limits you to some categories of applications only. Once you turn App Limits on, you will be greeted with a number of categories such as Social Networking, Games, or Entertainment.
You can select any of those categories and the amount of time you want to use them. For example, you can set your phone up so that you will have a total of one hour per day to play any games. This works whether you play one game for an hour or you play six games for 10 minutes each. When you reach that time limit, you will be presented with an alert that says you have reached your time limit.
Always Allowed Applications
Even if want to reduce your children excessive screen time, it is very important to keep some applications available in the case of emergencies. The Always Allowed section of Screen Time allows you do this. By default, your Phone application would always be available so you can make emergency calls.
Also, you can select any application from the list, hit the green plus button, and they would be added to your Always Allowed list. These applications would be available even during downtime.
Content and Privacy Restrictions
This section is the most useful for a parent that is trying to restrict their child from viewing certain content.
Under iTunes & App Store Purchases, you can block yourself or someone else from installing and deleting applications. Also, very importantly, you can now stop yourself or others from making in-app purchases.
Allowed Apps lets you block certain applications from being seen or used. However, this setting would only apply applies to built-in iOS applications such as Camera, Facetime, and Safari. Third-party applications are not supported.
Content Restrictions allows you decide whether to hide explicit content in the App Store and iTunes Store. It also allows you to limit websites to exclude adult content sites, or even to limit access to a specific whitelist. Furthermore, you can prevent users from searching the web or from playing multiplayer games.
