To find every app on your iPhone, swipe left past your last Home Screen page to open App Library. Tap the search field at the top to type an app’s name, or scroll to see an alphabetical list of all your apps. Apps you removed from the Home Screen are still there. You can also swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen and search.
For example, search for Measure if you want to use the Level on your iPhone but can’t find the Measure app icon.
These steps come from Apple’s App Library guide, If you can’t find an app on the Home Screen, How to check the storage on your iPhone and Redownload apps from Apple.
How to Find an App in App Library
- Go to the Home Screen.
- Swipe left past all your Home Screen pages.
- Tap the search field at the top and type the app name, or scroll up and down through the alphabetical list.
- Tap the app to open it.
Result: The app opens. App Library groups apps into categories like Social and Entertainment, with Suggestions and Recently Added at the top. If a category shows a few small icons, tap them to expand it.
How to Search for an App From the Home Screen
- Swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen. In iOS 16 and later, you can also tap the Search field at the bottom of the Home Screen.
- Type the app’s name. Results update as you type.
- Tap the app icon to open it.
Apple notes that if the app doesn’t show up, you may need to download it again or check your Hidden folder.
How to See a List of All Your Apps With Their Sizes
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Apple says this screen shows a list of your apps and how much storage each one uses, which is handy when you want to see everything at once or clean up apps you don’t use. Our guide to checking and freeing up iPhone storage covers the rest of that screen.
How to Put an App Back on the Home Screen
- Open App Library.
- Touch and hold the app until the icons start to jiggle and the app moves to the Home Screen, then lift your finger.
Why Can’t I Find an App?
Apple lists three places a missing app is usually hiding:
- A hidden Home Screen page: touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen, tap Edit > Edit Pages (or tap the dots near the bottom), and check any unchecked pages.
- The Hidden folder (iOS 18 and later): hidden apps don’t appear on the Home Screen, in App Library, or in Search. Scroll to the bottom of App Library, tap Hidden, and unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. To see the full list, go to Settings > Apps > Hidden Apps.
- It was deleted: open the App Store, tap your photo, tap Apps & Purchase History > Your Apps, then tap Not on this iPhone to see apps you can redownload.
Why Do New Apps Only Show in App Library?
Apple says new apps may go to App Library instead of the Home Screen when some Home Screen pages are hidden. You can also choose this on purpose: go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library and pick Add to Home Screen or App Library Only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move apps between App Library categories?
No. Apple says App Library sorts apps into categories automatically based on how you use them. You can add an app to the Home Screen, but you can’t move it to a different category.
Does hiding an app delete it?
No. A hidden app stays installed. It moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, and opening it requires Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
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Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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