Where is the Utilities Folder on the iPhone?

If your iPhone has a Utilities folder, it’s on one of your Home Screen pages. Not every iPhone has one, since it depends on how your Home Screen is arranged. The quickest way to find the apps people keep in it, like Calculator, Compass, Voice Memos and Measure, is to swipe down on the Home Screen and search, or swipe left to App Library.

These steps follow Apple’s guides to finding a missing app and App Library.

In this guide:

• Find a utility app with Search
• Find it in App Library
• Check your Home Screen pages
• If the app still doesn’t show up
• FAQs

How to Find a Utility App With Search

1. Swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen. On iOS 16 and later, you can also tap the Search button at the bottom of the Home Screen.
2. Type the app’s name, such as Calculator or Voice Memos. Results update as you type.
3. Tap the app icon to open it.

Result: The app opens no matter which page or folder it’s in. Apple notes that Search also finds apps on hidden Home Screen pages.

How to Find Utility Apps in App Library

1. Go to your Home Screen.
2. Swipe left past all of your Home Screen pages to reach App Library.
3. Tap the search field at the top and type the app’s name, or scroll the alphabetical list.
4. Tap the app to open it.

Result: You see every app on your iPhone, including ones you removed from the Home Screen. Apple says App Library sorts apps into categories automatically based on how you use them, and you can’t move them to a different category.

To put a utility app back on your Home Screen, touch and hold it in App Library, drag it to the page you want, and tap Done. To find new apps by category, see how to browse for apps by category on an iPhone.

How to Check Your Home Screen Pages for a Utilities Folder

If you remember a Utilities folder but can’t see it, the page it was on may be hidden. Per Apple:

1. Touch and hold an empty area on your Home Screen.
2. Tap Edit, then Edit Pages. Or tap the dots near the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap any unchecked circle to unhide that page.

Result: Hidden pages, along with any folders on them, come back to your Home Screen. If you’d like to build your own Utilities folder, see how to move apps on an iPhone and drag one app onto another to make a folder.

What to Do If the App Still Doesn’t Show Up

• Check the Hidden folder. In iOS 18 and later you can hide apps. Apple says 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.
• See all hidden apps. Go to Settings > Apps > Hidden Apps.
• Download it again. If you deleted a built-in app, Apple says you may need to get it from the App Store.

Result: You can track down any app, even ones that are hidden or deleted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What apps were in the old Utilities folder?

It usually held small tools like Calculator, Compass, Voice Memos and Measure. Your iPhone may have different apps depending on its model and setup.

How do I use the Calculator’s extra features?

See how to use parentheses on the iPhone calculator.

How do I play back a voice memo quickly?

See a quick way to play a voice memo on an iPhone. If your recordings are being named after places, you can also turn off location-based naming for voice memos. To send a recording to someone, see how to share a voice memo in a text message on an iPhone.

What does the airplane icon at the top of my screen mean?

That’s Airplane Mode. See what the airplane icon on the iPhone means.

Looking for advanced math functions? See how to find the scientific calculator on an iPhone.