Purpose of hidden apps folder?

[ManuCH]

So I've been looking at the hidden apps folder feature in iOS 18, and somehow I'm wondering what its purpose is supposed to be.

If the purpose is for someone to hide an app from a snooping spouse because they have something to hide, well, then it won't work, because the "hidden apps" folder is the first place a snooping person will be searching (and ask to be unlocked - "show me if you have nothing to hide"). Then it makes more sense to just hide the apps you don't want to be found deeply in some other folder (after all your productivity/office apps, for example) and just enable Face ID on those apps in case they are still found.

Also, it's poorly implemented, because hidden apps still show up in battery and screen time stats, and the Settings app cannot be locked with Face ID (which makes sense, as if anything goes wrong with Face ID, you have no way of fixing it if Settings was locked).

So I really am not seeing the use case and the initial thought/purpose of this. What am I missing?

 

[StumpyBloke]

I have apps on mine I wouldn’t want certain people to see, like customers. I am not obliged to show my apps to anybody.

 

[ManuCH]

I have apps on mine I wouldn’t want certain people to see, like customers. I am not obliged to show my apps to anybody.

Can you elaborate on your use case? Do you hand your phone to other people?

Because if you're someone who never hands the phone to anyone (like me), then the feature is not needed (or maybe I'm not seeing it). And if you do hand it to people, it depends on the context: if it's a business context, sure, you are not obliged to show your apps to anybody. But it still doesn't cover the "snoopy spouse" issue (which yes, should be solved on a human level by actually talking to each other, but still... I wonder).

 

[StumpyBloke]

Well I don’t have another half so I don’t have that issue to worry about fortunately.

But if I leave my iPhone as I’m walking around somebody’s office, and it happens to be unlocked, there are apps on there which contain data from some of my customers which is highly confidential and so is hidden behind this new feature where it can’t be opened without Face ID and is also hidden. That is a work example.

Privately, again if I leave my phone unlocked and I have friends in the house, or family, I have my financial apps all hidden and protected with Face ID.

 

[ManuCH]

Well I don’t have another half so I don’t have that issue to worry about fortunately.

But if I leave my iPhone as I’m walking around somebody’s office, and it happens to be unlocked, there are apps on there which contain data from some of my customers which is highly confidential and so is hidden behind this new feature where it can’t be opened without Face ID and is also hidden. That is a work example.

Privately, again if I leave my phone unlocked and I have friends in the house, or family, I have my financial apps all hidden and protected with Face ID.

Got it, I guess that makes sense! Thank you.

 

[StumpyBloke]

Got it, I guess that makes sense! Thank you.

Well it does to me

 

[BigBlur]

There's so many use cases for this... Have you never handed your phone or iPad over to a friend/family/co-worker to look at something - like a web page, email, YouTube video, map, or photos of your kids/pets/vacation? They wouldn't be able to see the apps you've hidden. Maybe you don't want them to know you're using dating apps. Or maybe you don't want them to know Candy Crush is your guilty pleasure. It isn't meant to hide your sneaky behavior from your spouse.

The 'Hidden' folder/category displays even if you don't have any apps hidden, so it's not like it sticks out like a sore thumb and obvious you're hiding something. It's really no different than the 'Hidden' photo album. Have people been demanding to see what you've been hiding there?

Hiding apps also hides them from Spotlight Search, Siri Suggestions, and blocks notifications...so that's another way to easily/quickly manage them rather than having to fiddle with several other settings.

Old way:

• Hide app deep in folder (still shows in App Library, Spotlight Search, & Siri Suggestions)
• Turn off notifications or set up focus modes to block them (or risk being embarrassed if a notification pops up while you're showing something and/or giving them a quick way into an app by tapping the notification)
• Remove Siri's access from the app if you don't want it to show in Spotlight Search or Siri Suggestions
• Undo all the changes above when you want things back to normal

New way:

• Hide app (nowhere to be found; notifications are blocked)
• Unhide app when you want things back to normal

 

[FreakinEurekan]

So I really am not seeing the use case and the initial thought/purpose of this. What am I missing?

Not trying to be snide, but... not all the features have to make sense or have an application to you. Some of them are for "Other People," and that's okay!

 

[gwang73]

I use mine as a kind of junk folder where I put apps I rarely use but don't want to delete.