Here's How You Can Delete or Hide Those iPhone Icons

Before, Apple users had no way of deleting preinstalled iOS apps. Now, there are ways to delete or hide any app on the iPhone or iPad. These approaches will work regardless of the iOS version you are currently using.

To hide any app on your iPhone or iPad, including pre-installed ones like Newsstand, iBooks, Health, etc. tap and hold on the icon of the app until all the app icons on the screen are shaking. Regular apps can be deleted by tapping the grey cross. Pre-installed apps, however, will not show a grey cross. The trick will involve dragging one icon of a pre-installed app over another to create a folder. Place all the pre-installed apps, or those you want to hide inside a single folder to keep it out of sight, MacWorld wrote.

Next, go to the folder with all the apps you wish to remove or hide. Tap and hold on the icon until all the app icons are shaking. Drag the icon to the right edge of the folder until you reach the first empty page of the folder. This will usually be a newly created second page. Let go of the icon to let the icon position at the upper-left part of the page. Repeat the process and drag the icon to the right edge to create another page for the icon to position itself. However, do not release your finger to let the icon settle. Press the Home button with your finger still on the icon. This will cause the icon to go off to the upper left portion. Continue the steps until all the apps in the folder disappear. Afterwards, the folder will vanish as well, Lifehacker stated.

MacWorld also revealed that you can set up a folder to hide unwanted apps. The process involves pressing and holding the icon of the app until everything is shaking. Drag the icon onto the second app to put these in a folder. iOS will automatically create a title for the folder. You can tap the name to rename it.

To recover any deleted app, you can download it again from the App Store. Open the App Store on your iPhone. Sign in using the same account you used to buy the app before. Tap Updates > Purchased > Not On This iPhone. Next, tap the Download icon beside the app you wish to download.

Apple is also reportedly developing an app removal tool.