iOS 18’s hidden apps are not as secret as they seem

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One of the most talked-about features of iOS 18 is the ability to lock and hide apps from prying eyes. But just how hidden are these hidden apps, really? It turns out not as much as you might hope.

The feature works similarly to Samsung’s Private Space — you can select apps to lock behind Face ID or stash them in a hidden folder in your app library. This seems perfect for keeping your dating app habits on the down low, but a report from 9to5Mac reveals some surprising loopholes.

For one, hidden apps can still appear in your Settings’ Background App Refresh list. If they’ve been granted access, they’ll also show up in the Photos tab of the Privacy section.

Not to mention, hidden apps will still be listed as “installed” in the App Store. And if you hit up a site like Quora or Reddit in a web browser, it might still suggest opening things in the hidden app.

The list continues: If you’re using the new iPhone Mirroring feature for MacOS Sequoia to monitor your home screen from your desktop, it seems you might be able to spot those hidden apps after all. That’s right – your secret’s not safe even on your Mac.

Now, to be fair, Apple never promised these hidden apps would be completely invisible. When you first hide an app, iOS warns you it “may still be visible in a few places, such as settings.” But still, you’d hope for a bit more secrecy than this.

So what’s the point of this feature? Is it just a half-measure to make us feel better about our privacy? Are we being conditioned to live some kind of double life, with our “real” selves on our home screens and our secret selves tucked away in hidden folders?

The bigger question is, is this a sign of where Apple’s headed with privacy? Are they going to start pushing us towards these kinds of “secret” ways of using our devices as some kind of solution to the fact that our data’s always at risk?

There’s a thread on Reddit where people are already discussing the implications of this. Some are saying it’s a sign Apple’s not taking privacy seriously enough, that they’re more interested in giving us the feeling of control than protecting our data.

Others are defending the feature, saying it’s a step in the right direction.

But the fact that hidden apps can still be found in so many different places makes you wonder – is this really a step forward, or just a kind of digital smoke and mirrors? And what does it say about where Apple is headed with privacy in the future?

Let me know what you think. Are you using the hidden apps feature, or does it seem too risky? Do you think Apple needs to do more to protect our privacy, or is this a good start? And what does this make you wonder about the future of our devices – will we start living more and more of our lives in these secret digital spaces?

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.