How To Delete the App Store from Your iPhone for Beginners

How to Hide the App Store on Your iPhone Using Built-In Settings

If you’re like me, you’ve probably gotten annoyed at how easily accessible the App Store is on the iPhone. Sometimes you just want to hide it, especially if you’re trying to prevent kids from tinkering or just want a cleaner home screen. Luckily, Apple’s built-in Screen Time features can do the trick, but honestly, it’s not as straightforward as flipping a simple toggle—at least not at first glance. It took me a bit of trial and error to get it right, so here’s what finally worked.

Navigating to Restrictions in Settings

First off, open up the Settings app. The basic stuff, right? But then you need to scroll down and tap on Screen Time. If you don’t see it enabled, you’ll need to turn it on—just tap Turn On Screen Time. Sometimes, this pops up with a prompt to set a passcode, which you’ll want to do if you’re trying to keep others from changing these settings later. Beware: if you skip this, someone could just reset Screen Time and undo your restrictions. So, set a secure passcode that you won’t forget.

Now, in the Screen Time menu, tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions. Here’s the part that can be confusing because the wording isn’t super obvious about hiding apps. It’s not labeled “Hide App Store” anywhere, but this is where you make it happen.

If the toggle at the top is off, turn it on. You’ll be prompted for your Screen Time passcode—don’t skip that step. This secures your restrictions so nobody can change them without knowing the code.

Hiding the App Store by Disabling App Installation

Inside Content & Privacy Restrictions, scroll down to find the section called iTunes & App Store Purchases. This is the real hidden corner we’re after. Tap on that. Under “Installing Apps” and “Deleting Apps”, you’ll see options for Allow or Don’t Allow. Setting “Installing Apps” to Don’t Allow will block new app downloads and, more relevant here, hide the App Store icon from your home screen. It doesn’t delete the app; it just disables access through the usual means.

Here’s where I got caught up: this doesn’t make the app completely vanish in every way. It just prevents installing or deleting apps, which means the icon still exists but is inactive. You can even search for it in Spotlight or try opening it via Safari, if you’re crafty enough. So, it’s not perfect, but it’s a good enough workaround for most casual needs.

Also, double-check the other options in this section—like “Require Password”. Setting the password requirement to Immediately or Always just adds an extra layer to prevent quick re-enabling of the store.

Other quirks and considerations

The weird thing I noticed is that even when hidden, if the person knows where to look, they might still access the store via search or Safari. So, don’t think it’s unbreakable, but for reducing accidental taps or limiting access for kids, it’s pretty solid. Just make sure you remember your Screen Time passcode because changing these settings later requires it. Also, sometimes the icon disappears instantly after toggling the settings, but other times I had to restart the device or wait a few minutes for the change to take effect.

Restoring Access or Reverting Settings

If you decide to restore the App Store icon later, just go back into the same Content & Privacy Restrictions menu and toggle “Installing Apps”, “Deleting Apps”, and related settings back to Allow. That’s it. Usually it’s a quick change—unless you forgot your passcode, in which case, good luck. Restarting or toggling the restrictions again after some time often helps with the icon reappearing.

Final thoughts on hiding the App Store

Honestly, I wish Apple made it more obvious — like a simple hide toggle or something. But until then, this method is probably the best built-in workaround. It’s quick, straightforward enough once you get the hang of it, and doesn’t require jailbreaking or third-party apps. Just keep in mind, it’s not foolproof—whoever really wants to get into the store can probably find other ways if they’re persistent.

If you’re planning to do this, double-check: You have your Screen Time passcode saved somewhere safe, and your restrictions are really enabled. Sometimes I had to restart a couple times or toggle the settings to get the icon to disappear fully. It’s a little finicky, but it works.

Hope this helps — it took me way longer than it should’ve to figure out all these little steps. Anyway, good luck, and hopefully this saves someone else a big headache!