Apps Downloaded but Not Showing? How to Search for an App in iOS 16

Are you finding that newly downloaded apps are no longer appearing on your Home Screen? A setting may have been changed accidentally, or with an update.  If an app isn't showing up, here’s why you might be missing apps and how you can fix it.

Jump To:

• Use the App Library to Place an App on Your Home Screen
• Use Spotlight to Search for & Open a Missing App
• Use Settings to Make New Apps Show Up on the Home Screen
• Restore Hidden Home Screen Pages to Find Missing Apps

Finding Downloads: Apps Not Showing on iPhone

Although one of the aims of iOS updates is to better organize and freshen your app collection, it can sometimes have the opposite effect. Certain settings and features can prevent new app downloads from being readily visible on your Home screen. The troubleshooting tips below should help you locate the app you're looking for and place it exactly where you want it. Remember, if you regret a download, you can always learn how to delete apps on an iPhone, and for more tips on managing your device, make sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.

Can’t Find an App on Your iPhone? Use the App Library

It’s important to know that when newly downloaded apps are missing from your iPhone’s Home Screen, they are merely hidden. They can easily be found, accessed, and added to your Home Screen. This can be done in the App Library. Read on to learn how to see hidden apps on iPhone.

1. Go to the App Library by swiping left on your Home Screen until you've gone one screen past your last Home Screen page.
   
   
2. Tap into the search bar and type in the name of the app you're looking for. If you do not want to use the search bar, you can simply scroll through the apps in the App Library.
   
   
3. Once you find the app you're looking for, tap and hold the app icon, then drag it in any direction, and it will be added to the last page of your Home screen.
   
   

Related: How to Use the iPhone App Library

Use Spotlight to Search for & Open a Missing App

If you rarely use a certain app, you may not even want to add it to your Home Screen. In this case, follow the steps below to quickly find and open any downloaded app.

1. Swipe down from the center of your Home Screen to find the Search bar.
   
   
2. You can also open the Search screen by tapping the small Search button that appears in the bottom center, just above the dock.
   
   
3. Enter the name of the missing app in the search field, or tap the microphone icon to dictate your search term.
4. Your missing app should be among the top results. Tap to open it.
   
   
    

How to Show Installed Apps on Home Screen

While all apps appear in the App Library without fail, for some people a setting may be preventing recently downloaded apps from appearing on the Home Screen. Here’s how to fix that going forward.

1. Open the Settings app.
   
   
2. Scroll down and tap Home Screen.
   
   
    
3. Select Add to Home Screen, and a blue checkmark will appear next to it. From now on, newly installed apps will show up on your Home Screen.
   
   
4. Any apps that were auto-hidden before you changed this setting will still be hidden. To unhide them, you can move them back from App Library individually. 
   
   
    

Restore Hidden Home Screen Pages to Find Missing Apps

It’s possible that an app disappeared from your iPhone because you accidentally hid the page of your Home Screen where it appeared. But don’t worry, the process to bring back hidden Home Screen pages is quite simple. For more tips on finding hidden or missing apps, read this.