If you use iMessage on your iPhone, you may want to consider hiding the app icons at the bottom of the messaging app. This will make it more difficult for someone to see which messages are from which app and track your usage. Here are a few tips on how to do this:
- Hide the icons by going to Settings and then General and then Security. Under “Privacy,” select “Hide App Icons.”
- Open iMessage and sign in with your Apple ID or phone number. Then, under “Messages,” select “Accounts & Preferences.” In the Accounts & Preferences window, select “iMessage” and click on the three lines in the top left corner of the window that say “Hidden Icons for this App.”
- Click on the checkbox next to “Show icon when message is opened in another app (if desired).” Then, click on OK to close the Accounts & Preferences window and return to iMessage.
A new feature in iOS 11 gives you quicker access to iMessage Apps at the bottom of the screen, but if you never use them in the first place, they’re just annoying. Here’s how to hide them.
RELATED: What’s New in iOS 11 for iPhone and iPad, Available Now
Update: Just tap the gray app store icon to the left of the iMessage text box to hide the row of icons. This will hide the app icons completely.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. You won’t be able to remove the whole bar at the bottom that houses the iMessage app icons—it will still remain even after you hide all of them. So you won’t be gaining any more screen real estate than before, but you can clean it up so you aren’t accidentally tapping on the apps, at least.
Start by opening up the Messages app and tapping on a conversation. Once inside, head to the bottom of the screen and locate the iMessage apps.
Swipe all the way to the right on the apps and tap on “More”.
Tap “Edit” in the top-right corner of the screen.
If you have any iMessage apps under “Favorites”, tap on the red circle and then hit “Remove from Favorites”. Unfortunately, you can’t remove “Store” from favorites, nor can you remove it from that bottom section anyway, so you’ll have to live with it there.
Next, tap on the toggle switches next to each app so that they’re in the off position (i.e. not green).
After that, hit “Done” in the top-right corner.
Tap on “Done” again up in the top-left corner.
You’ll now see a mostly empty bar at the bottom of an iMessage conversation.
Again, this doesn’t get rid of that bar entirely and will constantly appear within every conversation window, but at least now it’s cleaned up and doesn’t make iMessage look as cluttered and busy as before.
