How to find the App Store icon on your iPhone when it's missing?
Written by Karolina Peistariene on
What to do when you can't find the App Store icon on your Home Screen?
The App Store allows you to download various apps to your iPhone. It's a great and fast way to get an app you need or want. So what to do when you want to download an application and can't seem to find the App Store icon on your Home screen?
The good news is that the App Store is a built-in application, so you can't just wipe it out from the operating system. Occasionally this issue can occur due to various reasons. You might've accidentally removed it from the Home screen, which happens a lot.
Another reason can be due to set content and privacy restrictions. When setting up Screen Time, you need to make sure certain restrictions, like for the App Store, are disabled if you want to keep using it while the feature is enabled.
There can also be more serious reasons related to the operating system itself. Follow all the steps below to find the cause and fix it.
Video on How to find the App Store icon on your iPhone when it's missing?
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Method 1. Search in the App Library
- Method 2. Turn off App Store restrictions
- Method 3. Reset the Home screen layout
- Method 4. Reset all settings
- Method 5. Update your iPhone
- Method 6. Contact Apple Support
- Video on How to find the App Store icon on your iPhone when it's missing?
Search in the App Library
App Library should be the first place where you would check for the App Store or any other missing application. Maybe you accidentally removed it from the Home screen. The app is built into your iPhone, so it can't be deleted.
To search for the App Store in the App Library, follow the steps below:
1. Go to the last page on your Home screen.
2. Then, swipe left to see the App Library.
3. In the search field, enter "App Store".
4. When the app appears in the search results, tap and hold the app icon until a quick menu appears.
5. From the menu, tap on "Add to Home Screen".
6. Now, the app will be visible on your Home screen.
If you still don't see it on your Home screen or the "Add to Home Screen" option was not present, proceed to the next fix.
Turn off App Store restrictions
If you can't find the App Store anywhere on your device, check if you didn't set restrictions for it. That can be the case when the Screen Time restrictions are turned on.
To disable App Store restrictions, follow the steps below:
1. Go to your iPhone settings.
2. Scroll down a bit and tap on "Screen Time".
3. Then, go to "Content & Privacy Restrictions".
4. If asked, enter your Screen Time passcode.
5. After that, tap on "iTunes & App Store Purchases".
6. Go to "Installing Apps".
7. Make sure to select "Allow".
Now, the App Store icon should appear on your Home screen.
Reset the Home screen layout
Another thing you can try is to reset the Home screen layout. It will discard all the changes you have made and return the Home screen to default. Everything will go to the same place as it was when you first opened your iPhone.
To reset the Home Screen layout, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to "General" settings.
3. Scroll to the very bottom and tap on "Transfer or Reset iPhone".
4. Then, tap on "Reset" and select "Reset Home Screen Layout".
5. Enter your iPhone passcode and confirm the action.
Reset all settings
If the app Store icon is still missing from the Home screen, try to reset all settings. If there are any set settings that could hide the App Store icon, they will be reset to default, and the icon should return to the Home screen.
This reset won't delete any of your data. It will only reset all settings as they were by default, log you out of your internet network and disconnect all Bluetooth devices.
To reset all settings, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Go to "General" settings.
3. Scroll to the very bottom and tap on "Transfer or Reset iPhone".
4. Then, tap on "Reset" and select "Reset All Settings".
5. Enter your iPhone passcode and confirm the action.
Update your iPhone
The last thing you can try is to update your iPhone's operating system. If the issue is from Apple's side, they're usually very fast at releasing updates to fix the problem.
To update your iPhone, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Go to "General" settings.
3. Then, tap on "Software Update".
4. Wait while your device searches for updates. If found any, update the iPhone by tapping on "Download and Install".
Contact Apple Support
If absolutely nothing helped, we recommend contacting Apple Support for further assistance.
We hope this guide provided you with the information you were looking for and successfully found the hidden App Store icon.
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