SOLVED! Apps not Showing in App Drawer

Apps not showing in App Drawer is usually the result of applications not being installed successfully and the best fix is to verify the app’s status. In times of need, don’t hesitate to re-download the apps. Besides that, you could restart the phone, get rid of Secure Folder, resort to third-party launchers, etc. Take a look at this article and learn what must be done.

Apps Not Showing in App Drawer — Reasons and Solutions

From the most obvious to odd reasons why your apps aren’t showing in the app drawer, this article will layout everything. All possible reasons will be presented and one of the solutions herein should work for you.

App Not Successfully Installed

If an app isn’t successfully installed due to some reasons, it will obviously not show in the app drawer.

Solution: To verify, go to Settings>Apps, and find the app you are looking for. If you can’t find it in your app list, that means, you haven’t installed it, in the first place. Simply repeat the process of downloading and installing the app. This time, make sure you have successfully installed it without any problem.

Several Apps Disappear from App Drawer

What if several apps disappear from the app drawer all at once? If this is the case, then, there are a few solutions that we can try.

Restart Your Phone

Just give a reboot to your device and see if the apps will re-appear in the app drawer. Press and hold the Power button until the options appear. Select Restart. When the problem isn’t that serious, app icons will return to their places.

Accidentally Hidden Apps

Some Android phones have the option to hide apps you don’t need from the app drawer. If you don’t know that there’s such a feature on your phone, perhaps, you have accidentally hidden some apps on your phone. If you can find three dots in the upper-right corner of your phone screen, tap on it. Then, go to Hide apps. If you have accidentally hidden apps, then, the hidden apps will be displayed. Otherwise, you can see an empty list.

Alternatively, if you can’t find the three dots, go to Settings>Applications>Application Manager. Scroll through the list. You can also tap MORE and select Show system apps. If apps are hidden, then, they’re tagged as Disabled.

Issue on Secure Folder

Some Android users with Samsung device running on Android 7.0 and up experienced apps not showing in the app drawer due to the Secure Folder. This is a space in your Samsung phone wherein you can store all your files so it can’t be seen by anyone besides you.

As long as you are using a Samsung device and you have a Samsung account, you can access the Secure Folder protected by Knox. Unfortunately, this is also the reason why many have problems with the hidden apps in the drawer. The solution that works for many is to uninstall the Secure Folder. Users couldn’t remember whether they have that in the first place. Simply uninstall it and your apps will start to re-appear.

When Using Third-Party Launcher

If you are using any third-party launcher and you have updated it recently, it could be a reason. Sometimes, after getting the latest update of your launcher, it’ll automatically hide some apps. You have two options — uninstall the update or completely uninstall the third-party launcher. But, if there’s an option in the launcher to unhide/enable the apps automatically hidden, that’s better. In this way, you don’t need to go through the tedious process. Otherwise…

Go to Settings>Apps. Find the launcher you are currently using and go to Storage. You can see Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons. You can tap each button to clear the corresponding data stored on your device. In addition, simply uninstall the update — to get back to the previous version without any problem.

When the apps aren’t showing up yet after uninstalling the updates itself, try uninstalling the launcher itself. It’ll definitely change the way your apps look, but if the launcher is the culprit, it’ll solve your problem.

If you can’t live with your phone’s launcher, try reinstalling your favorite launcher. Or, better yet, find other alternatives if the issue persists. Google Play Store has tons of different launchers you can choose from.

The Final Say

Any mobile phone has a home screen and apps drawer. The latter displays all the app you installed, as well as the stock apps on your device. If all of a sudden, an app or apps not showing in the app drawer, it’s something that you should check. This article uncovers all the possible reasons why apps not showing in the app drawer — from the most obvious to the unexpected.

Of course, if the app isn’t successfully installed, it’ll not show in your app drawer. Or if several apps disappeared at once, it could be that these apps have been hidden. Some users also had this problem because of conflicts with installed apps and third-party launchers. Check the possible reasons and solutions one by one so you’ll implement the ultimate solution. And, if you have discovered something that we haven’t included in the list, do let us know by leaving a comment below.