Have you ever deleted the App Store icon from your iPhone or iPad, only to later wish you could get it back? I‘ve totally been there before!
The App Store is so deeply baked into our Apple devices that we often don‘t even think about the icon. But when it‘s gone, you really feel its absence.
In this guide, I‘ll show you how to redownload the App Store icon with just a few easy steps. I‘ll also dig into why you might want to restore that iconic blue icon and some tips for avoiding "App Store disappearances" in the future.
Let‘s get started – this is actually simpler than you might think!
Why Do We Need That Little App Store Icon?
Before we redownload, let‘s explore why the App Store icon is helpful to have on your home screen in the first place.
The App Store is the gateway to over 2 million iOS apps and games. Over 90% of smartphone users access the App Store at least once per month. On average, iPhone users download over 100 apps per year!
App Store usage remains high year after year. (Source: Statista)
But the App Store is more than just a storefront – it also handles important background functions like:
- Managing app updates
- Enabling iCloud sync between devices
- Allowing app removal
- Restoring in-app purchases
So while technically deleting the icon doesn‘t delete the App Store itself, it does make vital functions way less accessible.
Based on my experience helping fellow Apple users, here are the most common reasons people want to redownload the App Store icon:
Convenience. The icon makes accessing and searching the App Store much faster. Without it, you need to go through Settings or use Siri.
Fixing Mistakes. Sometimes icons get deleted by accident. Redownloading restores your home screen.
Troubleshooting. If an app has issues, Apple‘s first recommendation is usually to delete and reinstall the app. This is easier with the icon present.
New Device Set Up. When setting up a new iPhone or iPad, most people download the App Store immediately to start adding their favorite apps.
So in summary, the App Store icon may seem small, but it has big usability benefits! Next I‘ll walk you through how to get it back.
Redownloading the App Store Icon – Step-by-Step Instructions
The key to redownloading the App Store icon is accessing your device‘s App Library. This is where all your apps live behind the scenes, even if their icons aren‘t on a home screen.
By finding the App Store in your library, you can move it back to your home screen again in just a few taps. I‘ll use screenshots from an iPhone for demonstration, but iPads work the same way.
Ready to get that icon back? Here we go:
1. Access Your App Library
First, you need to get to your App Library, which contains all your installed apps. The quickest way is to swipe left on your home screens until you see your apps organized into folders:
Keep swiping left until you reach this view. This is your App Library.
You can also pull down from the middle of your home screen to access search, then tap the App Library tab at the bottom. But swiping left is faster in my experience.
Pro Tip: To customize your App Library, long press on the screen and choose Edit Home Screens. From here you can create new folders and move apps around within your Library.
2. Search for "App Store"
Next, with your App Library open, it‘s time to search for the App Store app.
Tap the search bar at the top of your screen, type "App Store", and press Search on the keyboard.
The App Store should pop up as the first search result, like so:
If for some reason you aren‘t seeing it, double check your spelling and make sure you‘re searching your App Library, not just the home screen search.
3. Open the Context Menu
This is a key step! When you tap the App Store search result, it will launch the app itself rather than adding it back to your home screen.
See how tapping just opens the App Store? To actually move the icon, you need to:
Long press on the search result until the context menu pops up:
Now you can move or delete the icon.
4. Drag the Icon to Your Home Screen
With the context menu open, press and drag the App Store icon to the left side of the screen:
As you drag left, your home screen will appear. Drop the icon anywhere you want!
Once the icon is placed, press the home button or swipe up to stop the edit mode.
The App Store icon will now remain on your home screen. Download away!
And that‘s it! With those four steps you can easily redownload the App Store icon, even if you accidentally deleted it.
Pro Tips for App Store Icon Success
Here are some extra tips and tricks I‘ve picked up for redownloading App Store icons:
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Use spotlight search – If you can‘t find the App Library, try searching "App Store" from your homescreen instead. This also works!
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Try Siri – Say "Redownload App Store" to Siri and it will put the icon back for you without having to search manually.
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Check your dock – The App Store sometimes ends up in your dock at the bottom. Check there before going to the App Library.
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Add to library – Once redownloaded, make sure the App Store is also visible in your App Library for easy access later.
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Use a folder – I like to keep my most-used apps together in an "Essentials" folder on my home screen. Put App Store here so you always know where it is.
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Disable app deletion – You can restrict apps from being deleted in Settings. This prevents accidental App Store removal.
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Enable iCloud sync – With iCloud icon syncing enabled, redownloading the icon once will add it across all your devices automatically.
So don‘t stress about losing your App Store again! With this guide, you can retrieve it in just a few minutes. Let me know if you have any other questions – I‘m always happy to help friends master their iOS devices!