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I am using Windows 8.1 now and I have some installed apps that I don't want my children to use. When I was using Windows 8, I had no problem when I wanted to hide apps because all installed apps appeared on the Start screen and I could easily hide Start screen items at that time.

Now when I use Windows 8.1, installed apps (especially desktop apps) appear on the All apps screen (the one you access with the down arrow button). My children can access the All apps screen and find installed apps that I want to hide with no trouble. Is there any way to hide items shown on the Apps screen?

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  • You can still use the approach you used in Windows 8: pin all the apps for your children to the Start screen, and leave other apps accessible via All apps only. All apps was still accessible in Windows 8, yet Windows 8.1 made All apps screen easier to access, besides newly installed applications are not pinned to Start screen automatically. – Alexey Ivanov Dec 5 '13 at 15:09
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I think I found the solution this morning. When I right click the icon of a particular app on the all apps screen, there will be Open file location option at the bottom of the screen. When I select that option, the folder where the "real" shortcut for that app is located will appear on the desktop. I can now simply open the properties dialog box of that shortcut and check (turn on) its Hidden attribute. The corresponding app icon on the all apps screen will also become hidden.

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  • That's great. However, you cannot hide Windows Store Apps this way. And you kind of lose easy access to the hidden app yourself. – Alexey Ivanov Dec 6 '13 at 5:39
  • The issue here is that I want to make my all apps screen less cluttered and to limit access to programs that I use personally (I don't mind having to open the installation folder of those programs just to access them). in the old days, when I used Windows XP, I was used to deleting unnecessary shortcuts in the start menu. When I installed new programs, they always created new shortcuts in the start menu. I simply didn't like it that way, so i deleted those shortcuts. I am just curious why I cannot do the same thing to Windows 8.1, but now I can do that. Thanks for all replies. – Robith Nuriel Haq Dec 8 '13 at 21:50
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not sure you will be able to do that BUt you can use the new Family safety to accomplish the goal:

To get the most out of Windows, each person who uses your PC needs their own account. Everybody can customize their own experience with favorite apps, Start screen layout, background colors, account photo, and so on. If you're sharing a PC with your kids and want to keep track of just how they're using their screen time, you can monitor their accounts with Family Safety

Setting limits on the games and apps your child's allowed to use is similar to setting their website restrictions: you can set an age-and-content-based rating level for all games and for those apps they can see in or download from the Windows Store, or you can allow or block specific, individual titles.

To use Windows Store and game rating levels

Tap or click Game restrictions, and then tap or click Rating.

Make sure that restrictions are turned on, and then use the slider to choose a rating level. You can also use a different game rating system if you prefer.

The Windows Store bases its download restrictions on a child's game restrictions in Family Safety.

To allow or block specific games

Tap or click Game restrictions, and then tap or click Game list. Make sure that game restrictions are turned on.

Select options for specific games as appropriate.

To set other app restrictions

You can also decide whether to let your child use other apps and software, whether it's downloaded from the Windows Store or not.

Tap or click App restrictions.

Make sure that app restrictions are turned on, and then choose the available apps you want to allow or block as appropriate

More details

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  • Wow, that's a great solution. I will get around to it. But I'm still curious why I can hide/delete start menu items on windows xp and 7 but I cannot do that in windows 8.1. – Robith Nuriel Haq Dec 5 '13 at 22:31
  • You would need to ask Microsoft that but I think they would say "there is no start menu" only the start screen :-) Also if you like the answer, please accept it.... – TomEus Dec 6 '13 at 4:31
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You cannot hide apps from the All applications view on the Start screen.

I would recommend setting up different accounts for you and your kids as was suggested in another answer. On the problems goes away automatically: all Windows Store Apps, i.e. Modern UI or Metro apps, are installed per user. That is your children wouldn't see app you installed.

Desktop apps, on the other hand, are usually installed per computer and therefore they are visible to all users of the computer. If you want to make a desktop application not visible to your children's account, you can simply move its shortcut from Public profile (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu) to your own profile (C:\Users\<your-user-name>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu).

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  • Actually, i can now hide apps from the all apps view. – Robith Nuriel Haq Dec 5 '13 at 22:32
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The way how I do it is I open the file location the same way you did. Than, in the window that I opened it in, I click "move to" and remember where I moved it. Than when I want to view it I go to file explorer and open the program which will be where I moved it.

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