AppStore missing on your iPhone or iPod?

All iOS devices--the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad--come pre-loaded with a number of apps from Apple. Among the most popular of these apps are the App Store, the Safari web browser, iTunes Store, Camera, and FaceTime. On nearly every iOS device, you'll see these apps. But sometimes these apps will be missing and you may wonder if you've deleted them.

The apps probably aren't deleted--doing that usually requiresjailbreaking or other complex tasks. More than likely, they've been hidden using the iOS'sContent Restrictions.

Content Restrictions is a setting built into the iOS that allows users to turn off certain apps. When these restrictions are in use, it may seem like App Store, FaceTime, or other apps are missing. But they're not really gone; they're hidden--at least until they get turned back on.

Apps & Features That Can Be Hidden

Content Restrictions can be used to hide the following apps:

• Safari
• YouTube
• Camera
• FaceTime
• iTunes Store
• Ping (not a separate app, but a feature of iTunes)
• App Store

Functions and features of the iOS that can be turned off include:

• Deleting apps
• Location services
• Adding or modifying email accounts
• In-app purchases
• Purchasing iTunes Store content exceeding given ratings
• Game Center:
  • Multiplayer Games
  • Adding Friends

Why Apps May Be Hidden

There are two groups of people who will generally use Content Restrictions to make it appear that the App Store and other apps have been deleted: parents and IT administrators.

Parents use Content Restrictions to prevent their children from accessing apps or content that they don't want them to. This can be to prevent them from accessing mature content or from exposing themselves to online predators via social networking or photos.

If you get your iOS device through your employer, some apps may be missing due to settings put on your device by your company's IT administrators. They may be in place due to corporate policies about the kind of content you can access on your device or for security reasons.

How to Get Apps Back

If your App Store, Safari, or other apps are missing, it's possible to get them back. But it may not be easy.

First, make sure that the apps are truly missing, and not simply moved to another screen or in a folder.

If they're not there, it's most likely that Content Restrictions are in use. To turn them off, do the following:

1. Tap on the Settings app
2. Tap on General
3. Scroll down to Restrictions and tap on that
4. If Restrictions are turned on, you'll be asked to enter the 4-digit passcode here. This is where it gets hard. If you're a kid or a corporate employee, you may not know the passcode your parents or IT administrators used (which is, of course, what they intended). If you don't know it, you're kind of out of luck. Sorry. If you do know it, though, enter it here.
5. If you want to enable some apps while leaving others hidden, slide the slider next to the app you want to use to On.
6. If you want to enable all apps and turn off Content Restrictions, tap the Disable Restrictions button at the top of the screen and enter the 4-digit passcode.

So, as this goes to show, even when your Safari, FaceTime, or App Store is missing or seems to be deleted, it's probably still there. You just need to know a single 4-digit passcode to get it back.