Phone app deleted, how do I get it back?
- Thread starter Janeybobs
- Start date
Have you checked all of your folders? The app may have moved into a folder. Is the phone jailbroken?
Jailbreaking is to change the phone to allow you to run non-approved apps/modifications. Things that you wouldn't normally be able to do with the phone with what you can get from the Apple app store. If you bought the phone used, it may have come this way, or if you have had it unlocked to use on a different carrier, jailbreaking is a necessary part of doing that.
You can check to see if your phone is jailbroken by looking for this icon somewhere on your home screens:
Cydia
It's more likely that your phone icon is hidden in a folder somewhere, but if you are jailbroken, there is something that you can use that allows you to hide icons for apps that came pre-installed on the phone. This is the only way I can think of that you would have lost the phone icon entirely, but stranger things have occurred to phones that haven't been modified in any way, so this isn't necessarily it.
If you don't find your phone icon in any of your folders, try resetting the home screen layout.
Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Home Screen Layout
This will reset all of the icons back to their original positions (your folders will be flattened - all apps from the app store will be laid out alphabetically on the 2nd page thereon).
You can check to see if your phone is jailbroken by looking for this icon somewhere on your home screens:
Cydia
It's more likely that your phone icon is hidden in a folder somewhere, but if you are jailbroken, there is something that you can use that allows you to hide icons for apps that came pre-installed on the phone. This is the only way I can think of that you would have lost the phone icon entirely, but stranger things have occurred to phones that haven't been modified in any way, so this isn't necessarily it.
If you don't find your phone icon in any of your folders, try resetting the home screen layout.
Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Home Screen Layout
This will reset all of the icons back to their original positions (your folders will be flattened - all apps from the app store will be laid out alphabetically on the 2nd page thereon).
I don't think you can delete the "phone' icon ..... i agree with iPhonewarrior and fury in that looking through other folders.... probably just hidden somewhere! 
Your home button? The round one bottoms of the phone?
How long have you had the phone? Make a genius appointment with Apple and take it in. They will most likely swap it for you.
My temporary suggestion would be to put your phone on a short lock cycle. Like a minute. Unless you new to turn your phone off for some reason you can survive without having to use that button.
Like I said temporary suggestion. Hopefully you can find a way to get it fixed or replaced.
can you call Apple support and see if they can help you? Maybe send a replacement if under warranty?
I don't think your son did it (although it's possible he did). The same thing happened to me a few months ago; the phone app mysteriously disappeared and I could only access it through the iPhone search feature. I asked the question in Google (forgot how I worded it) but got the exact solution. I'm not sure now - I think it had to do with resetting something - but it fixed it (my phone app reappeared!). I think it had to do with this other app I downloaded (forget now but it somehow connected to jail broken phones or something I think - btw, my iPhone like yours is NOT jailbroken). Anyway I will try to get that answer for you and will post it to this thread if I do. Meanwhile do a Google search on something like> "how do I make icons reappear on my iPhone?" or "my icons disappeared on my iPhone" (something like this). Good luck!
@RoofMonkey - oh I should have read more closely - that's great it was located in another folder (instead of needing to go through what I went through to get it back!) - thanks 
@Janeybobs >Did you get your on/off button to work? If there are no Apple Stores in Ireland, there must be an Apple help number you can call (or email) ...and send it in for repair at least! I would miss the screenshot feature as well (where you hold the power button and home button to take a pic of whatever is on the screen)
Have you guys actually looked at the locations for Apple Stores? It is far more likely that there is NOT a store in driving range of most people. I don't know why "take it to a genius" is always one of the first responses. I mean most states have 6 or less Apple Stores in them.
Taking screenshots; if you jailbreak you can set up Activator shortcuts to take screenshots with ease. For example Up, Down tap on your volume buttons/rocker.
Guess I haven't done that because I am spoiled to having one close. Thanks for pointing that out.