How to restore hidden protected apps (or default apps folder)?

[Android Central Question]

I have a Blu Vivi Air LTE. At bottom of phone I had a folder with around 8 google apps. Recently the text names of the apps disappeared from below the icons. I tried to look to see how I could re-enable the text. I clicked on a lock icon at first thinking it would get me to some settings. But really it was for setting protected apps. I set the pattern twice. Sorry, I don't know what happened next, but the apps disappeared. They weren't listed in my full apps display and Settings > Apps did not show them. They were hidden. I could get to the Play Store and at my profile I could see my apps. Then by swiping up I could get to a browser and search for apps by name, like Drive or Youtube or News. Then click on the icon to run it. Then I minimize it. Then in the jobs view of windows I hold the icon for a few seconds and then the Settings > Apps view for the specific program is displayed. In the top right corner is a lock and I can use it to unprotect it. Then I have the icon again and it is listed in Settings > Apps again.

Is there a way to list all my hidden apps, so I can use my swipe pattern to unlock all of them?
Or how can I get the previous apps folder to reappear?
I don't want to look through the Play store's list of my apps and compare with the Settings > Apps to try to figure out what else is missing and jumping back and forth or memorizing the long list may cause me to overlook something. I just want to unlock all. Thanks for any advice.
Note my Settings > Apps ... menu button does not have an entry about protected apps.
- Jeremy