There are many references to flash hiders as flash suppressors including some vendors who don't seem to know the difference.  For your edification and education, here is the difference.

This is a flash hider.  It only HIDES the flash from the shooter, mainly to prevent temporary night blindness.  The shootee can still see it:



Here it is on an M1 Carbine:



These are flash suppressors.  They actually suppress (reduce) the flash for both the shooter and the shootee by acting on the gas itself.  Much more effective than a flash hider in concealing your position.





I have seen Phantom and Vortex called flash hiders on websites.  They are wrong.

Do you call a magazine a clip?

Thank you.

I always used to call A2/Phantoms etc flash supressors, but started to wonder because so many people call them flash hiders instead, and recently I've even begun to do so myself.

I guess I can go back to calling them flash supressors.

If the suppressors are effective enough, wouldn't they "hide" the flash from the shooter?

Quoted: If the suppressors are effective enough, wouldn't they "hide" the flash from the shooter?

To hide something is to block from view something that is actually there, to suppress means to actually reduce it, so the answer to your question is no.