How To Lock Apps On iPhone

Chris Thompson

By Chris Thompson

Published:

Our phones hold a lot of personal information, so it makes sense that you would want to keep certain apps or data private.

Whether you’re trying to stop someone from looking through your apps or protect sensitive information, your iPhone has several features to help.

While you can’t lock apps with a custom password on iOS right now, there are ways to hide apps using your existing passcode or Face ID. You can also use tools like Screen Time and Guided Access to keep your data secure.

This article will walk you through how to lock down your iPhone and protect your apps, photos, and notes.

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How To Lock Apps Using Face ID

Face ID offers a simple yet powerful way to protect your apps and maintain privacy on your iPhone. In this section, you’ll learn how to use iOS’s Hidden Apps feature and app-specific Face ID settings to keep your sensitive information out of sight.

Using the Hidden Apps feature

With iOS 18, Apple introduced a new Hidden Apps feature that completely hides certain apps from the home screen, notifications, App Library, and even Spotlight search. While this is not strictly locking the app itself, it does send it to a locked folder making it much harder to find.

Here’s how to use the Hidden Apps feature in iOS 18:

  1. Long press the app icon on the Home screen until the menu appears.
  2. Tap Require Face ID.
  3. Tap Hide and Require Face ID.
  4. Tap Hide App.

The app is then sent to the hidden apps folder. This folder can only be accessed from the App Library and requires Face ID or the device passcode to open. This means anyone looking through the apps on the device’s home screen will not see the hidden app and cannot access it without Face ID.

Fig 1. Using the Hidden Apps feature on iOS 18.

Locking individual apps with Face ID

Some apps, like WhatsApp and banking apps, let you lock them with Face ID or Touch ID for an extra layer of security. This feature ensures that even if someone gains access to your phone, they won’t be able to open these protected apps without your biometric authentication.

While the exact steps may vary between apps, here’s how to enable this feature on WhatsApp:

  1. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Go to Privacy, then scroll down and tap App Lock.
  3. Toggle on Require Face ID or Require Touch ID.
  4. Optionally, set a time limit for how soon the app will require Face ID or Touch ID after it’s been closed.

Fig 2. Locking WhatsApp with Face ID on iPhone.

Other Ways to Lock Apps on Your iPhone

As mentioned above, there are a couple of options available which allow you to lock apps with Face ID. However, there are also several additional methods to control app access.

Below, we’ll explore how you can lock Apple apps to add an extra layer of security to specific apps on your iPhone.

Lock apps using the Screen Time feature

Screen Time is a feature on iPhones (and other Apple devices) that helps users monitor and manage their device usage. Here’s how it works:

  • Daily and weekly reports: See how much time you spend on apps, websites, and your phone overall.
  • App limits: Set time limits for specific apps. Once the limit is reached, you need a screen time passcode to continue using the locked app.
  • Downtime: Schedule time away from your screen, where only selected apps are available
  • Content and privacy restrictions: Control access to certain apps, content, and settings — useful for parental controls.
  • Family sharing: Parents can remotely monitor and set limits on their child’s device.

How to set up the Screen Time feature

While not its intended purpose, if set up a certain way, Screen Time can be used to effectively lock apps on an iPhone. Here’s how:

  1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
  2. If Screen Time isn’t enabled, tap Turn On Screen Time, then set a Screen Time passcode.
  3. Tap App Limits and then Add Limit.
  4. Select the category or specific apps you want to lock.
  5. Set the time limit to the minimum (like 1 minute). Once the time limit is up, the app will be locked, and the user will need the Screen Time passcode to access it.

Fig 3. Locking an app with Screen Time.

Guided Access

Guided Access is an iPhone feature designed to limit your device to a single app and control which features are available.

It’s often used to keep you focused on one app by blocking access to other apps or settings. This can be handy if you’re giving a phone to a child, using your iPhone for a presentation, or helping someone with disabilities stay focused on one task.

Key features of Guided Access

  • Single app mode: Locks your iPhone to one specific app, preventing you from switching to other apps.
  • Disable screen areas: You can disable certain parts of the screen so they don’t respond to touch, useful for apps where only certain buttons should be accessible.
  • Limit button functions: You can turn off hardware buttons like volume controls or the side button and disable motion (like shaking the device).
  • Time limits: You can set a time limit for how long Guided Access will be active.

How to set up Guided Access:

  1. Tap the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and select Accessibility.
  3. Within the Accessibility menu, scroll to the General section and tap Guided Access.
  4. Toggle the switch to turn on Guided Access.
  5. Tap Passcode Settings, then Set Guided Access Passcode. Enter a six-digit passcode; this will be required to end a Guided Access session.
  6. Open the app that you want to allow access to and press the power button 3-times in quick succession. Then tap Start. All other apps and phone features will be locked.

Set a passcode for the App Store and iTunes

If you’re worried about someone making purchases, installing apps, or even downloading a tracking app onto your iPhone without your permission, setting a passcode for the App Store and iTunes can help.

This ensures that only you can approve downloads and purchases, giving you greater control over what gets installed on your device and protecting your privacy from unwanted apps.

Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Tap on your name at the top.
  3. Tap Media & Purchases.
  4. When a pop-up appears, tap Password Settings*. When selecting your password settings, You’ll see two options: Always Require or Require after 15 minutes. You’ll need to choose one of these.
  5. Toggle on Require Password at the bottom to ensure that a password is always required for free downloads.

*If you can’t see Password Settings, you’ve already turned on Face ID or Touch ID for purchases. To change this, go back to Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode, then turn off Face ID or Touch ID next to iTunes & App Store.

Lock your notes app

If you want to keep your private thoughts, personal information, or important details stored in the Notes app secure, you can lock individual notes with a custom password, Face ID, or Touch ID.

This feature ensures that even if someone has access to your phone, they won’t be able to open your locked notes without your authentication. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open Notes, create a new note, or select an existing one.
  2. Tap the three dots at the top and select Lock.
  3. Set a password (or use Face/Touch ID) to lock the note.

Fig 4. Locking notes on iOS.

Locking photos with Hidden Albums

If you have personal photos on your iPhone that you’d prefer to keep private, iOS’s Hidden Album feature offers a simple way to do just that.

By hiding your photos and locking the album with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, you can ensure only you have access. Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Open the Photos app and select the photo(s) you want to hide.
  2. Tap the 3 dots and choose Hide then Hide Photo.
  3. The photo will then be sent to the hidden album.
  4. The hidden album can only be accessed by going to Photos, scrolling down to Utilities, and unlocking it using Face ID or Touch ID.

Fig 5. Hiding a photo on an iPhone.

How to Unlock Apps on an iPhone

The steps to unlock apps on an iPhone depend on how the app is locked. Here are the methods for unlocking apps locked in different ways:

✅ Apps locked using the Hidden Apps feature

For apps hidden and locked using the new Hidden Apps feature in iOS 18:

  1. Swipe left on your Home Screen until you reach the App Library
  2. Scroll down until you see the Hidden folder and tap on it.
  3. Find the app you want to unhide. Tap and hold until the menu appears.
  4. Tap Add to Home Screen.

✅ Apps restricted via Screen Time

If the app was locked due to Screen Time restrictions:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then tap Allowed Apps.
  3. Toggle the switch to allow the app to be visible again.

✅ Turning off Guided Access

If you’ve locked your device to one app with Guides Access, here’s how to return your device to normal:

  1. Press the power button 3-times in quick succession.
  2. Enter your Guided Access password.
  3. Tap End.

Final Thoughts: How to Lock Apps on iPhone

While locking individual apps on an iPhone isn’t always straightforward, iOS features like Hidden Apps, Screen Time, Guided Access, and the ability to lock photos and notes provide effective ways to control access.

For added peace of mind, tools like Certo AntiSpy can help detect suspicious apps or spyware on your iPhone, giving you an extra layer of protection against anyone trying to spy on your device.

Whether managing app access or ensuring your privacy, these methods will help you safeguard your iPhone’s data.