How to Lock an App on iPhone (Face ID or Passcode)
You do not need an app to lock an app. On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and tap Require Face ID. The app then opens only after Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
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What do I need to know?
- It is built in and free. No download, no account.
- Your passcode still opens it. Anyone who knows the passcode can get in.
- It locks the app, not the photos inside other apps. Photos can also appear in Messages, Files or widgets.
How do I lock an app?
These steps are for iOS 18 and later.
- Touch and hold the app icon on the Home Screen or in App Library.
- Tap Require Face ID. On some iPhones it says Require Touch ID or Require Passcode.
- Confirm with Require Face ID again.
- Open the app to test it. It should ask for Face ID first.
To lock Photos, do the same on the Photos icon. Photos then asks for Face ID before it shows anything.
How do I hide an app as well?
Hiding takes the icon off your Home Screen. Locked and hidden apps are separate choices.
- Touch and hold the icon.
- Tap Require Face ID.
- Tap Hide and Require Face ID, then confirm.
The app moves into a Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. Open that folder with Face ID. Our guide to hiding apps covers the details.
How do I undo it?
Touch and hold the icon and tap Don't Require Face ID. A hidden app needs one more step: open the Hidden folder, touch and hold the app, and tap Don't Require Face ID. See Apple's guide to locking or hiding an app.
Does a locked app protect my photos?
Only inside that app. Locking Photos does not hide a picture you sent in Messages. It does not hide a copy saved in Files or a backup in another service.
The lock also falls back to your passcode. A person who watched you type it can open the app. Our page on what someone with your passcode can see explains why that matters.
Is there a lock that does not use my passcode?
Yes, but not in iOS. A vault app can keep photos under its own secret. Our guide on locking photos compares both routes.
What this doesn't protect against
An app lock does not encrypt anything. Your passcode opens it, so someone who knows the passcode gets in. It does nothing for photos already shared, synced or saved elsewhere. Some apps may not offer the lock option at all.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile opens with a drawn pattern, not your iPhone passcode. Files are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, and the pattern only unlocks on your device. There is no account and no server. If you lose both the pattern and the 9-word recovery phrase, the vault is gone.
Cryptile is free to start, with encrypted iCloud backup included. Get an email when Cryptile is on the App Store