How to Password-Protect a Folder on iPhone
iOS cannot put a password on one folder in Files or one album in Photos. On iOS 27 you can lock the whole Files app with Face ID. You can also lock a PDF or a note with a password. For a folder with its own secret, use a vault app.
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What do I need to know?
- Locks in iOS cover whole apps. Locking Files locks every folder in it.
- App locks fall back to your passcode. Anyone who knows it gets in.
- Only a few things take their own password. PDFs and notes do. Folders do not.
How do I lock the Files app?
Steps for iOS 27, from Apple's guide:
- Go to the Home Screen.
- Touch and hold Files until the menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID, then tap Require Face ID again.
Files relocks each time you quit it. Apple says apps that came with your iPhone can be locked but not hidden. To remove the lock, touch and hold the icon and tap Don't Require Face ID.
How do I put a password on a PDF?
Steps for iOS 27, in the Preview app (Apple):
- Open the PDF in Preview.
- To keep an unlocked copy, duplicate it first.
- Tap next to the file name, then tap Lock.
- Enter the same password in Password and Verify.
- Apply the change.
This works for one document at a time, not a folder.
Can I lock notes with a separate password?
Yes. Go to Settings → Apps → Notes → Password and choose Use Custom Password. Then open a note, tap the menu and tap Lock. Apple warns that if you forget a custom password and cannot use Face ID, it "can't help you regain access". (Apple)
Notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments cannot be locked. A locked note's title stays visible in the list.
Can I password-protect a photo album?
No. Albums in Photos have no lock. The nearest option is the Hidden collection, which opens with Face ID or your passcode. See how to lock photos on iPhone.
What is the closest thing to a locked folder?
A vault app with folders inside it. In Cryptile, the vault itself is the locked folder. You open it with a pattern that is not your passcode, and everything inside is encrypted.
- Open Cryptile and draw a new pattern. A pattern you have not used before opens a new vault.
- Write down the 9-word recovery phrase.
- Tap Add → New folder and name it.
- Add photos, videos, files and notes to it.
- Delete the originals from Files or Photos.
Want a second locked space? Draw a different pattern. It opens a different vault, and nothing lists them.
Cryptile vaults do not appear inside the Files app yet. Files-app access is coming and not available yet.
What this doesn't protect against
The Files lock stops casual access, not someone who knows your passcode. A PDF password protects that file only. Anyone who watches you draw your vault pattern can open the vault. If you lose both the pattern and the recovery phrase, the vault is gone.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile gives you encrypted vaults with folders, opened by a drawn pattern. Files are encrypted with AES-256-GCM under a key made on your phone. There is no account and no server.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos, with files, notes and folders included. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once. The price is the same every day.