How to Lock Apps on iPhone With Face ID, Touch ID or a Passcode

Quick answer: On a supported iPhone running iOS 18 or later, touch and hold a compatible app on the Home Screen and choose Require Face ID, Require Touch ID or Require Passcode. Confirm the prompt. The next time someone opens that app, the iPhone asks for authentication. For eligible downloaded apps, you can also choose Hide and Require Face ID to move the app into the protected Hidden folder.

Reviewed October 13, 2026 using Apple’s iPhone user guide, including iOS 27 documentation. This is a guide to Apple’s built-in app protection, not an endorsement of third-party “app locker” services.

Can you lock any app on an iPhone?

Many installed apps can be locked directly from the Home Screen, but not all. Apple’s own guide specifically excludes some built-in apps, including Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts and Settings. Don’t rely on an app-locking option being available for every icon. If you need child-access restrictions rather than a one-time privacy layer, use Screen Time and Family Sharing instead.

How to lock an app on iPhone step by step

1. Unlock your iPhone and find the app’s icon on the Home Screen. If it isn’t visible, use App Library to locate it and, if needed, add the icon to the Home Screen.
2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu appears. Don’t open the app itself.
3. Choose Require Face ID. Depending on your device, this may instead say Require Touch ID or Require Passcode.
4. Confirm the choice and authenticate as the phone requests.
5. Exit the app, then reopen it to check the lock. The iPhone should prompt for the configured authentication method.

When you quit a locked app, it locks again. You do not need to return to Settings each time. Apple’s current user guide for locking and hiding apps describes this behavior and which features are restricted.

How to hide an app and require Face ID

If simply blocking casual access is not enough, hiding an eligible app also removes its regular Home Screen icon. This works for apps downloaded from the App Store; Apple’s built-in apps cannot be hidden through this option.

1. Press and hold the downloaded app on the Home Screen.
2. Select Require Face ID (or your available authentication method).
3. Tap Hide and Require Face ID.
4. Authenticate, then tap Hide App.
5. Open App Library, scroll to the bottom, and select the Hidden folder to access it later.

The Hidden folder itself asks for authentication. Hidden does not mean untraceable: an app’s name may still be discoverable in Screen Time usage, battery information or App Store purchase records. Therefore this is a privacy convenience, not a forensic hiding system.

How to find and open a hidden app

1. Swipe left beyond your last Home Screen until you reach App Library.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap the Hidden folder.
3. Use Face ID, Touch ID or passcode when prompted.
4. Tap the desired app; you may need to authenticate again.

You can also check Settings > Apps > Hidden Apps on a compatible iOS version. Lock or hide settings apply only on the device where you made the change; they do not automatically sync as an app lock to other devices via iCloud.

How to remove an app lock or unhide an app

To unlock an app, press and hold its icon and choose Don’t Require Face ID, then confirm your identity. To unhide an app, open App Library’s Hidden folder, authenticate, press and hold the app, and select Don’t Require Face ID. The app becomes visible in App Library again, and you can move it to your Home Screen if you want.

What if the “Require Face ID” menu is missing?

1. Check your iOS version. Direct per-app locking arrived in iOS 18; older devices or versions may not show the same option.
2. Try a different app. Some Apple system apps cannot be locked, and default-app or regional restrictions may affect the Hide option.
3. Check authentication. Make sure the device has a passcode and biometric authentication configured if your model supports it.
4. Check parental restrictions. A child’s account and a family organizer’s settings can limit how protection features behave.
5. Restart and update. If the feature should exist but the menu is absent, install official iOS updates and check again.

App Lock vs. Screen Time: which should you use?

Choose App Lock if you occasionally hand your phone to another person and don’t want them opening your messages, documents or other personal apps. Choose Screen Time when the real problem is limiting how long someone can use an app, scheduling homework or sleep hours, or applying age-appropriate restrictions to a child’s device.

For usage reports, read how to check Screen Time on iPhone. For modern schedules and app category restrictions, see our separate iOS 27 Screen Time schedules guide. Unlike a direct Face ID lock, a Screen Time limit may offer different override and request workflows.

Privacy and security limits worth knowing

Your passcode still matters. Someone who knows a valid device passcode may be able to authenticate depending on the prompt and security settings. Don’t share your passcode casually. Locking an app also does not remove its data from cloud backups, erase notifications already seen elsewhere, or prevent access through another device that is separately signed in. Review notifications, account sessions, and cloud sharing if the information is especially sensitive.

Frequently asked questions

Can you lock Photos on iPhone?

Check whether your current iOS version offers the app-level menu for Photos. The Photos app also has its own sensitive album protections. Different mechanisms can protect different parts of the experience; do not assume hiding a photo and hiding an app are the same thing.

Does hiding an app delete it?

No. Hiding changes where the app appears and how it opens. It does not uninstall the app or delete its account.

Can you hide Apple’s Settings or Camera app?

No. Apple’s current guide says built-in apps cannot be hidden with this feature, and several core apps cannot be locked.

Does the app lock carry over to a second iPhone?

No. Apple says the locked or hidden status applies to the specific device and does not synchronize through iCloud.

Editorial sources and image credit

Procedures and limitations verified against Apple’s iPhone guide: Lock or hide an app and Apple Personal Safety: Lock or hide apps. Featured photograph: iPhone 13 by メイド理世, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The image shows hardware, not a reproduced iOS menu.