# How to Lock Apps on iPhone with Face ID or a Passcode > Hold an eligible app icon, choose Require Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode and confirm. This adds device authentication while the app can remain visible; it is different from an independent vault password. Author: statemaps.net Published: 2026-10-31 Updated: 2026-10-31 Canonical: https://statemaps.net/blog/how-to-lock-apps-on-iphone ## Quick answer Hold an eligible app icon, choose Require Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode, and confirm. Quit and reopen the app to test the lock. The icon can remain visible; this is device authentication rather than a new password for each app. ## At a glance Platform: Native app locking: iOS 18+ Method: Native app lock Steps: 4; time varies by setup; backup impact needs separate review. ## Method and verification steps 1. Find the app icon. 2. Hold it to open its menu. 3. Choose Require Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode and confirm. 4. Quit and reopen the app to verify authentication. What this does not do: Some apps are excluded and authentication fallbacks matter. Hold an eligible app icon, choose Require Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode and confirm. This adds device authentication while the app can remain visible; it is different from an independent vault password. ## What does the native app lock do? The native control asks for device authentication before opening an eligible app. Apple also describes limits on how information from locked apps appears in places such as notification previews, search and suggestions. Start with the access scenario you are addressing: somebody briefly borrowing an unlocked phone is different from somebody who knows the device passcode or controls the app's account. A lock can be useful without answering every one of those concerns. Check its fallback and scope before depending on it. 1. Find the installed application's icon. 2. Touch and hold the icon to open its actions. 3. Choose Require Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode, then confirm without selecting Hide. 4. Quit the app, reopen it and observe the authentication request. ## Can every application be locked? Do not assume every icon exposes the same action. Apple excludes some system functions and applies eligibility and family rules. The actual menu on your installed release is the immediate evidence of whether this workflow is offered. If the action is missing, identify the app, iOS version and relevant device restrictions instead of using a Home Screen folder as a supposed replacement. A folder is an organizational feature. Another application cannot be assumed to wrap arbitrary iOS apps in its own independent password. ## Is Face ID the only way to open a locked app? Read the authentication prompt and the provider's current description. The system can offer device authentication alternatives, and the relevant fallback determines what someone who knows the passcode could do. A biometric symbol is not a complete access policy. If you need a separate secret for sensitive files, compare a storage product's actual password, recovery and encryption documentation. Test that product with sample files; do not infer the boundary from its name or icon. ## Does locking affect backups or copies? An application-level opening requirement does not automatically govern a file exported elsewhere, a conversation recipient's copy, a browser account session or data on another device. Make a short inventory of the places that contain the sensitive information. If a picture was saved into Photos, inspect Photos too. If the application provides backup or sharing, read those specific controls. This inventory prevents a successful local lock test from being mistaken for account-wide protection. ## When should you hide as well as lock? Choose hiding when reducing ordinary app visibility is part of your goal and the eligible downloaded app offers that option. Choose locking alone when you want its icon visible for regular use but want an opening prompt. Apple says preinstalled apps cannot use the downloaded-app hide workflow, and some default-app roles affect eligibility. Neither choice promises that installation, purchase or family usage records vanish. Do not describe the native Hidden folder as an untraceable installation mode. ## How can you reverse and verify the lock? Use the icon action that stops requiring Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode and authenticate. If the app is hidden, reach it through the authenticated Hidden folder first. After any change, close and reopen the application, inspect notification behavior relevant to your concern, and check another device separately. Keep the device passcode private and keep a supported recovery route for important content. A reversible local visibility change should not require deleting the only copy of your files. ## Frequently asked questions ### When was native app lock introduced? Apple introduced the supported lock/hide workflow in iOS 18. Check availability on your installed release. ### Does locking hide the icon? Locking and hiding are separate options. A locked app can remain visible. ### Is the app lock password independent? The native action uses device authentication. It is not a separately chosen password for every app. ### Will the app relock after I leave? Apple says a locked app relocks after you quit it; verify this on the device you use. ### Can a vault app lock every other iPhone app? Do not assume so. A vault protecting its own files is different from a system control on other applications. ### Does app lock sync through iCloud? Apple says native app lock and hide status applies to that device and does not sync with iCloud. ## Sources - [Apple: lock or hide an app](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/iphone/iph00f208d05/ios) ## Related guides - [How to Hide Messages on iPhone: Previews, Alerts and Their Limits](https://statemaps.net/blog/how-to-hide-messages-on-iphone) - [How to Hide Notifications on the iPhone Lock Screen](https://statemaps.net/blog/hide-notifications-lock-screen-iphone) - [How to Lock Notes on iPhone: Device Passcode or Custom Password](https://statemaps.net/blog/how-to-lock-notes-iphone) ## Private photo and document storage For photos and documents you choose to store separately, explore [VaultForYou](https://www.vaultforyou.app/).