Works for Mail App for Gmail whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold Mail App for Gmail's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Mail App for Gmail behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode; choose Hide and Require Face ID instead to move it into App Library's Hidden folder as well.
Lock Mail App for Gmail with Face ID
- Find Mail App for Gmail on your Home Screen or in App Library.
- Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
- Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Mail App for Gmail now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close Mail App for Gmail from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide Mail App for Gmail in App Library
- Touch and hold Mail App for Gmail's icon and tap Require Face ID.
- Choose Hide and Require Face ID instead of Require Face ID.
- Confirm. The icon leaves your Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library.
- To open it later, swipe to App Library, tap Hidden and authenticate.
Hiding also locks the app. To undo either, touch and hold the icon again and choose Don't Require Face ID.
Why lock Mail App for Gmail?
Mail App for Gmail is a secure email app, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Email apps see every message and contact. Third-party mail clients may route mail through their own servers to offer features like push or AI summaries.
Productivity apps tend to collect the work you do in them — documents, notes and files — so User Content is common. The question is whether it syncs to the developer's servers and how it is protected there.
A lock answers one question — who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change what Mail App for Gmail sends to its developer; for that, see Mail App for Gmail's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Mail App for Gmail opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep Mail App for Gmail's content out of Spotlight and Siri suggestions
- With Hide, remove the icon from the Home Screen
It does not
- Stop someone who knows your passcode
- Encrypt or change how Mail App for Gmail stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove Mail App for Gmail from purchase history or Screen Time reports
Don't see Require Face ID?
- Update to iOS 18 or later in Settings › General › Software Update.
- Make sure a passcode is set in Settings › Face ID & Passcode; the lock needs one.
- Some Apple apps (Settings, Calculator, Camera, Maps, Find My, Clock) cannot be locked or hidden.
- If your iPhone is managed by work or school, the option may be restricted.
Other settings worth checking for Mail App for Gmail
Tracking
Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.
Sign-in
When creating an account, Sign in with Apple can give the app a relay address from Hide My Email instead of your real one.
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › Mail App for Gmail › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Mail App for Gmail's full privacy label
None declared
None declared
Lock these apps too
After you lock Mail App for Gmail
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does Mail App for Gmail have its own passcode?
What happens to Mail App for Gmail's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked Mail App for Gmail encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding Mail App for Gmail remove it from my purchase history?
Is Mail App for Gmail safe? Full privacy report →Does Mail App for Gmail track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All productivity apps →