Works for NHS App whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold NHS App's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts NHS App 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 NHS App with Face ID
- Find NHS App 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. NHS App now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close NHS App from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide NHS App in App Library
- Touch and hold NHS App'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 NHS App?
NHS App's privacy label lists health and fitness and location — the kind of data you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Medical-record apps hold diagnoses, prescriptions and insurance details. Patient portals from your provider are bound by health-privacy rules in a way most standalone apps are not.
Medical apps may hold the most sensitive data on your phone. Whether US health-privacy law applies depends on who runs the app, not on the App Store category.
A lock answers one question — who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change what NHS App sends to its developer; for that, see NHS App's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time NHS App opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep NHS App'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 NHS App stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove NHS App 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 NHS App
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.
Location
Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › NHS App. Choose While Using or Never, and switch off Precise Location if a city-level answer is enough.
Health
Health app › your profile picture › Apps › NHS App. Turn categories on one at a time; the app cannot tell which ones you declined.
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › NHS App › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
NHS App's full privacy label
None declared
Lock these apps too
After you lock NHS App
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does NHS App have its own passcode?
What happens to NHS App's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked NHS App encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding NHS App remove it from my purchase history?
Is NHS App safe? Full privacy report →Does NHS App track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All medical apps →