Works for Secure File Manager whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold Secure File Manager's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Secure File Manager 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 Secure File Manager with Face ID
- Find Secure File Manager 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. Secure File Manager now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close Secure File Manager from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide Secure File Manager in App Library
- Touch and hold Secure File Manager'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 Secure File Manager?
Secure File Manager is a file manager, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. File managers connect to cloud drives, servers and your Files app. The app can see whatever you open in it.
Photo and video apps usually request access to your photo library. iOS lets you share only selected photos, which keeps the rest of the library — and its location metadata — away from the app.
A lock answers one question — who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change what Secure File Manager sends to its developer; for that, see Secure File Manager's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Secure File Manager opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep Secure File Manager'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 Secure File Manager stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove Secure File Manager 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 Secure File Manager
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.
Photos
Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos. Limited Access lets you pick exactly which pictures the app can see; Add Photos Only lets it save without reading your library.
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › Secure File Manager › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Secure File Manager's full privacy label
None declared
Lock these apps too
After you lock Secure File Manager
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does Secure File Manager have its own passcode?
What happens to Secure File Manager's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked Secure File Manager encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding Secure File Manager remove it from my purchase history?
Is Secure File Manager safe? Full privacy report →Does Secure File Manager track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All photo & video apps →