Works for Wireless Transfer whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold Wireless Transfer's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Wireless Transfer 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 Wireless Transfer with Face ID
- Find Wireless Transfer 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. Wireless Transfer now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close Wireless Transfer from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide Wireless Transfer in App Library
- Touch and hold Wireless Transfer'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 Wireless Transfer?
Wireless Transfer is a photo backup app, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Photo backup apps upload your library by design, including location metadata embedded in each picture.
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 Wireless Transfer sends to its developer; for that, see Wireless Transfer's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Wireless Transfer opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep Wireless Transfer'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 Wireless Transfer stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove Wireless Transfer 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 Wireless Transfer
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 › Wireless Transfer › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Wireless Transfer's full privacy label
The developer has not provided privacy details on the App Store.
Lock these apps too
After you lock Wireless Transfer
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does Wireless Transfer have its own passcode?
What happens to Wireless Transfer's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked Wireless Transfer encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding Wireless Transfer remove it from my purchase history?
Is Wireless Transfer safe? Full privacy report →Lock an app: A–Z →All photo & video apps →