Easiest Way To Lock an App on iPhone (iOS 18)

* This article is from our Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

Can you lock apps on the iPhone? Yes! For a long time, there was no way to lock apps on iOS. However, the latest updates added a new feature that allows you to use Face ID to lock down an app. Here’s how to lock apps on an iPhone.

Why You’ll Love This Tip:

  • Prevent others from accessing apps with personal information.
  • Secure apps that don’t have a Face ID login option.

How To Lock Apps on iPhone

System Requirements

This tip works on iPhones running iOS 18 or later. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.

If you have a specific app that you don’t want others to be able to access if they get ahold of your phone, you can lock the app with Face ID. When you do this, opening the app will require a scan of your face to open it. However, keep in mind that if Face ID fails, it will fall back to your device passcode. Here’s how to put a password on apps:

iPhone Life
Discover your iPhone's hidden features
Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.
  1. Find the app you want to lock, and long press on it.

    iphone home screen with a red box around the health app
  2. When the menu appears, select Require Face ID.

    iphone home screen displaying menu for the health app with a red box around require face id
  3. Tap Require Face ID.

    iphone home screen displaying a window confirming that the user wants to require face id with a red box around require face id
  4. Face ID will scan your face.

    iphone home screen with a face id prompt in the dynamic island and a red box around it
  5. When you open the app, there will be a full-screen blur telling you that Face ID is required to open the app.

    iphone health app displaying a full screen blur and a prompt that face id is required to access the app
  6. If Face ID fails, you can tap Try Face ID Again.

    iphone health app displaying a full screen blur and a prompt saying that Face id failed and a red box around try face id again
  7. If Face ID fails a second time, you can select Enter Passcode to unlock the app with your iPhone passcode.

    iphone health app displaying a full screen blur and a prompt saying that Face id failed and a red box around enter passcode

That’s how to lock an app on the iPhone. Now you can keep your apps protected from prying eyes. Next, find out how to enable Face ID for private tabs in Safari.

Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

Topics

Author Details

Rhett Intriago's picture

Author Details

Rhett Intriago

Rhett Intriago is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, offering his expertise in all things iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. He enjoys writing on topics related to maintaining privacy in a digital world, as well as iPhone security. He’s been a tech enthusiast all his life, with experiences ranging from jailbreaking his iPhone to building his own gaming PC.

Despite his disdain for the beach, Rhett is based in Florida. In his free time, he enjoys playing the latest games, spoiling his cats, or discovering new places with his wife, Kyla.