what to know
- Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps > Turn off the app's switch to hide it.
- On iOS 11 or earlier: Settings > General > Restrictions > Enable restrictions > Turn off apps under Allowed.
This article explains how to lock apps on iPhones running iOS 12 and later. Also includes information on workarounds.
In iOS 12 and later, you can lock first-party apps using the Screen Time feature introduced in iOS 12.
First-party apps are apps created by Apple, not other software manufacturers.
Open settings .
Go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions .
Click Allowed Apps .
Turn off the toggle switches for apps you don't want to use (click them to turn the switch white).
Click the Back button or swipe up to return to the home screen.
One simple app lock method that works on most iPhones (but only first-party Apple apps) involves usage restrictions.
Go to Settings > General and then scroll down and navigate to Restrictions > Enable restrictions . When prompted, enter your new password (twice to confirm).
Once you enable restrictions and enter a new password, you'll see a variety of options.
In the Allow section, you can choose to block a range of first-party apps, such as Safari, Siri, and FaceTime.
This selection does not include apps you download. By sliding the green toggle icon to the off position, you can prevent any disallowed apps from appearing on your home screen.
Guided Access is a core app locking option that prevents you from leaving the app you are currently using. However, it might come in handy if your child wants to use a specific app on their phone but you're concerned they might venture elsewhere.
Guided Access requires iOS 11 or higher. Please follow these steps to use it:
Tap Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access .
You can also find this setting in: Settings > Accessibility .
Slide the Guided Access toggle switch to the on/green position.
Go to Password Settings > Set Boot Access Password .
Enter your new password, then enter it again to confirm.
After you enable Guided Access and set a password, here's how to use the feature:
- Open any app: Once the app launches, triple-press the Side button or triple-press the Home button (depending on your phone). This sequence displays the Guided Access start screen, around which you can draw a circle to disable an area of the screen (set it to cover the entire screen or not).
- Or, select an option : Tapping the options in the lower right corner of the screen can be used to disable everything from the volume buttons to the touch screen, as well as set a time limit for your Guided Access session (up to 24 hours).
- Use Touch ID : If you have a Touch ID-enabled iPhone, use Touch ID instead of your password to end the Guided Access session.
With Touch ID, a limited number of compatible apps can be locked using the fingerprint-based security feature (available on iPhone 5S through iPhone 8 and 8 Plus).
This article assumes you use a passcode to access your iPhone. If you don't, follow the steps below to turn on your password.
To lock out Apple Pay, iTunes, and the App Store this way:
Open settings .
Go to Touch ID & Passcode to enter your passcode.
Then, turn on the toggle switches for the apps you want to lock using Touch ID (to the green/on position).
If you haven't set up Touch ID yet, you'll be prompted to do so when you open any of the available options.
However, the above content only covers Apple Pay, iTunes and App Store. Locking apps downloaded from the App Store using Touch ID requires a different process, and many popular apps don't enable this process, meaning you can't lock them individually.
Generally speaking, the following conditions are required to do this:
Open a Touch ID-compatible app.
Go to the app's settings.
Find the option to lock the app with a password or fingerprint. It might be in the Privacy or Preferences section and could be called Password , Password , Touch ID Lock , Lock , Screen Lock , or anything similar.
If needed, follow any on-screen steps to complete the app lock process.
You can also set time limits for apps, which is similar to locking an app from yourself.
Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Restrictions > Add Restriction .
In the application list, decide which access to restrict. Click the checkbox button to the left of the app category you want to restrict.
You can restrict certain apps within a social network (for example) by clicking on a category.
Select a usage time limit for this application category (for example, 1 hour). You can also customize the dates you want this restriction to be enforced. Click the Add button to save the settings.
If you want to lock apps directly, there is one last option, which involves using a third-party app.
On the one hand, this is the best option for locking apps since there are many available that can block access to every app on your iPhone using a passcode (or biometric ID) in some way.
However, it's also the worst app lock option on iPhone. To use these apps, your iPhone must be jailbroken (this may create security vulnerabilities and performance issues; this is not recommended).
Some common examples of third-party apps that lock other apps include:
- biocontainment
- lock fish
- app lock
You can download and install these apps using the Cydia platform, which is home to apps designed specifically for jailbroken iPhones.
For BioProtect, after downloading the app, you can lock specific apps by going to Settings > Apps under the Protected Items section and toggle the app you want to lock to the green/on position.
Something else to consider for your application locking needs is to eliminate the idea entirely. Depending on your needs, a third-party vault application may be enough to hide things like images and annotations, making them accessible only after entering the correct password.
If you don't necessarily need to lock an entire app (like Photos), but just specific content (like private images, documents, or videos), you might have luck with one of these apps.
FAQClosing apps on your iPhone depends on your model. On iPhone X and later, swipe up halfway and pause to show multitasking view, then swipe the app up and away from the top. For older models, double-click the Home button and swipe up on the app you want to exit.
To remove an app from the Home screen, press and hold the app. Click Delete App > Delete .
To rearrange apps on your iPhone's screen, tap and hold an app until the icon jiggles. Drag the app icon to a new location on the screen.
