4 Quick Ways to Lock or Hide an App on an iPhone or iPad

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Hide apps on your iPhone from others

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: November 14, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Locking an App
|
• Unlocking an App
|
• Removing the Lock
|
• Hiding an App
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

When you lock an app, the information will be hidden in other locations on your iPhone, such as search and Siri. You'll just need your Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode to lock and unlock it. Here's how to lock an app on an iPhone running iOS 18 or newer.

Putting a Password on iPhone Apps

To lock certain apps on your iPhone, upgrade to iOS 18 or newer. Tap and hold the app you want to lock, and then select Require Face ID/Touch ID/Passcode. Input your Face ID to verify.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Locking an App

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1. 1
   Tap and hold the app you want to lock. You'll find this on one of your home screens.

   • To lock an app, you must have iOS 18 or later. If you haven't already, update your iPhone.
   • Keep in mind this will only lock the app on your device. The locked status will not sync to iCloud.
2. 2
   Tap Require Face ID. If you have this disabled, you can select Require Touch ID or Require Passcode.
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3. 3
   Tap Require Face ID again. This will confirm the action.
4. 4
   Verify your Face ID. If you don't have Face ID, you'll verify your Touch ID or passcode.
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Section 2 of 4:

Unlocking an App

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1. 1
   Tap the app you want to unlock. If you have an app that's locked by your Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode, you can easily unlock it by authenticating it.
2. 2
   Use Face ID. If you have Touch ID, use your fingerprint. If you have a passcode, enter it now.

   • The app will unlock for usage.
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Section 3 of 4:

Removing the Lock

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1. 1
   Tap and hold the app with the lock you want to remove. A pop-up menu will open.
2. 2
   Tap Don't Require Face ID. You may also select Don't Require Touch ID or Don't Require Passcode.
3. 3
   Verify your Face ID. If you don't have Face ID, you'll verify your Touch ID or passcode. This will permanently remove the lock on the app.
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Section 4 of 4:

Hiding an App

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1. 1
   Tap and hold the app you want to hide. When you hide an app, it will be moved to a hidden folder at the bottom of your App Library.

   • Certain preinstalled apps cannot be hidden.
2. 2
   Tap Require Face ID. If you have this disabled, you can select Require Touch ID or Require Passcode.
3. 3
   Tap Hide and Require Face ID. You may also select Touch ID or Passcode.
4. 4
   Tap Hide App. The app will be hidden. However, it may still appear in Screen Time, Battery Health, and your App Store history.

   • You can find your hidden apps folder at the bottom of the App Library.
   • To find a list of your hidden apps, navigate to Settings > Apps > Hidden Apps.
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