[The Ultimate Guide] How To Lock An App On iPhone Like A Pro & Keep Your Secrets Safe

You might have a passcode or other security features set up to lock your iPhone. But, it is the only layer of protection that you have. So, when your iPhone is unlocked, anyone can access almost all apps and private content on your iPhone.

That is why, if you want to have greater security or set up an extra layer of security for your sensitive and personal information, you can look into app lock options available for your iPhone. And locking apps can even help you to limit how often you use those addictive apps. 

However, some people are still confused about whether it is actually possible to lock apps on iPhones. In this article, we have covered 5 unique ways on how to lock an app on iPhone that lets you protect your sensitive apps.

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5 Quick And Easy Techniques To Lock An App On Your iPhone: Keep Your Data Safe

If you want to add an extra layer of security to your favorite apps by locking them individually on your iPhone, then you need to learn how you can lock apps on your iPhone. Here we have discussed the 5 simplest methods on how to lock an app on iPhone to ensure more privacy in your iPhone. 

1. Lock Apps On Your iPhone With A Password

Now, no built-in security feature allows you to set an app lock password on your iPhone, but we have a solution available for you. Here we have explained how to use Screen Time to lock apps on your iPhone with a password:

• First, you need to go to Settings, then Screen Time and tap on Turn On Screen Time. After that, you should follow the on-screen instructions to enable the Screen Time feature. 
• Now, click on Use Screen Time Passcode and type your four-digit password according to your preference. You should remember that this password is different from the one that you use to unlock your iPhone.
• Then, you need to go to App Limits and tap on Add Limit. To access this page, you have to enter your Screen Time passcode. 
• You can select All Apps & Categories if you want to lock all apps on your iPhone with the Screen Time password. However, if you need to lock some specific apps, then you can go to the search bar and find apps from there. Also, you can tap the dropdown arrow in each category to select specific apps individually. 
• Once you completed choosing the apps, just tap Next and set 1 min for the app limit. 

You also need to make sure that the Block at End of Limit toggle switch is enabled. Finally, just tap Add to save your settings.

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With this method, all apps on your iPhone will be locked with a password only after one minute of usage every day. So, if anyone somehow tries to open a locked app, they will see a Time Limit message, and they can only access the Ask For More Time option by entering the Screen Time passcode.

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2. Use Face ID Or Touch ID

You can follow these simple steps to enable Face ID to lock your apps on your iPhone.

• First, open the Settings app on your iPhone and then Tap on Face ID & Passcode.
• After that, you need to enter your secret iPhone passcode.

Now, click Other Apps where you can find a list of the apps that you have already downloaded to your device and that support this Face ID feature.

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• Finally, to enable Face ID for a specific app that you want to lock, turn it on with the toggle.

That is how you can lock your apps with Face ID on your iPhone. However, if you have an iPhone with Touch ID, then you should know that the setup process is almost similar.

But, you should also remember that not all apps on your iPhone can be locked with Face ID or Touch ID.

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3. Use Guided Access To Lock Apps On Your iPhone

The Guided Access option works slightly differently to enable app lock for your iPhone. Because when the Guided Access feature is enabled, it actually locks access to all apps on your iPhone except for the one that is currently open on your screen.

For example, if your friend wants to use your phone to make a call, but you want to prevent them from opening other apps, then you can use this feature and restrict their access to only one app that they are using. 

You just need to launch that particular app and activate Guided Access. After that, all other apps are safe and can not be accessed without a password, Face ID, or Touch ID. You need to follow these simple steps to lock apps on your iPhone with Guided Access:

• First, open Settings on your device, then go to Accessibility and tap on Guided Access. Now, just toggle the Guided Access switch on. 

Then, you need to simply tap Passcode Settings and go to Set Guided Access Passcode. Now, you need to enter a six-digit password according to your preference.

You should also keep in mind that this password is completely different from the password that you use to lock your iPhone or the Screen Time password.

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• Also, you can enable the Face ID or Touch ID option to use a biometric password.

Now, you can turn on Guided Access at any time to app lock your iPhone and limit use to only one app just by pressing the home button three times or the side button three times, it depends on the iPhone model you are using.

When you see a Guided Access Started pop-up, then you will know that the app lock is successful. 

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4. Lock iPhone Apps With Third-Party Apps

There is another option that you can try if you want to lock apps directly which is to use a third-party app. You might have heard of app lock apps for Android devices, however, similar third-party apps also exist for iPhone 

It can be one of the best options for locking apps as there are a lot of apps available that can block access to every app on your iPhone using a passcode or biometric ID. However, these apps will only work on jailbroken devices.   

So, to use these apps, your iPhone must be jailbroken. You might want to unlock new customization possibilities and use new apps on your iPhone.

But you should consider it carefully because jailbreaking your iPhone might create security vulnerabilities and performance issues, so it is not recommended. 

However, if you want to use third-party apps, then some of the most popular third-party apps that can lock other apps are- BioProtect, Locktopus, and AppLocker. 

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5. Via Restrictions (iOS 11 Or Earlier)

It is one of the simplest app lock methods and you can try this option if you are using iOS 11 and earlier. But it will only work for first-party Apple apps. 

• First, you need to go to Settings and then General. 
• Now, just scroll down and go to Restrictions. After that, just tap on it and select Enable Restrictions.  
• Then, you will be required to enter a new passcode (twice to confirm).
• Once you have enabled restrictions and entered a new passcode, you will get a variety of options.

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• In the Allow section, you can turn off all the first-party apps, such as Safari, FaceTime, and Siri that you don’t want to appear on your Home screen by turning off the toggle switches. However, this doesn’t include apps that you downloaded.

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How You Can Add Passwords To Non-Apple Apps

Some apps have different ways to block unwanted access that are specific to the app. For example, they can have their own passwords or lock screens. And you can generally find these options in the Accounts section of the app.  

For example, WhatsApp has a lock screen feature that you can access in the settings and it requires a password, Face ID, or Touch ID to access the messages. And to set up this function, you need to go to Settings> Account> Privacy> Screen Lock.

Also, you will see that PayPal has a built-in log-in system that is compatible with Touch ID. To set up this feature, you need to go to Settings, and then Log in and Security.

Similarly, in many other apps, you will find passcode or other lock screen features for security. 

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Extra Tips To Lock The Content Of Apps On Your iPhone For More Privacy

You can always lock an entire app on your iPhone, however, you might not know that there are other methods as well to lock the content of apps on your iPhone to keep them private from those people who are excessively interested in your private affairs. 

• You can find some built-in options that are already available within the native Apple apps, such as you can lock some specific iPhone notes with a password. Also, you can try other tips and tricks to hide personal content on your iPhone.
• Another extremely useful thing to do is to remember to log out of apps where you have a password-protected account like social media and digital wallet applications. You just need to go to your profile section and scroll down in settings to tap the Log Out or Sign Out button.

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Wrap Up On How To Lock An App On iPhone: Maximizing Your iPhone Security

If you are using the Screen Time feature to lock apps on your iPhone, then you should know that it has some minor limitations. One of them is that Screen Time doesn’t allow you to lock several apps, such as Settings and Phone.

However, we have also discussed some other ways on how you can lock apps on your iPhone such as with a Face ID or Touch ID, and Guided Access. And they are not completely perfect, as each of these methods has minor limitations. 

But, you can still depend on them to do the job effectively and you can be certain that anyone who doesn’t have the password would not be able to access your locked apps.

We hope that our detailed guide has helped you to know how to lock an app on iPhone to ensure more data security. If you have any questions, please leave a message in the comments below. 

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FAQ: How To Lock An App On iPhone

As a lot of people want to learn how to lock an app on iPhone, they are always searching for the appropriate option. Here we have picked some of their questions and answered them in this FAQ section.