How to lock or hide an app on iPhone.
iPhone can add an authentication step before an app opens. That can help when you hand someone your phone, but it does not move or encrypt individual files in Photos.
Quick answer: On the Home Screen, touch and hold an app, tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), then choose whether to require authentication or also hide the app. Apple says the locked or hidden state applies only to that iPhone and does not sync with iCloud.
These steps follow Apple’s current iPhone guide. The controls can vary by device, region, age settings and app eligibility.
Lock an app with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode
- Go to the Home Screen and touch and hold the app icon until its quick actions appear.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), then confirm the same requirement.
- To open the app, tap it and authenticate. Apple says it locks again after you quit the app.
The device passcode is an alternative to biometrics. Anyone who can authenticate on your iPhone may be able to open the app, so this is a device-level access check, not a separate secret from that device passcode.
Hide an eligible app as well
- Touch and hold a downloaded app on the Home Screen and tap Require Face ID.
- Choose Hide and Require Face ID, authenticate, then tap Hide App.
- To find it later, open App Library, tap the Hidden folder and authenticate. Then tap the app and authenticate again.
Hiding removes an app from the Home Screen, App Library’s ordinary list and search results, and places it in the authenticated Hidden folder. Apple says preinstalled apps cannot be hidden, and some default apps are also ineligible. A hidden app’s status is local to that iPhone.
To undo the setting, open the Hidden folder, authenticate, touch and hold the app, choose Don’t Require Face ID and authenticate again. Apple also lists hidden apps under Settings → Apps → Hidden Apps.
An app lock is not a photo vault
Locking Photos or another app controls entry to that app on this device. It does not place selected photos in a separate collection, encrypt a file copy, remove originals, or change iCloud Photos syncing. If your goal is to keep pictures out of the main Photos library, see our guide to Apple Photos’ Hidden collection.
Apple’s app lock is also separate from a vault app’s own protections. Ego is being developed with a different six-digit passcode for each new vault and encrypted storage on the original iPhone. Its public App Store release has not launched, and local recovery/manual exports remain tied to the original device. An iPhone app lock does not replace a vault passcode or make an unreleased cloud recovery route available.
Before choosing a separate vault, compare its passcodes, account requirements and recovery limits. Do not move important files until you understand where originals and exports remain.
If you record your screen to show someone how iPhone privacy controls work, a notification banner can still appear in the video. See how to reduce notifications in screen recordings before you share a clip.
Apple’s current instructions
See Apple Support’s full guide to locking or hiding an app on iPhone for eligibility, opening, unhiding and regional or Family Sharing details.
Ego is still in development for iPhone with iOS 26 or later. Read the current product and availability details; there is no public App Store download link yet.