You can now lock individual apps on iPhone directly in iOS, plus there are a few older workarounds that still help if a specific app can’t be locked.

Quick Scoop: How to lock apps on iPhone

1. The new built‑in “Require Face ID” app lock (iOS 17/18+)

On recent iOS versions, many apps can be locked right from the Home Screen using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

How to do it:

  1. Find the app you want to lock (Home Screen, App Library, or Spotlight).
  2. Touch and hold the app icon until the menu appears.
  3. Tap “Require Face ID” (or “Require Touch ID” / “Require Passcode”).
  4. Confirm once with Face ID / Touch ID / passcode.

From now on, every time someone tries to open that app, they’ll have to authenticate.

Note: Some built‑in apps still can’t be locked this way, like Settings, Camera, Clock, Maps, Calculator, Shortcuts, Contacts, Find My.

2. Lock apps using Screen Time (works on most iPhones)

If the quick “Require Face ID” option is missing for a certain app, you can use Screen Time limits as an app lock. This is more of a “soft” lock but still effective.

Set it up:

  1. Open Settings → Screen Time.
  2. Tap Turn On Screen Time if it’s not already enabled, and set a Screen Time passcode.
  3. Tap App Limits → Add Limit.
  4. Choose All Apps & Categories or pick specific apps you want to lock.
  5. Tap Next , set the time to 1 minute , and toggle Block at End of Limit (if available).
  1. Tap Add.

After the first minute of use per day, the app will gray out and show a timeout screen. To get in, someone must enter the Screen Time passcode.

3. Lock the whole screen inside one app (Guided Access)

If you sometimes hand your phone to someone (kids, friends, coworkers) and want them stuck in one app and unable to exit, use Guided Access.

Turn it on:

  1. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access.
  2. Turn on Guided Access and set a passcode (or enable Face ID to end a session).

Use it:

  1. Open the app you want them to use.
  2. Triple‑click the side (or Home) button.
  3. Adjust any options (disable volume buttons, keyboard, etc.), then tap Start.
  1. To exit, triple‑click again, enter your passcode or use Face ID, and tap End.

This doesn’t lock the app itself long‑term, but it prevents someone from leaving that app while Guided Access is active.

4. Shortcut + Automation tricks (more advanced)

Power users sometimes combine Shortcuts and Automations to simulate an app lock by forcing a lock screen or asking for a passphrase whenever a chosen app opens.

One common pattern:

  1. In Shortcuts , create a shortcut that locks the screen (action: “Lock Screen”).
  1. Go to Automation tab → Create Personal Automation.
  2. Choose App → Is opened → pick the app(s) you want to lock.
  1. Set the automation to Run immediately and run the lock‑screen shortcut when the app opens.

Result: whenever someone taps that app, the phone instantly locks, and they must unlock with Face ID / passcode to continue. It’s a bit hacky, but some users like the extra friction.

Another version asks for a user‑defined passphrase (“Ask for Input” action) and, if it doesn’t match, closes or locks the device.

5. What about third‑party “app lock” apps?

You’ll see a lot of App Store apps claiming to “lock any app,” but they typically cannot truly lock other apps due to Apple’s sandboxing rules.

  • Some only lock content inside their own app (like vaults for photos or notes).
  • Others use similar Screen Time or Shortcut‑style tricks you can set up yourself.
  • Security‑focused guides often recommend avoiding third‑party app‑lockers for sensitive data, since you’re trusting them with very private information.

Your most secure options remain the built‑in tools: Require Face ID , Screen Time , Guided Access , and device passcode/Face ID itself.

6. Extra privacy tips for iPhone apps

If your goal goes beyond “how to lock apps on iPhone” and into broader privacy, these settings are worth a look:

  • Hide apps instead of locking :
    Use the App Library or remove apps from the Home Screen so casual users don’t even see them.
  • Lock Photos or Notes individually :
    • Photos: You can lock the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums with Face ID.
* Notes: Lock specific notes with a password or Face ID.
  • Limit notifications on Lock Screen :
    Go to Settings → Notifications and hide preview content for sensitive apps so messages don’t show up when the screen is off.

7. Forum‑style viewpoints (what users say)

On tech forums and Q&A sites, users tend to split into a few camps when discussing how to lock apps on iPhone:

  • “Just use Require Face ID” camp
    They love the new per‑app lock toggle and use it for banking, messaging, and password managers.
  • “Screen Time power users”
    They treat Screen Time as a flexible app locker for kids’ devices or shared tablets, often combining it with downtime schedules and app limits.
  • “Guided Access parents/teachers”
    They swear by Guided Access to stop kids from leaving YouTube Kids, a game, or a classroom app.
  • “Shortcut tinkerers”
    These users enjoy building creative “fake lock” systems via Shortcuts and automations, sometimes adding custom PIN prompts and fancy flows.

Overall, the trend in late‑2024 and 2025 has been Apple moving closer to an Android‑like per‑app lock while still keeping strict security boundaries and discouraging deep system‑level third‑party app lockers.

SEO Corner

  • Focus keyword used : “how to lock apps on iPhone” (and variations) throughout headings and steps for readability and search relevance.
  • This topic stays trending whenever new iOS versions (like iOS 17 and iOS 18) tweak privacy features, so check your iOS version—some newer options may appear after major updates.

TL;DR:
For the fastest method, long‑press an app and tap Require Face ID/Touch ID/Passcode if available. If not, use Screen Time app limits with a passcode, or Guided Access when handing your phone to someone else.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.