How to Lock and Hide iPhone Apps in iOS 18

Apple is enhancing iPhone security and privacy with iOS 18, introducing the ability to require Face ID for individual apps and hide them in a secret folder. Here’s how to lock and hide apps on iPhone in iOS 18.

In iOS 18, you can set individual locks for Apple’s native apps and lock third-party apps, storing them in a hidden folder on your iPhone.

For maximum security and privacy, data from locked and hidden apps will not appear in:

• Search
• Notifications
• Spotlight suggestions
• Siri suggestions
• Call history
• Maps routing suggestions

How to Lock and Hide iPhone Apps in iOS 18

Follow these steps to lock and hide apps on iPhone in iOS 18:

1. Ensure you’re using the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone.
2. Long-press on an app.
3. Tap “Require Face ID” (or Touch ID).
– Note: Some Apple apps like Settings and Camera don’t offer this option.
4. Tap “Require Face ID” again, or choose “Hide and Require Face ID” when available.

Currently, this feature works with third-party apps, but we’ll see if Apple expands it to native iOS apps, which can only be locked at this time.

To view hidden apps, swipe from right to left to access your App Library, then swipe to the bottom. Tap the “Hidden” folder and use Face ID/Touch ID to see the apps.

Hiding an app removes it from your Home Screen and makes it invisible in your Hidden folder until you unlock it. To move an app back to your Home Screen and unlock it, long-press on the app in your Hidden folder and choose “Don’t Require Face ID.”

We hope that our guide on how to lock and hide apps on iPhone will be helpful for you.

See Also: iOS 18: Must-See Upgrades Coming to Your iPhone