How to Lock Apps on iPhone Easily

Do you work in a setting where others may have access to your phone? Are you worried about the contents of a particular app, when you hand your phone over to your kids? Or are you someone who wants to take extra steps to ensure your privacy?

Whatever be the reason, if you desire to restrict access to certain apps then here is this article that you need. Through this article, we will walk you through multiple ways on How to lock apps on iPhone.

Related: How to use the Shortcuts app on iPhone and iPad like a PRO

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How to lock apps on iPhone?

There are various ways through which you can lock your applications on your iPhone, both through native solutions or third-party features that can be downloaded. Listed below are four different ways you can secure your phone.

1. Use the Restriction Feature

By using the restriction feature, you can set a passcode that needs to be filled in by a user before they can have access to the applications you desire. Follow the instructions listed below to use this feature.

For devices using iOS 11 or earlier systems.

1. Switch on the device and click on the Settings App.

2. Click on General.

3. Turn on the feature titled Restrictions. On turning it on, you will be required to set up a passcode for the app restrictions.

For increased security make sure that the passcode set for Restrictions is different from the one required to unlock your phone.

4. Now you can choose which apps you would like to turn the restriction feature on for. Open the Settings app again and click on General.

5. Select the option titled Restriction.

6. On clicking, a list of all your apps with a toggle next to them will be displayed. Simply turn the toggle on for apps you want the restriction for and turn it off for apps that do not require them.

For devices using iOS 12 to iOS 14

1. Switch on the device and click on the Settings App.

2. Click on the option titled Screen Time.

3. Click on the option titled Allowed Apps.

4. On clicking, a list of all your apps with a toggle next to them will be displayed. Simply turn the toggle on for apps you want the restriction for and turn it off for apps that do not require them.

2. Use the Guided Access Feature

This feature restricts the user’s access to a single app for a temporary period. This is used predominantly by parents or teachers dealing with younger children who do not want them scrolling through the phone.  Follow the instructions listed below to use this feature.

1. Open your device and go to the Settings App.

2. Click on General

3. Choose the option titled “Accessibility”

4. Click on the “Guided Access” option.

5. A page with a toggle will be displayed, turn on the toggle to set up the Guided Access feature.

6. To set up a passcode, click on the option titled “Set Guided Access Passcode” and type in your desired passcode.

Your guided access option is available for further use.

To switch on the guided access

1. Open the app you want to restrict access to.

2. Click the home button (or side button) three times. The guided Access mode has now started.

You can choose the areas of the screen you want to restrict by drawing circles around areas you want to disable. Additionally, there is the availability of editing restrictions on the Guided Access mode.

You can control the touch screen as well as volume buttons and even set a time limit, with the upper limit being up to twenty-four hours.

3. The phone is now restricted to the usage of this singular app. Additionally, you can also restrict features within the app too.
4. To exit this feature, tap the Home button (or side button) three times again.

5. This will prompt a screen that requires you to fill in the passcode.

6. Click on the option titled “End” presenting the top left of the screen.

3. Use the Touch ID

The Touch ID can be used only for apps that are compatible with the fingerprint security features that are available on devices from the iPhone 5S through to the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Follow the instructions listed below to use this feature.

1. Open your device and go to the Settings App.

2. Click on General.

3. Select the option titled Touch ID & Passcode.

4. You will be prompted to enter the passcode for the device.

5. On clicking, a list of all your apps that support the touch ID will be displayed with a toggle next to them. Simply turn the toggle on for apps you want the restriction for and turn it off for apps that do not require them.

Please note that this feature works only if you are already using a passcode to open your iPhone. If you are not, first set up a passcode for your phone.

The process derived above only covers a limited number of apps, namely, Apple Pay, iTunes, and the App Store. To lock other apps that you have downloaded from the app requires a different procedure, these apps can either be locked by the Touch ID or a passcode.

For other apps try the steps written below. However, there are also apps, such as, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter that do not enable the process so you cannot lock those apps using this method as well.

1. Open the app that is compatible with touch ID.

3. Click on its settings.
4. Find the option on the app that locks the app either using a password or fingerprint. It is generally under the section titled Privacy or Preferences and can come under different options, such as Password, Lock, Passcode, Touch ID Lock, Screen Lock, or something along these lines. And enable the toggle present beside it.

If it is required you might also need to follow any steps that appear on-screen to set up the app lock for that particular app.

5. Third-Party Apps

Apart from the inbuilt native solutions that are present on the iPhone, you can also use third-party apps to lock your apps. Unfortunately, these apps are only supported on jailbroken devices. This means, if you want to use these apps you will have to jailbreak your device.

This clearly has both pros and cons, in downloading a third-party app you might be able to control access to every app on your device through a variety of ways, such as passcode and even biometric ID, however jailbreaking your device can lead to further issues with performance and it may leave you phone vulnerable.

If you do not want to jailbreak your device,  follow the solutions that have been listed above but if you do have a device that is already jailbroken you can set up third-party apps using the steps listed below. This article will discuss two of the most well-known Third-party apps used to lock apps, namely, BioProtect and AppLocker.

#1 Download: Applocker

1. Download Applocker on your device and install it.

2. Click on Settings and choose the option titled Applocker.

3. Turn on the toggle beside it to enable it.

4. This will prompt you to set up a passcode that will be used to unlock apps in accordance with your desire.

5. To lock apps click on the option titled “Application Locking”

6. On clicking, a list of all your apps with a toggle next to them will be displayed. Simply turn the toggle on for apps you want the restriction for and turn it off for apps that do not require them.

#2 Download: BioProtect

1. Download BioProtect on your device and install it.

2. To access the BioProtect settings panel, you will be required to provide your fingerprint.

3. Enable the app by turning on the toggle for the same.

4. Click on the option titled “Protected Applications”

5. On clicking, a list of all your apps with a toggle next to them will be displayed. Simply turn the toggle on for apps you want the restriction for and turn it off for apps that do not require them.

6. You can further adjust your settings by clicking the option titled “Touch ID”.

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Conclusion

Those were our suggestions on How to lock apps on iPhone. We’ve mentioned four ways to lock apps and instructions to unlock them if you wish to.

You can lock them through the restriction feature, or the guided access feature if you want to limit the access to one app. You can also use the Touch ID for apps that are compatible and use third-party apps to lock apps as well.