How to Lock Apps With Face ID in iOS 18

Apple introduced native app locking in iOS 18, allowing users to secure individual applications behind Face ID, Touch ID, or a device passcode without relying on third-party software or Shortcuts workarounds. This guide explains how this built-in security feature functions, how it protects your sensitive information across the system, and how to enable it on your iPhone.

How the Locking Mechanism Operates

When an app is locked in iOS 18, it requires biometric verification—Face ID or Touch ID—or your device passcode each time someone attempts to open it. The authentication relies on the iPhone's Secure Enclave, ensuring that app-level security matches the standard lock screen security.

Beyond simply blocking access to the app interface, locking an app initiates system-wide privacy safeguards:

  • Hidden Notification Previews: Incoming notifications from locked apps will not display message text, sender details, or preview content on the Lock Screen or in Notification Center.
  • Spotlight Search Redaction: Content, documents, or messages stored within locked apps are excluded from Spotlight search results and Siri suggestions.
  • App Switcher Obfuscation: When viewing recent apps in the App Switcher, the preview snapshot of a locked app is blurred or replaced with a generic screen to prevent glanceable data exposure.
  • System Integration Blocking: Hand-off features and Siri interactions that normally access in-app data are suppressed until the app is authenticated.

Step-by-Step: Enabling App Lock

Locking an app requires only a few taps directly from the Home Screen or App Library:

  1. Locate the app you want to protect on your Home Screen or App Library.
  2. Tap and hold the app icon until the quick action context menu appears.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your device hardware).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm.

Once enabled, tapping the app icon immediately triggers an authentication prompt. If biometric verification fails, the system allows the user to enter the iPhone's master passcode.

Locked Apps vs. Hidden Apps

iOS 18 provides two levels of protection in the same menu: Require Face ID and Hide and Require Face ID.

  • Require Face ID: The app icon remains visible on the Home Screen, but opening it requires authentication.
  • Hide and Require Face ID: The app icon is completely removed from the Home Screen and standard App Library views. Instead, it is relocated to a dedicated, locked "Hidden" folder at the bottom of the App Library. Accessing this folder requires biometric authentication before its contents can even be viewed.