How to Put a Password on iPhone Apps

On an iPhone with iOS 18 or later, you can lock many individual apps so opening them requires Face ID, Touch ID, or the iPhone passcode. You cannot give each app a separate password through iOS, but some apps provide their own sign-in or security lock.

What ways can you use to lock apps on an iPhone?

The main iPhone app-locking feature is available in iOS 18 and later. It lets you require authentication before a supported app opens.

• Face ID recognizes your face on supported iPhones.
• Touch ID reads a registered fingerprint on supported iPhones.
• The device passcode is the code used to unlock the iPhone. It can serve as a fallback when biometric authentication fails or is unavailable.

The lock uses the iPhone’s existing authentication settings. It does not add a unique password to each app. Some banking, messaging, password-management, and other apps may offer a separate lock inside their own settings, but availability and recovery procedures depend on the app.

Locking an app also limits where its information appears, including notification previews, searches, Siri suggestions, and certain other areas. The protection applies only to that iPhone and does not sync to other devices through iCloud.

How do you require Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode for an app?

To put a passcode on an iPhone app using the built-in iOS feature:

1. Go to the Home Screen and find the app.
2. Touch and hold the app icon until the quick-actions menu appears.
3. Tap Require Face ID, Require Touch ID, or Require Passcode, depending on the iPhone.
4. Confirm the choice and authenticate when prompted.

To open the protected app, tap its icon and complete Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode authentication. The app locks again after you leave it. This is the official way to lock iPhone apps with Face ID or put a passcode on supported iPhone apps; there is no field for setting a different app-specific password.

How do you hide and lock an app on an iPhone?

Only apps downloaded separately can be hidden with the built-in feature. Apps installed with iOS cannot be hidden.

1. Touch and hold the downloaded app on the Home Screen.
2. Tap Require Face ID, Require Touch ID, or Require Passcode.
3. Select Hide and Require Face ID, or the equivalent Touch ID or passcode option.
4. Authenticate, then tap Hide App.

The app leaves the Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. Swipe left past every Home Screen page, open Hidden, and authenticate to see and launch it. Hiding is not complete secrecy: the app’s name may remain visible in areas such as Screen Time, Battery settings, Settings under Hidden Apps, and App Store history.

Can Screen Time restrict access to an iPhone app?

Screen Time can limit app use, but it is not a universal app lock. An App Limit allows an app or category to run for a chosen amount of time each day. Downtime limits which apps are available during a scheduled period, while Content & Privacy Restrictions control certain apps, features, content, and account changes.

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Choose App Limits, Downtime, or Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. Configure the restriction needed.
4. Return to Screen Time and select Lock Screen Time Settings.
5. Create a Screen Time passcode and add Screen Time Passcode Recovery when offered.

The Screen Time passcode protects the settings and limits. It is different from the device passcode, and an App Limit may offer additional time rather than behaving like an immediate lock every time the app opens.

Why can’t an iPhone app be locked or hidden?

If the expected menu option is missing, check these common causes:

• The iPhone is running a version earlier than iOS 18. Check Settings, General, then Software Update.
• The app is an unsupported system app. Examples that cannot be locked include Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts, and Settings.
• The app came installed with iOS. Built-in apps cannot be hidden.
• The iPhone model does not support Face ID or Touch ID, or the biometric feature has not been configured.
• A parent controls the device through Family Sharing and Screen Time. Younger child accounts may be unable to lock or hide apps.
• A school or employer manages the iPhone and has restricted settings or app changes.

Menu wording can also differ by iOS version and iPhone hardware. Updating iOS may add the feature, but it cannot make an excluded app eligible.

How do you remove or change app protection?

To stop requiring authentication, touch and hold the locked app, tap Don’t Require Face ID, Don’t Require Touch ID, or Don’t Require Passcode, and authenticate.

To unhide an app, open App Library, tap Hidden, authenticate, then touch and hold the app and choose Don’t Require. The app returns to the Home Screen and App Library.

Change the device passcode under Settings, Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode. Manage registered faces or fingerprints in the same area. To change or remove the Screen Time code, open Settings, Screen Time, and tap Change Screen Time Passcode.

What should you do if you forget the iPhone or Screen Time passcode?

A forgotten device passcode cannot be recovered or displayed. Apple’s official process requires resetting the iPhone, which erases its current contents; you can then restore an available backup. Depending on the iOS version and device state, the reset may be started from the lock screen or completed with a Mac or Windows computer in recovery mode.

For a forgotten Screen Time passcode, open Settings, Screen Time, tap Change Screen Time Passcode twice, and enter the Apple Account information originally used for Screen Time Passcode Recovery. For a child’s device managed through Family Sharing, the family organizer must reset the code from the organizer’s device.

If recovery fails, confirm that you are using the same Apple Account used when the Screen Time code was created. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider if you cannot complete the official reset, lack access to a required computer, or need help proving ownership.