The Lock/Unlock and Hide/Unhide feature on iPhone is helpful for keeping certain apps inaccessible to others using your phone. It’s especially useful for keeping kids away from specific apps or adding extra security for banking and financial apps.
With each iOS update, the look and process for locking/unlocking or hiding/unhiding apps may change. Below are the steps to follow if you want to learn how to use this feature in iOS 18.
Before we proceed with the process to lock/ unlock or hide/ unhide app, lets understand how both these features differs on an iPhone.
| Lock Apps | Hide Apps |
|---|---|
| The Lock App feature keeps the app icon visible on the iPhone’s Home Screen, but you will need to authenticate using Face ID or a passcode to open and use the app. | The Hide App feature removes the app entirely from the iPhone’s Home Screen, making it invisible. You can use this to hide apps on iPhone without deleting it. |
Table of Contents
Lock apps on iPhone iOS 18
To lock an app on iPhone from the home screen locate the app which you wish to lock
Long press on the app icon until you get action menu
From the quick action menu tap on the Require Face ID
This will present two options, tap on the Require Face ID
The Face ID will authenticate with your face for confirmation and the app will be locked
You will be still able to see the app icon which you locked in the Home Screen, but when you try to open the app it will try to authenticate using Face ID or you can even enter iPhone Passcode to open the app.
Unlock apps on iPhone iOS 18
To unlock the app long press on the app icon which is locked
From the quick action menu tap on the Don’t Require Face ID
Authenticate using your Face ID or Passcode
That’s all the app has been unlocked. Now when you try to launch the app it won’t ask any kind of authentication.
Hide apps on iPhone iOS 18
To hide an app on iPhone long press on the app icon from the home screen
From the quick action menu tap on the Require Face ID
This will bring up two options, tap on the Hide and Require Face ID
For confirmation it will authenticate using Face ID or pass code
Once authentication is done tap on the Hide App
The app will immediately get hidden from iPhone Screen
How to Open Hidden apps in iPhone
To find hidden apps on iPhone swipe right on home-screen until you get App Library Screen
On the App Library page at the bottom there will be a Hidden option
Tap on the Hidden and your Phone will try to authenticate using Face ID
Once authenticated you will be able to see the Hidden app icon in the hidden folder
Tap on the app to launch it and again to launch it you will need Face Authentication or enter Passcode
Unhide apps on iPhone iOS 18
To unhide the app from the iPhone swipe right on home screen until you get the App Library Screen
From the App Library page at the bottom tap on the hidden section
Authenticate using Face ID and the hidden app icon will get visible in the Hidden Folder
Long press on the app icon on the Hidden Folder
From the quick action menu, tap on the Don’t Require Face ID
Authenticate using Face ID and the app will appear at the top section of App Library. If it doesn’t appear the in the App Library Search type the name of the app and drag it to the home screen page.
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