Handing your iPhone to a friend or family member—whether to share holiday photos, pass along music controls in the car, or let a child play a game—frequently brings anxiety. Even when someone has no malicious intent, accidental swipes can expose private WhatsApp threads, banking portfolios, medical records, or confidential work emails. Previously, iPhone users had to rely on cumbersome Screen Time workarounds or third-party app locks that offered incomplete protection.
With the release of iOS 18, Apple introduced native, system-level privacy controls: the ability to Lock and Hide individual apps behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. When an app is locked, opening it requires biometric authentication; when an app is hidden, it disappears entirely from your Home Screen and search results into an encrypted Hidden folder. In this guide, we explore how to lock any app with Face ID, how to move sensitive applications to the Hidden folder, and how iOS handles notifications for locked apps.
Locked Apps vs Hidden Apps in iOS 18
Apple provides two tiers of privacy enforcement, allowing you to choose the appropriate security level for each application:
| Privacy Level | Home Screen Presence | Notification Handling | Spotlight & Siri Search | Authentication Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard App | Visible on Home Screen & App Library | Full banners and message previews displayed | Full indexing in search and suggestions | Standard device passcode upon unlock |
| Locked App | Visible on Home Screen in regular position | Banners appear without sender or message text | App name visible, but content remains unindexed | Face ID / Touch ID required on tap |
| Hidden & Locked App | Removed from Home Screen; placed in locked Hidden folder | Completely silenced (zero banners, badges, or sounds) | Completely purged from Spotlight and Siri suggestions | Face ID required to even reveal the folder |
If you regularly rely on smart iPhone features while docking your device overnight, you can also customise and use StandBy mode on iPhone in iOS to monitor clock faces and widgets securely.
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Requiring Face ID to Open an App
Locking an app without removing it from your Home Screen is the ideal solution for frequently used messaging clients or banking tools:
- Locate the app icon you wish to protect on your iPhone Home Screen or App Library.
- Touch and hold (long-press) the app icon until the contextual quick actions menu appears.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode depending on your iPhone model).
- A confirmation prompt appears explaining that Face ID will be required to open the app or use its associated Siri shortcuts.
- Tap Require Face ID.
- Authenticate with your face to confirm your identity.
- The app is now locked. Whenever anyone taps the icon, iOS initiates a Face ID scan. If authentication fails, the app cannot be launched.
Hiding an App Completely from the Home Screen
For confidential health records, dating profiles, or financial apps that you do not want anyone to know exist on your device, use the Hide feature:
- Long-press the target app icon on your Home Screen.
- Tap Require Face ID.
- Select Hide and Require Face ID.
- iOS displays an explanatory dialogue warning that notifications and calls from this app will not appear, and the app will move into the Hidden collection in the App Library.
- Tap Hide App and authenticate with Face ID.
- The icon instantly vanishes from your Home Screen and regular App Library categories.
Accessing and Unhiding Your Hidden Apps
When you need to launch a hidden app or return it to your main Home Screen:
- Swipe left past all your Home Screen pages until you reach the App Library.
- Scroll down to the very bottom of the App Library to find the folder labelled Hidden (represented by a folder icon featuring an eye with a slash through it).
- Tap the Hidden folder. iOS prompts for a Face ID scan.
- Upon successful biometric recognition, the folder unlocks to reveal your hidden applications. Tap any app to launch it normally.
- To restore an app to your regular desktop, long-press its icon inside the Hidden folder, tap Don’t Require Face ID, and drag it back to your Home Screen.
- When preparing for remote travel with sensitive travel documents, remember that you can also download and use offline maps in Apple Maps on iPhone to navigate without cellular data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do locked apps show incoming notification previews?
When an app is locked (but not hidden), incoming notification banners will still appear on your Lock Screen, but the sender name and message preview text will be masked with "Notification" until Face ID authenticates the owner. When an app is hidden, all incoming notifications are silenced completely.
Can built-in Apple apps like Settings or Camera be locked?
Most built-in system apps—including Photos, Mail, Messages, Notes, Safari, and Passwords—can be locked with Face ID. However, essential utility apps like Settings, Camera, Phone, Clock, and Calculator cannot be locked or hidden to prevent accidental lockouts.
Can someone open a locked app using my iPhone passcode?
If Face ID fails twice, iOS permits authentication using your device passcode as a fallback. To ensure maximum security, use a complex alphanumeric passcode rather than an easily observed four-digit PIN.