How to Lock Specific Apps with Face ID on iPhone

iOS 18 lets you require Face ID or your passcode to open any app — even if your phone is already unlocked. Keep banking and health apps private.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Find the app you want to lock on your Home screen
2.Long-press the app icon
3.Tap "Require Face ID"
4.Test the lock
5.Remove the lock if needed

Find the app you want to lock on your Home screen

~15s

Locate the app on your iPhone Home screen. This feature requires iOS 18 or later. If you have an older iOS version, go to SettingsGeneralSoftware Update to update first.

Long-press the app icon

~15s

Press and hold the app icon until a context menu appears with options like "Remove App," "Share App," and "Require Face ID."

Tap "Require Face ID"

~15s

Select "Require Face ID" (or "Require Touch ID" on phones with Touch ID). Confirm with your Face ID scan to activate the lock.

Quick Tip

If you do not see "Require Face ID" in the menu, make sure you have updated to iOS 18 or later.

Test the lock

~15s

Tap the app to open it. You will see a Face ID prompt (the phone scans your face). Once confirmed, the app opens normally. If you look away or another face tries to open it, it will fail.

Remove the lock if needed

~15s

To remove Face ID from an app: long-press the app icon → "Don't Require Face ID." Confirm with Face ID. The app opens normally without authentication from that point.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Lock Specific Apps with Face ID on iPhone

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Starting with iOS 18, iPhone lets you require Face ID (or Touch ID, or your passcode) to open individual apps — even after you have already unlocked your phone. Before this feature, once your iPhone was unlocked, anyone holding it could open any app.

This is useful for: - Keeping banking, financial, or health apps private from anyone who borrows your phone - Protecting sensitive notes, photos, or messaging apps - Preventing a grandchild who borrows your phone from accessing apps you do not want them to see

How it works

: When you lock an app, opening it triggers a Face ID scan (or passcode entry). If the scan does not match, the app does not open. If Face ID is not available at that moment (bright sun, sunglasses), it falls back to your passcode.

You can lock as many apps as you want. Locked apps look normal on your Home screen — they just require authentication to open.

What about hiding apps?

iOS 18 also lets you fully hide apps — moving them out of your Home screen and into a hidden section of the App Library. Hidden apps still require Face ID to access. This goes a step further than locking by making the app invisible to casual browsing.

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