iOS 18 Lets You Lock and Hide Your Apps for Added Privacy
Apple is improving privacy in iOS 18, introducing a feature that allows apps to be locked or hidden, which makes them inaccessible without a Face ID scan.
If someone is using your phone and you've locked an app, when they try to open that app, they'll see a popup that says it can't be accessed without secondary authentication. Locking an app can be done by long pressing on it and selecting the Require Face ID option (or Touch ID on the iPhone SE).
Not all apps can be locked, with Apple not providing an option for innocuous apps like Maps, Clock, Calculator, and Stocks, but almost every other app can be locked, including third-party apps. When you lock an app, you have the option to hide it as well, which moves it into a locked, hidden apps folder that requires authentication to open.
Locked or hidden apps are not only unable to be opened, but also hidden from search, notifications, and other places across the operating system. Enabling a lock on an app also shows the apps that have access to it, such as apps that are able to write images to the Photos app. Hiding an app means that you will not receive incoming notifications or calls from it, and it will only be available from a "Hidden" folder in the App Library.
If you want to turn off the locking feature, you can long press on an app icon and choose the "Don't Require Face ID" option. Turning the lock on and off requires a Face ID scan, so it can't be turned off without your knowledge. Locking and hiding apps is also a feature that works on the iPad.
Popular Stories
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro...
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023.
By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
This week, Apple announced the 10th U.S. state that has implemented the feature: Montana.
Below, we have recapped key details about...
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
Apple today raised the monthly price of its Apple TV+ streaming service to $12.99 in the U.S., according to 9to5Mac's Benjamin Mayo.
Apple TV+ cost just $4.99 per month in the U.S. when it launched in 2019, but the price has now increased three times. The price went up to $6.99 per month in 2022, and then to $9.99 per month in 2023, and now the service costs $12.99 per month. The latest...
As we wait for WWDC to kick off next Monday, Apple today announced the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards, recognizing apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.
The 2025 Apple Design Award winners are listed below, with one app and one game selected per category:
Delight and Fun - CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game)
Innovation - Play (App) and PBJ -...
