You can lock or hide apps in iOS 18. Locking an app requires Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to open it.
Info inside a locked app won’t appear in other locations on your device. When you lock or hide an app on your iPhone, it’s only locked or hidden on that device. The locked or hidden status of an app doesn’t sync with iCloud.
By the way, children under 13 in a Family Sharing group can’t lock or hide apps. Anyone aged 13 to 17 in a Family Sharing group can lock or hide an app, but a parent or guardian in the family group can see that the app was downloaded and how much time it’s used, and restrict access to it using Screen Time.
By the way, part II: Some of the apps that come with iPhone can’t be locked—including Calculator, Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts, and Settings.
To lock an app:
° Go to the Home Screen on your iPhone.
° Find the app you want to lock.
° Touch and hold the app icon until the quick actions menu opens.
° Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
° Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode) again, then authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode).
To open an app that’s locked:
° Go to the iPhone’s home screen.
° Find the app you want to open.
° Tap the app, then authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode).
To unlock an app:
° Go to the iPhone’s home screen.
° Find the app you want to unlock.
° Touch and hold the app icon until the quick actions menu opens.
° Tap Don’t Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), then authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode).
To hide an app:
Hiding an app prevents others from seeing or opening it (unless they have a way to authenticate your iPhone using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode).
When you hide an app, its name is still visible in some places, such as Screen Time, Battery Health (in Settings), and your App Store purchase history.
Note that, as before, apps that come installed with iOS 18 or later can’t be hidden—only apps you download separately from the App Store can be hidden. To hide an app:
° Go to the iPhone’s home screen.
° Find the app you want to hide.
° Touch and hold the app icon until the quick actions menu opens.
° Tap Hide and Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode), then tap Hide App.
The app disappears from your Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library.
To open a hidden app
° Go to the iPhone’s home screen.
° Swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to go to App Library.
° Tap the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, then authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode).
The app appears in the Hidden folder.
° Tap the app, then authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode).
To unhide an app:
° Go to the iPhone’s home screen.
° Swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to go to App Library.
° Tap the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, then authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode).
° To move the app out of the Hidden folder, touch and hold the app, tap Don’t Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), then authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode).
The app appears near the top of App Library.
(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages.)
