iOS 18: How to Lock and Hide iPhone Apps for Extra Security

Apple has released iOS 18 to the general public on September 16, a week after the company launched its new iPhone 16 series, Apple Watch Series 10 And more on the event in septemberThe update brings many new features to your iPhone, such as the ability to schedule messages to send later and a more customizable lock screenAnd there are two new features that add an extra layer of security to your apps, letting you lock or hide them from others.

These features can be especially useful for parents with young children. According to CBSA 5-year-old girl bought over $3,000 worth of items from Amazon last year using her mother’s phone. The mother was able to return the items after explaining the situation to Amazon, but it was probably still a stressful situation. With new features that let you lock and hide apps in iOS 18, you can take steps to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.

Read more: Everything you need to know about iOS 18

Here’s how to lock and hide your iPhone apps from your kids and others.

How to Lock Apps on iOS 18

1. Long press an app.
2. Crane Face ID required.
3. Crane Face ID required again.

Now, every time you try to open this app, you’ll need your Face ID or passcode to open it. You can’t lock every app on your iPhone. Some apps, like Camera, Find My, and Settings, can’t be locked. However, you can lock most apps, like App Store, Messages, and third-party apps.

How to Hide Apps on iOS 18

Hiding apps on your iPhone also locks them and follows the same process as locking apps. The option is not available for all apps. In my experience with iOS 18, you can only hide third-party apps, such as Instagram and Twitter.

Here’s how to hide these apps on your iPhone.

1. Long press an app.
2. Crane Face ID required.
3. Crane Hide and require Face ID.

Your iPhone will then ask you for your Face ID or passcode and if you’re sure you want to hide the app.

A new menu will appear on your phone that says that hiding an app will remove the app’s icon and name from your home screen and place it in a hidden folder in your app library. The menu also says that you won’t receive notifications from the app. Tap Hide App at the bottom of the menu. Your iPhone will hide the app.

To see your hidden apps, swipe right until you’re in your App Library. Scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll see a folder labeled Hidden with an icon that looks like an eye with a line through it. Tap this folder and enter your Face ID or passcode. The folder will then show your hidden apps.

How to Unhide and Remove App Locks

To view or remove a lock from an app, long-press the app, tap Face ID not required and enter your Face ID or passcode.

Locked apps will now be unlocked and hidden apps will be removed from the Hidden folder. Unhiding apps does not put them back on your home screen. To add an app back to your home screen, go to your App Library, long-press the app, then tap Add to home screen.

For more information about iOS 18, here’s my iOS 18 Reviewwhat you need to know about How to choose T9 on your iPhone and our iOS 18 cheat sheet. You can also take a look at everything Apple announced at its September event.

Check this out: See everything announced at Apple’s iPhone 16 event

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