screen time, explained
How to lock and hide apps on iPhone
Since iOS 18, iPhone can lock an app behind Face ID or hide it from the Home Screen, with no extra app. Both options sit in the menu that opens when you touch and hold an app icon. It's Apple's feature. finit, the app we make, doesn't block apps, so this page only walks through Apple's settings, following Apple's guide for iOS 26.
Lock an app with Face ID#
- Touch and hold the app icon until the menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID. Depending on your iPhone and its settings, it reads Require Touch ID or Require Passcode instead.
- In the next menu, tap Require Face ID again and confirm with Face ID.
From then on, the app asks for Face ID each time you open it and locks again after you quit it. While it's locked, what's inside it stays out of notification previews, search, and Siri suggestions.
Some of the apps that come with iPhone can't be locked. Apple's guide names Calculator, Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts, and Settings.
Hide an app#
Touch and hold the icon, tap Require Face ID, then Hide and Require Face ID. Confirm with Face ID, and confirm once more that you want to hide the app. It leaves the Home Screen and moves into the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, which only opens with Face ID. To see everything you've hidden, go to Settings → Apps → Hidden Apps.
Only apps you downloaded from the App Store can be hidden. Built-in apps can't, and neither can the app you set as your default browser.
Where a hidden app still shows up#
Apple's iOS 26 guide lists places where a hidden app's name is still visible: Screen Time, battery usage in Settings, and your App Store purchase history. Anyone who looks through your screen time by app can see the name there.
Locking and hiding also apply to one device only. The status doesn't sync with iCloud, so an app hidden on your iPhone stays visible on your iPad if it's installed there. In Family Sharing, children under 13 can't lock or hide apps. Teens from 13 to 17 can, but a parent in the family group still sees that the app was downloaded and how much time it's used. The ages vary by country or region.
Undo it#
To unlock an app, touch and hold its icon, tap Don’t Require Face ID, and confirm with Face ID. To unhide one, swipe left past your last Home Screen page to App Library, open the Hidden folder, touch and hold the app, and tap Don’t Require Face ID. The app comes back near the top of App Library, not on the Home Screen, so drag it to a page if you want it there.
Locking by time: the Screen Time way#
Face ID keeps other people out. It doesn't keep you out, because your face opens the app. If the goal is to stop yourself after a certain amount of use, the older Screen Time method still works: an App Limit protected by a Screen Time passcode.
- Set a Screen Time passcode: in Settings → Screen Time, tap Lock Screen Time Settings, or look under Manage Screen Time if it isn't there. Pick a code you don't type on autopilot. The passcode guide covers resetting it if you forget it.
- Go to Settings → Screen Time → App Limits and add a limit for the app, as short as you like. On iOS 26 it can sit one level down, under App & Website Activity.
- Turn on Block at End of Limit.
When the time runs out, the app is blocked for the rest of the day, and getting past the block screen takes the passcode. Without a passcode, Ignore Limit is one tap away and the limit works as a reminder. If it doesn't hold, the App Limits checklist finds the usual cause. For set hours, use Downtime, and for sites, see how to block websites on iPhone.
The short answers#
How do I lock an app on my iPhone?
Touch and hold the app icon, tap Require Face ID, then tap Require Face ID again and confirm with Face ID. The app asks for Face ID each time it opens and locks again after you quit it.
How do I hide an app on iPhone?
Touch and hold the app icon, tap Require Face ID, then Hide and Require Face ID, and confirm. The app moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library, which only opens with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
Why can't I lock or hide some apps?
Some built-in apps can't be locked, including Calculator, Camera, Clock, Contacts, Find My, Maps, Shortcuts, and Settings. Built-in apps can't be hidden at all, and children under 13 in Family Sharing can't lock or hide apps.
Do I need an app to lock apps on iPhone?
No. Since iOS 18, locking and hiding are built in. If you want an app to lock after a set amount of use, a Screen Time App Limit with Block at End of Limit and a Screen Time passcode does that.
Locking an app decides who can open it. If you'd rather know how much of your year it takes, finit keeps that record.
