Apple released iOS 18.3 in January, and that update brought some bug fixes to all iPhones. But when Apple released iOS 18 in September, it introduced two new features that made it easy to secure your apps on your iPhone. One feature lets you lock your apps behind your Face ID or passcode, and another feature lets you hide apps from your home screen and place them in a hidden folder.
These features can be especially helpful for parents with young children. According to CBS, a 5-year-old bought over $3,000 of items from Amazon in 2023 using her mother’s phone. The mother was able to return the items after explaining the situation to Amazon, but it was likely a stressful situation nonetheless. With the new features that can lock and hide apps in iOS 18, you can ensure this doesn’t happen to you.
iOS 18 Brings These New Features to Your iPhone
Here’s how to lock and hide your iPhone apps for an extra layer of security.
How to lock your iPhone apps
1. Long press an app.
2. Tap Require Face ID.
3. Tap Require Face ID again.
Locking some apps can help stop your kids from buying random games or apps on your iPhone.
Now every time you try to access this app, it will need your Face ID or passcode to open. You can’t lock every app on your iPhone. Some apps, like Camera, Find My and Settings can’t be locked. You can lock most apps, such as App Store, Messages and third-party apps.
How to hide iPhone apps
Hiding apps on your iPhone also locks them and it follows the same process as locking apps. The option isn’t available for all apps. In my experience with iOS 18, you can only hide third-party apps, like Instagram and Twitter.
Here’s how you can hide these apps on your iPhone.
1. Long press an app.
2. Tap Require Face ID.
3. Tap Hide and Require Face ID.
Your iPhone will then ask for your Face ID or passcode, and then it will ask if you’re sure you want to hide the app.
The Hidden folder appears to show apps in it whether you’re hiding nine apps or none.
A new menu will appear on your phone that says 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 will also say you won’t receive any notifications from the app. Tap Hide App at the bottom of the menu, and 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 a symbol that looks like an eye with a line through it. Tap this folder and enter your Face ID or passcode. The folder will then display your hidden apps.
How to unhide and remove locks from your apps
If you want to unhide or remove a lock from an app, long press on the app, tap Don’t Require Face ID 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 doesn’t put them back on your home screen. To re-add an app to your home screen, go to your App Library, long press on the app and tap Add to Home Screen.
For more on iOS 18, here’s what you need to know about iOS 18.3 and iOS 18.2. You can also check out our iOS 18 cheat sheet.
Watch this: iOS 18.4 Public Beta Adds Cool Features (but Not for Siri)
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