How to Protect Any App with Face ID on an iPhone with iOS 18

Handing over your iPhone to someone can be quite a common situation. Maybe your nephew wants to play a game, or a friend wishes to check the photos from your latest vacation. Whatever the reason, even if you trust that person, there are likely parts of your phone you’d prefer they not see, even accidentally.

With the arrival of iOS 18, a new Face ID locking system has been implemented that allows for biometric authentication to be requested every time a specific app is opened. While Face ID is mentioned in this article, those with an older model featuring Touch ID can also use it. Now, your friends or family won’t be able to directly access your private conversations or dating apps.

It’s true that before iOS 18, it was already possible to lock apps with Face ID, but it depended on the app developers to implement it. Except for some banking and finance applications, few developers had added this option, with notable exceptions like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

One of the new features in iOS 18 is that any app can be locked with Face ID, regardless of whether the developer has integrated this function. This includes games, messaging apps, and social media, making it an accessible protection option for all.

Additionally, an option to hide apps has been introduced, available for any third-party app, although not for those installed with iOS 18. Hidden apps do not appear on the home screen and are stored in a hidden folder within the App Library. You will also stop receiving notifications from these apps.

To lock or unlock apps from the home screen or the App Library, follow these steps:

1. Press and hold the app icon to access the menu.
2. Tap "Require Face ID" to lock the app.
3. Confirm your choice by tapping "Require Face ID" again.

Alternatively, you can select "Hide and Require Face ID" to lock and hide the app from your home screens. If you choose to hide the app, you’ll be reminded that it will only be available in the App Library and that you won’t receive any further notifications from it.

When attempting to open a locked app this way, Face ID approval will be required, ensuring that only you can access it. To remove the Face ID restriction, simply repeat the process of pressing and holding the app icon. If you decided to hide it, you will need to go to the hidden folder in the App Library to access the options again. Additionally, you will need to relocate the icon on the main screen, as it will not automatically reappear in its previous place.

Another useful feature is Guided Access, which allows you to restrict the use of the iPhone to a single app. To activate this function, go to iOS Settings, select Accessibility, and then Guided Access. In this section, you can enable the feature and set a custom code or enable Face ID.

Once you have opened the app that the other person wants to use, start Guided Access by pressing the power button three times and choosing "Guided Access" to begin. This will make the navigation bar disappear, and the person will not be able to switch apps. The only way to exit Guided Access is by pressing the power button three times again, at which point Face ID authentication or the code you set previously will be required.

Thanks to the locking capabilities with Face ID and Guided Access, you can lend your iPhone without worrying about what others might do with it.