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

Apple released iOS 18’s sixth public beta on Aug. 29, a few days after the tech giant announced it would hold its iPhone launch event on Sept. 9. The update brings many new features, like the ability to schedule messages to send later and a more customizable lock screen, to the iPhones of developers and beta testers. Two new features are meant to add an extra layer of security to your apps by letting you lock or hide them from others.

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 using her mother’s phone last year. 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 take steps to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.

Read more: iPhone 16: What We Know About the Release Date, Leaks and More

I recommend downloading a beta only on something other than your primary device. Because this isn’t the final version of iOS 18, the update might be buggy and battery life may be short, and it’s best to keep those troubles on a secondary device. I downloaded the betas to my old iPhone XR to keep any issues away from my iPhone 14 Pro.

Note that the beta is not the final version of iOS 18, so there could be more features to land on your iPhone when iOS 18 is released. Apple said iOS 18 would be released to the public this fall, but there’s no definitive date yet.

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

Read more: Everything to Know About iOS 18’s Public Beta

How to lock apps on iOS 18

1. Long press an app.
2. Tap Require Face ID.
3. Tap Require Face ID again.

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, though — such as App Store, Messages and third-party apps.

How to hide apps on iOS 18

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 the iOS 18 betas, 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. 

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 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 my hands-on experience with the iOS 18 betas, what to know about T9 dialing on your iPhone and our iOS 18 cheat sheet. You can also check out what we might see at Apple’s September iPhone event.

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