All the users of iPhone and iPad need to lock their applications in the devices to protect their personal data stored in those applications. Users sometimes also want to protect sensitive data in applications like the gallery or social media applications from their children. iOS, unfortunately, does not provide any application locking system. The user can install applications designed to lock applications and then use them. But without installing other applications, the user can still lock their applications with the help of some workarounds and fixes. The result will be similar to applications being locked even though some of these methods do not individually lock applications.
There are many ways to lock an application such as putting a password to unlock, checking a user’s fingerprints and face recognition method. Face recognition is a bit advanced method and might not be available on some iPhones and iPads. But the password and fingerprint methods are available on any device that has an application to process it.
Here are some steps users can follow to lock applications in an iPhone or an iPad with a password :
How to Lock First-Party Apps on iPhone Using Restrictions
To stop users from navigating away from the app they are using, blocking guided access is useful. This means that user cannot leave the application that is being used currently, to use another application. When children have the device, they might wander around in the device and see what they shouldn’t in other applications while parents think they are using just that one application they originally wanted to see. Blocking guided access is useful in this scenario as a child will not be able to leave the current application.
- Go to settings on the home screen.
- Select General and then select Accessibility.
- Scroll down and then select Guided Access.
- Turn on the Guided Access by swiping the toggle button to color green which means it is On.
- Select passcode settings and then select Guided Access Passcode.
- Enter the passcode and confirm it by typing the same passcode again.
Now user can use the feature of blocking guided access by opening the application to be used and then, after the application starts, by pressing Home button three times.
In case of iPhone X users, the Home button is replaced by Side button, which means once the application is started, users of iPhone X should press the Side button three times to block guided access.
After this process is done, the Guided Access start screen will be shown. The user is enabled to draw circles around the areas of the screen that need to be disabled. The user can cover the entire screen or none at all. Time limit for Guided Access session can be set up to 24 hours.
App Lock Fingerprint: How to Use Touch ID to Lock Compatible Apps
The user can also lock applications in an iPhone or iPad using fingerprints. The feature of using touch ID to lock applications are available on iPhones through 5S to iPhone 8 and iPhones released after iPhone 8. Here are a few steps with the help of which, users can lock applications like Apple Pay, iTunes and the App Store.
- Go to settings on the home screen.
- Select touch ID and Passcode.
- Enter the Passcode you want.
- Holding the device as it would be normally held, select ‘Add a fingerprint’.
- Touch the Home button without pressing it.
- Hold the Home button until quick vibration is felt or until asked to lift the finger.
- Continue holding and lifting the finger slowly while moving the finger in different positions with slight changes.
- Adjust the grip of the finger when asked for it on the next screen. This time, touch the Home button with outer areas of the finger in order to scan it fully.
The fingerprint is now set and can be used for verification.
After setting up the touch ID, it can be used to unlock the device and applications. The user just needs to press the Home button with the finger with which a fingerprint was set in touch ID settings.
The applications that user wants to lock using touch ID can be selected by swiping the toggle to Green color which means that the selected option is On.