How to put a password on my apps

App-specific passwords allow you to securely use your Apple ID to sign in to apps made by developers other than Apple.

Some apps made by developers other than Apple ask you to sign in with your Apple ID, so that the app can access information like mail, contacts, and calendars that you store in iCloud. To help make sure that your Apple ID password can't be stored or collected by the app, you can choose to create an Apple ID password to use only with that app.

You use this app-specific password when the app asks you to sign in with your Apple ID.

To generate and use app-specific passwords, your Apple ID must be protected with two-factor authentication.

How to generate an app-specific password

1. Sign in to appleid.apple.com.
2. In the Sign-In and Security section, select App-Specific Passwords.
3. Select Generate an app-specific password or select the Add button 
   
   , then follow the steps on your screen.
4. Enter or paste the app-specific password into the password field of the app.

How to revoke an app-specific password

You can have up to 25 active app-specific passwords. If you need to, you can revoke passwords individually or all at once.

1. Sign in to appleid.apple.com.
2. In the Sign-In and Security section, select App-Specific Passwords.
3. Select the Remove button
   
    next to a password you want to delete, or Revoke All.

After you revoke a password, the app using that password will be signed out of your account until you generate a new password and sign in again.

Any time you change or reset your primary Apple ID password, all of your app-specific passwords are revoked automatically to protect the security of your account. You need to generate new app-specific passwords for any apps that you want to continue using.

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Published Date: July 05, 2022

What to Know

• Current iPhones: Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps. Turn off an app's switch to hide it.
• On iOS 11 or earlier: Go to Settings > General > Restrictions > Enable Restrictions. In the Allow section, turn off apps to lock them.

This article explains how to lock apps on an iPhone up to iOS 14. Information regarding workarounds is also included.

How to Lock First-Party Apps

In iOS 12 through iOS 14, you can lock first-party apps using Screen Time, a feature introduced in iOS 12. A first-party app is an app that Apple creates rather than an app from another software maker.

1. Open Settings.

2. Go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.

3. Tap Allowed Apps.

4. Turn off the toggle switches (tap them to turn the switch white) for apps you don't want to use.

5. Tap the Back button or swipe up to go to the Home screen.

How to Lock First-Party Apps in iOS 11 and Earlier

One simple app lock method that works for most iPhones—but only for first-party Apple apps—involves the use of Restrictions. Go to Settings > General andthen scroll down and navigate to Restrictions > Enable Restrictions. Once prompted, enter a new passcode (twice to confirm).

After you enable restrictions and enter a new passcode, you're presented with a variety of options. In the Allow section, you have the option of disallowing a range of first-party apps, such as Safari, Siri, and FaceTime. This doesn't include apps you downloaded. By swiping the green toggle icon to the off position, you can stop any disallowed apps from appearing on your Home screen.

How to Lock Apps on iPhone Using Guided Access

Guided Access is a nuclear app lock option in that it prevents you from leaving the app you're currently using. Still, it could come in handy if your child wants to use a particular app on your phone, but you're worried that they might venture elsewhere.

Guided Access requires iOS 11 or newer. Follow these steps to use it:

1. From Settings, go to General > Accessibility > Guided Access.

   iOS 13 has this setting under: Setting > Accessibility.

2. Swipe the Guided Access toggle switch to the On/green position.

3. Go to Passcode Settings > Set Guided Access Passcode.

4. Enter a new passcode and then enter it again to confirm.

After you enable Guided Access and set your passcode, use the feature by opening any app and pressing the side button three times or the Home button three times, depending on your phone, once the app has started.

This displays the Guided Access start screen, which lets you draw a circle around the areas of the screen to disable (set it to either cover the entire screen or none of it). Alternatively, choose Options in the lower-right corner of the screen, which can be used to disable everything from the volume buttons to the touch screen, as well as set a time limit on the Guided Access session (up to 24 hours).

If you own a Touch ID-enabled iPhone, use Touch ID instead of a passcode to end a Guided Access session.

How to Use Touch ID to Lock Compatible Apps on iPhone 5S to iPhone 8

With Touch ID, it's possible to lock a limited number of compatible apps using the fingerprint-based security feature (available on the iPhone 5S through the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus).

This article assumes you are using a passcode to get into your iPhone. If you don't, here's how to turn Passcode on.

To lock Apple Pay, iTunes, and the App Store in this way, open Settings and go to Touch ID & Passcode to enter your passcode. Then, turn on the toggle switches (to the green/on position) for the apps you wish to lock using Touch ID.

If you haven't set up Touch ID, you're prompted to do so when turning on any available option.

The above covers only Apple Pay, iTunes, and the App Store, however. Using Touch ID to lock apps you download from the App Store requires a different process, and many popular apps (such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat) don't enable this process, meaning that you can't lock these apps individually.

There's a growing number of apps that offer the option to lock apps using Touch ID, while a smaller number also offer the option to lock apps using a passcode.

Generally, doing this requires the following:

1. Open the Touch ID-compatible app.

2. Go into its settings.

3. Find the option that locks the app with a password or with your fingerprint. It might be in a Privacy or Preferences section and could be called Password, Passcode, Touch ID Lock, Lock, Screen Lock, or anything similar.

4. If needed, follow any on-screen steps to complete the app lock procedure.

How to Set Time Limits for Apps

You can also set time limits for apps, which is similar to locking apps away from your own use.

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit.

2. In the list of apps, make a decision on which to restrict access. Tap the check box button to the left of the app category you want to restrict, for example, Social Networking. You can restrict certain apps inside Social Networking (for example) by tapping through to the category.

3. Choose a time limit for the use of that app category (such as 1 hour). You can also customize the days you want this restriction in place. Tap the Add button to save the settings.

How to Lock Apps on iPhone Using a Third-Party App

There is one last option if you want to lock apps directly, and it involves using a third-party app.

In one respect, this is the best option for locking apps since there are a number of apps available that, in one way or another, block access to every app on your iPhone using a passcode (or biometric ID). However, it's also the worst app lock option for iPhone. To use these apps, your iPhone must be jailbroken (which may create security vulnerabilities and performance issues; it's not recommended).

Some popular examples of third-party apps that lock other apps include BioProtect, Locktopus, and AppLocker. These can be downloaded and installed using the Cydia platform, which is home to apps specifically designed for jailbroken iPhones.

In the case of BioProtect, once the app has been downloaded, you can lock specific apps by going to Settings > Applications under the Protected Items section, and then toggling the apps you wish to lock into the green/on position.

Something else to consider for your app locking needs is to nix the idea completely. Depending on your needs, a third-party vault app might be all you need to hide things like images and notes, making them accessible only after the correct password has been entered.

If you don't necessarily need to lock the whole app (such as Photos), but instead just specific things like private images, documents, or videos, you might have luck with one of those apps.

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FAQ

• How do you close apps on an iPhone?

  Closing out apps on your iPhone depends on which model you have. On the iPhone X and newer, swipe up halfway and pause to reveal the multitasking view, then swipe the app up and off the top. For older models, double-click the Home button, then swipe up on the apps you want to quit.

• How do you delete apps on an iPhone?

  To remove an app from the home screen, press and hold down on the app. Tap Remove App > Delete.

• How do you organize apps on an iPhone?

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How can I put passwords on my apps?

How do I put a password on my Iphone apps?