More security for your apps in iOS18
Among the new features Apple announced for iOS18 and iPadOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this month are some enhancements to privacy and security for your apps. Now you can add an extra layer of protection to keep others from opening your apps or seeing information that you’d rather keep hidden.
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What does it mean to lock an app?
While iPhones and iPads already incorporate a passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID to unlock the device, there aren’t currently any further restrictions on opening apps or reading notifications once the phone is unlocked. The new ability to lock apps in iOS18 addresses this gap. If you choose to lock individual apps, there will be several extra layers of security:
- FaceID will be required to open the app or show its content.
- Notification previews will not appear.
- The app will not appear in Spotlight search.
Steps to lock an app
- To lock an app, locate it on your home screen, then tap and hold the app icon.
- Tap on Require Face ID in the menu that pops up.
- A confirmation screen will appear, and you must click on Require Face ID to continue locking the app.
Once these steps are completed, Face ID will automatically be invoked when you try to open the app. If you want to unlock the app, repeat the previous steps and tap on Don’t Require Face ID.
You can hide some apps, too
For some apps, you will also see Hide and Require Face ID in the pop-up menu. If you select this option, the app will be hidden from your home screen in addition to being locked. This makes it even harder for someone to access personal information on your phone that you’d like to keep private.
Note that hiding is not available for core apps, such as the App Store, Messages, or Settings.
How to find hidden apps
If you do hide an app, it will immediately be removed from your home screen, and it will only be available from a special Hidden folder in the App Library.
- To access the App Library, you must go to your home screen and swipe left past all of your apps.
- The final screen will be the App Library and the Hidden folder will be located at the bottom.
- FaceID will be required to view the contents of the Hidden folder.
With today’s smartphones providing access to so much personal information, it’s important to take extra measures to secure your apps and data. The new lock and hide options provided by iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are simple ways to add extra protection against your information falling into the wrong hands.
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