How to use iOS 18 Locked and Hidden Apps features – and why you should

Boost your privacy and security in a couple of clicks

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

It’s certainly been an eventful week for Apple mobile loyalists. People in the US and UK have been able to pre-order the newiPhone 16since last Friday, ahead of the official September 20 release. Plus, since Monday, anyone with an iPhone has had the chance to upgrade toiOS 18and check out a whole host of new features.

If you’ve already started playing around with the new functionalities, you might’ve noticed that you now have the option to lock and hide applications. Both features are a great way to boost your phone’s privacy and security in just a few taps.

Keep reading, and I’ll explain everything you need to know about how and why to use these tools.

iOS 18 new privacy features

TheLocked Appfeature allows you to secure apps behind an authentication request – it’s similar to locking your phone when you aren’t using it. Apps can be accessed via passcode or biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID).

You’re probably familiar with a similar process when you use online banking via your mobile, for instance. These sensitive services require you to prove your identity when requesting access to personal data to protect your privacy and security.

Apple now gives you the freedom to add this extra layer of protection to pretty much every app on your phone. There are a few “non-sensitive” applications, such as the clock, calculator, and Maps, that cannot be locked.

You can, for example, block the apps you don’t want your children to access when they use your phone. You might want to do the same with your email or other communication apps to be sure that no one can access your private messages without your consent.

The iOS 18 update includes additional privacy and security features, too. You have nowimproved app permissionsthat make it even easier to customize the data you share with apps. It also added adedicated password appto stay on top of your account security.

Perhaps my favorite of theiOS 18 privacy featuresis theHidden Appfunctionality – which goes even further.

As the name suggests, this feature allows you to lock a chosen application behind identity authentication and makes both the app’s icon and name disappear from your screen. This means that anyone accessing your unlocked phone won’t know you have that application installed on your device.

While hiding a sensitive app can be useful for anyone who wants to keep certain aspects of their lives more private, it is especially crucial if you live in or visit countries where some online services are forbidden.

For instance, using one of thebest VPNapps is illegal in a handful of nations. Back in June, we reported on howMyanmar soldierswere inspecting the phones of random pedestrians on the lookout for illegal services. Some residents reportedly suffered fines or arrests if they couldn’t pay. If they could hide their VPN apps, however, authorities wouldn’t be able to find them and dish out penalties as a result.

On a similar note, one of the most popularfree VPNservices on the market,Proton VPN, launched a Discreet Icon feature that allows users to customize the app’s icon and name to make it look like another unrelated phone application. At the time of writing, this is only available on Proton’sAndroid VPN.

How to lock your iPhone apps

Locking an app is really easy. All you need to do is follow the steps below:

This means that from now on, you’ll have to enter your chosen authentication methods to access and use the locked application.

If you change your mind, don’t worry, it’s just as easy to reverse the setting. Just long-press the app icon again and tap theDon’t Require Face IDbutton. You’ll have to use your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID to confirm your choice.

How to hide your iPhone apps

The process to hide an app is quite similar:

At this point, both the icon and the name of your chosen application will disappear from your home screen and into the Hidden folder in your App Library. This also means you won’t receive any new notifications from it.

To access hidden apps, you need to head to your App Library – just swipe all right on your screen – and tap on the Hidden folder you find at the bottom of the page. You will be asked for your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID to open it. The hidden app will then now appear in the folder – tap on it and enter your authentication again.

As for the Locked app feature, you’ll just need to long press on the app, tap Don’t Require Face ID, and enter your chosen form of authentication to disable the Hidden app feature.

Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life—wherever cybersecurity, markets and politics tangle up.She mainly writes news, interviews and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, cybercrime, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar Pro, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide. Got a story, tip-off or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com

Undermining your privacy? Session says no and leaves Australia

Are online dating and data privacy an incompatible match?

3 questions to ask before buying a robot vacuum in the Black Friday sales