Alex Ruben
How To Secure Any iPhone App Using Face ID
In today’s world, keeping your stuff private is kinda important, especially with all the sensitive info we store on our phones. If you have an iPhone with Face ID, it’s actually pretty easy to lock specific apps so only you can open them. No need for shady third-party apps or weird workarounds — just some built-in tricks.
What You Need Before You Start
To pull this off, you gotta have:
- An iPhone with Face ID (like iPhone X or newer; pretty much anything from iPhone X onward).
- Running iOS 11 or later (latest or close to it’s best).
- The app you want to lock needs to support “Require Face ID” in its settings — not all do, so check that.
Step 1: Find the App You Want to Lock
Pick whatever app has sensitive stuff — your banking app, messenger, or photo gallery. Basically, the apps you don’t want just anyone to peek into.
Step 2: Open the App’s Quick Actions Menu
Long-press the app icon on your home screen. Don’t tap it, press and hold — this will bring up the quick actions menu. It’s like a shortcut to some handy options.
Note: On some setups, this menu might not show up the first time. Sometimes a reboot or updating iOS helps fix that mess if it’s glitchy.
Step 3: Tap “Require Face ID”
In the menu, look for an option called Require Face ID. If it’s there, tap it. Keep in mind, it won’t pop up for every app — only ones that support it, which is kinda frustrating.
Why it helps: Basically, it tells the app to demand your face scan whenever you try to open it. Makes snooping harder.
When to use: When you notice an app isn’t asking for Face ID or passcode and you wanna make it more secure.
What to expect: Now, opening that app should trigger a Face ID scan before letting you in. Simple enough.
Step 4: Confirm the Face ID Setup
After tapping Require Face ID, your iPhone might ask you to scan your face to confirm. Do that, and you’re basically done. Just note: sometimes the menu might not give you an immediate confirmation or setup sheen — weird quirks happen.
Step 5: Test it Out
Close the app completely then tap to open it again. You should see a Face ID prompt. If not, go back and check it’s enabled properly. Sometimes it needs a screen refresh or a reboot to stick.
Pro tip: On some devices, enabling this only works after a restart, and sometimes, you gotta manually toggle Face ID in Settings under Face ID & Passcode.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Sometimes, the “Require Face ID” option just doesn’t show up. Not sure why, but it’s usually because the app itself doesn’t support it. Check inside the app’s own settings — a lot of apps have their own security options tucked away under Settings or Security.
If Face ID isn’t working smoothly, ensure your face data is up-to-date (clean your camera, re-setup Face ID), or try toggling it off/on in Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
And yeah, if your device supports Touch ID instead, most apps let you switch to that — just check the app’s security options.
On some setups, Face ID prompts might be kinda flaky, and a reboot or a quick update can fix weird bugs. Because of course, Apple has to make it way too complicated at times.
Final Checks
If everything’s plugged in right, you should be able to lock away apps with Face ID, making snoopers think twice. No fancy app lock needed, just some settings and a little patience with the quirks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work with all apps?
Nope, only apps that have built-in support for “Require Face ID” will pick up this trick. Not all apps do that yet.
What if the menu option isn’t showing?
Chances are the app doesn’t support Face ID locking. Double-check inside the app’s settings or use the built-in iOS Screen Time or Restrictions for more general lock options.
Can Touch ID be used instead?
Most of the time, yes. If your device still has Touch ID, some apps let you toggle that in their security settings. Otherwise, Face ID is the way to go.
Summary
- Long-press app icons to find “Require Face ID” (if supported).
- Use your face to unlock apps instead of passcodes or PINs.
- Sometimes needs a reboot or update to get working reliably.
- Not all apps support this feature — check their settings.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Because yes, Apple’s security stuff isn’t always straightforward, but with a little digging, you can beef up your app privacy easily enough.