It is no secret that feature-wise, iOS lags behind Android in a lot of ways. Sure, iOS 14 brings many improvements for iPhone users, including better home screen customization, new widgets for iOS 14, and more. But it still lacks some basic features. For example, iPhones do not have a simple way to lock apps. A lot of apps these days, like WhatsApp, offer built-in app lock mechanisms. But it would be better if Apple integrates this feature natively, allowing us to lock any app we want. If you are desperate to lock your iOS apps, here is how you can lock apps on your iPhone.
Lock iPhone Apps with Passcode
If you want to use a passcode to lock your iPhone apps, here’s what you need to do. Bear in mind that since Apple does not offer an app locking mechanism, this method is a workaround, but it works rather well.
- Lock iPhone Apps with Passcode
- Lock Apps on iPhone using Siri Shortcuts
Your selected app will get locked after 1 minute of use. One minute is barely anything for apps that you open multiple times a day, such as Snapchat, in my case. So, this method is a pretty decent workaround to lock iPhone apps. Once the app is locked, you will need to enter your Screen Time passcode to access it.
Alternatively, you can also lock iPhone apps using Siri Shortcuts. Plus, you can do some fun tricks with them as well.
Tap on ‘Add Action’, search ‘Ask for Input’, and select it.
Add another action to your shortcut. Search for ‘Take photo’ and change ‘Back’ camera to ‘Front’ camera.
Tap on ‘Next’ at the top right and give your Shortcut a name. I’m naming it Bifrost. Once you have set the name, tap on ‘Done’.
When you tap on this Shortcut, it will ask you for the password. Simply enter your password to open the app. If you enter an incorrect password, the Shortcut will take a picture and save it to your Photos app. Neat, right?
