Windows has always had a number of important apps that we adore. And with the advent of Windows 10 and its Universal apps platform, the number of Windows 10 apps is growing exponentially. Even the popular chat and social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc., have arrived. That means you need to be more protective of your data as a laptop or computer tends to be shared among family members. While Windows 10 offers a built-in App Locker service, it’s limited to Windows Enterprise and Education versions. If you are using any other Windows version, don’t worry – here’s how you can lock apps on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
In this article, we have mentioned 4 different methods that you can use to lock apps in Windows 10. And all these methods work on both Windows 10 Home or Pro editions. You can use the table of contents below to skip to any specific section you want.
- Lock Apps on Windows 10 with My Lockbox
- Other App Locker Software for Windows 10
- Use Windows 10 Parental Controls
- Use Group Policy to Disable Apps on Windows 10
Lock Apps on Windows 10 with My Lockbox
You can use the My Lockbox software to lock apps on Windows 10. So, firstly you will have to download and install the software on your PC.
To unlock an app, you can head over to My Lockbox control panel and hit the “Unlock button”. You will need to enter the password to open the My Lockbox app, so not every one will be able to access it. Moreover, the software requires the password even when you are trying to uninstall it, which is pretty handy.
1. Folder Guard
We have already talked about Folder Guard in detail while listing ways to password protect folders in Windows 10 but it deserves a mention here as well. That’s because the software lets you lock apps too. Like My Lockbox, you can lock the folders, where a software is installed to block access to it from any shortcut. Also, it too requires a password when you try to uninstall it, making things more secure. Some people might even like Folder Guard more due to its ability to set different passwords for different folders/apps.
Folder Guard is available for a free 30 days trial, after which you will have to buy the full version ($39.95).
As the name suggests, GiliSoft lets you lock executable EXE program files aka software and apps. The software works pretty well because unlike other software, it lets users unlock an app with the password as soon as you open the app, rather than going to the locker app and unlocking apps there. Along with password protection to software, GiliSoft also protects users from viruses that try and modify the system.
Download
If you are looking for a simple app locker to block access of some apps from children, then the Smart-X AppLocker software should be good enough. The software is pretty easy to use and you can lock apps with ease, It features a list of apps that you can lock but you can add more by just entering the name of their EXE files. While it locks apps with ease, it’s not really secure, as virtually anyone can uninstall it or access it to unlock the locked apps. Overall, we recommend the app only if your locking needs are simple.
If you are looking to lock apps (or websites) for one of your family member’s user account, you can use Windows 10’s parental control feature to do that. However, there’s a catch, as you cannot lock specific apps on the account until the user has been using them already. Basically, if you have a child user account and you keep track of your children’s activities, you can see the apps & games they use and then, block the apps you don’t want them to use. If you are okay with that, check out our post on how to set up and configure Windows 10 parental controls for all the details.
If you’re using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, you can also use Group Policy to lock apps on Windows 10. Here’s how:
- Add the names of applications you want to block. You have to enter the names of the exe files.
