The native ability to lock and hide apps has been missing in iPhones since forever. Thankfully, the iOS 18 feature list has changed that with the introduction of the lock apps feature. You can now lock any app on your iPhone. Be it the Messages app or a third-party app like Amazon, Instagram, etc.
Use these steps to lock Messages app in iOS 18 by putting Face or Touch ID on it:
- Long press on the Messages app icon on the home screen or in the app drawer.
- Select Require Face/Touch ID from the menu followed by Require Face/Touch ID.
- Authenticate your iPhone to lock the Messages app.
That’s it. Similarly, you can lock other apps on your iPhone having iOS 18. You can even hide a locked app. For that, select Hide and Require Face/Touch ID in step 2. The hidden app will be put in a separate Hidden folder present in the App Library. Please note that you cannot hide the Messages app.
What happens when you lock the Messages app on your iPhone:
- You will need to use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the Messages app.
- The locked app’s icon will stay on the home screen as well as the App Library. It will not be hidden.
- The notification content will not show up in the notification preview for locked apps.
- To remove the lock from the Messages app, long press the app icon again and select Don’t require Face/Touch ID.
Before you go, know to lock apps on iPhone having iOS 17 and lower.
