How to Lock a Folder on iPhone (What Works and What Doesn't)
You can’t put a password on a folder on iPhone. Neither the Files app nor Home Screen app folders have a lock option. What you can lock is the whole Files app, individual apps, notes, the Hidden album, or a vault app with its own passcode. Here’s how each works, so you can pick the right lock for what you’re protecting.
Option 1: Lock the whole Files app with Face ID
Since iOS 18, you can make any app ask for Face ID before it opens. That includes Files, which holds your folders in iCloud Drive and On My iPhone.
- On your Home Screen, touch and hold the Files icon.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID or Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
- Tap Require Face ID again to confirm.
Now Files only opens after Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Its contents also stop appearing in search and notifications.
Keep in mind: this locks every folder, not one. And it falls back to your iPhone passcode, so anyone who knows your passcode can still get in.
Option 2: Lock apps inside a Home Screen folder
If by “folder” you mean a group of apps on your Home Screen, you can’t lock the folder, but you can lock the apps in it:
- Open the folder and touch and hold an app.
- Tap Require Face ID and confirm.
- Repeat for each app you want locked.
Our guide on how to lock apps on iPhone covers which apps can’t be locked and what a locked app still shows.
For some apps you’ll also see Hide and Require Face ID. That removes the app from your Home Screen and moves it to a Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library, which itself opens only with Face ID.
Option 3: Keep documents in a locked note
Notes can hold scanned documents and photos, and a note can be locked:
- In Notes, create a note and add your files: tap the paperclip or camera button to scan a document or add a photo. (Notes with PDFs, audio or video attached can’t be locked.)
- Tap the More button (three dots) and choose Lock.
- Choose to use your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password.
A locked note is the closest thing to a locked folder that’s built in. Choose a separate Notes password if you want it to stay shut even for someone who knows your phone passcode, and don’t forget it: Apple can’t recover it. Full steps: how to lock notes on iPhone.
Option 4: Use the Hidden album for photos and videos
If the “folder” you want to lock is really a set of photos, use the Hidden album. Select the photos in Photos, tap More, then Hide. The Hidden album is locked with Face ID by default. See where the Hidden album is and how to hide photos on iPhone for the details and the catches.
Option 5: Use a vault app with its own passcode
All the built-in options lean on your iPhone passcode in some way, and none of them can lock one folder of mixed files. A vault app gives you a separate lock for exactly the things you choose.
When picking one, check that it encrypts your files rather than just hiding them behind a screen, and that it has a recovery plan if you forget the passcode. Our guide Is a photo vault app safe? covers what to look for.
Easy Vault works this way: it encrypts photos, videos, PDFs and other files on your iPhone or iPad behind its own pattern or password, separate from your phone passcode. You can add files from the Files app or straight from any app’s share sheet, and a decoy passcode can open a harmless vault if someone pushes you to unlock it. See how to keep IDs and documents private.
Which lock should you use?
| You want to protect | Best option |
|---|---|
| Everything in the Files app | Require Face ID on Files |
| A few apps | Require Face ID, or Hide and Require Face ID |
| A handful of documents | A locked note with its own password |
| Photos and videos | The Hidden album, or a vault for a separate lock |
| Files you want safe even from people who know your passcode | A vault app that encrypts them |
Frequently asked questions
Can you lock a folder in the Files app on iPhone?
No. The Files app has no way to put a password on a single folder. You can lock the whole Files app with Face ID instead: touch and hold the Files icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. After that, Files only opens with your face, fingerprint or passcode.
Can you lock a folder of apps on the iPhone Home Screen?
Not the folder itself. You can lock individual apps inside it: touch and hold an app, tap Require Face ID, and confirm. Some apps can also be hidden, which moves them to a locked Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library.
What's the best way to lock private documents on iPhone?
For a few documents, a locked note works: scan or attach them in Notes and lock the note. For photos, IDs and files you want behind their own passcode, use a vault app that encrypts them, so they stay protected even from someone who knows your iPhone passcode.
Is a locked app safe from someone who knows my passcode?
No. Apps locked with Require Face ID fall back to your iPhone passcode, so anyone who knows it can open them. For a lock that's separate from your phone passcode, use a locked note with its own password or a vault app with its own pattern or password.