iPhone users can lock specific apps with a passcode starting with iOS 12.There is a method around the fact that it’s not readily accessible in the Settings app on your iPhone.
Using third-party apps or the in-built app locker on phones like Xiaomi and Samsung, Android OS users can lock apps on smartphones.However, there is currently no app locker or way to directly lock apps on the iOS side of things.Things have changed since iOS 12, which brought about the Screen Time function.
On iPhones, there is still a way to lock specific apps, if not directly.We shall demonstrate how to do that in this tale.
How to lock individual apps on iPhone using Screen Time
Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone.
Step 2: In the list of tabs, look for Screen Time and tap on it.
Step 3: Click on App Limits.
Step 4: Enable App Limits.
Step 5: Tap on Add Limit.
Step 6: Now, you will see a list of categories. If you want to lock a social media app, you can tap on ‘Social’.
Step 7: Now, from all the apps in the list, find the one that you want to lock and tap on it, and hit the Next button that’s on the top right corner.
Step 8: You will now have to set the timer, unfortunately, there’s no direct way to lock the app and so, you will have to set a time limit. From the slider, choose 1 minute as it is the minimum time. After the set time passes, the app will be locked automatically.
Step 9: Make sure you enable the ‘Block at the end of Limit’ option.
Step 10: Lastly, in the top right corner click on the ‘Add’ button.
Now, the app you just added will have a limit of 1 minute. What it means is, that when the 1 minute time will expire after opening the app, the app will be automatically locked with a passcode.
That being said, if you want to lock the app, you first need to open the app for 1 minute and after that, it will be successfully locked.
If you want to unlock it, you can tap on the ‘Ask For More Time’ option and click on ‘Enter Screen Time Passcode’. After inputting the passcode, you can unlock the app.
The restriction in this case is that the app must be open for at least 15 minutes after being unlocked once.In other words, if someone tries to use the app within that 15-minute window, they can.
But unlike before, iOS now at least gives you the option to covertly lock apps.
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