As a parent, there are some big decisions you have to make, but thankfully, many of these can be deferred until they’re a little older. If you have younger kids, you don’t need to worry (yet) about when to get them their first phone. They’re more than happy for you to hand them your own smartphone when they’re bored, so that they can watch endless YouTube videos or play games.
Handing a small childyour iPhonecan be a little nerve-wracking, however. The whole point of giving them your iPhone is so that it can keep them entertained for a while, so you don’t have to. You don’t want to be constantly looking over their shoulder checking that they’re not using your iPhone for anything that they’re not supposed to.
Thankfully,iOS 18has introduced a new feature that’s perfect for parents. It’s now possible to lock any apps you wish, so that they can only be opened usingFace ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. You can safely hand your iPhone to your child, knowing that they’ll only be able to get into the apps that you allow them to. Here’s how to lock your kids out of your iPhone apps in iOS 18.
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How to lock apps with Face ID in iOS 18
You can lock any app so that it can only be opened with your face
In iOS 18, it’s now possible to lock apps so that they require authentication using Face ID before they will open. This means that if you’ve given your iPhone to a child, they won’t be able to open any of the locked apps since they require your face for Face ID authentication. There is an option to unlock using your passcode if Face ID fails, so ensure that your kids aren’t aware of your passcode, or they may still be able to access your apps.
If you’re using aniPhone SE(the second generation or later will run iOS 18), then you’re able to lock your apps usingTouch IDinstead of Face ID, meaning your kids won’t be able to open your apps without your fingerprint.
How to unlock apps in iOS 18
You can unlock apps so that anyone can open them
Unlocking apps using Face ID is almost instant, so it’s not a big issue to leave apps locked even when your kids aren’t using your iPhone. If you do decide you want to unlock them, however, then it’s simple enough to do so.
How to hide apps in iOS 18
The hidden apps folder can only be unlocked with your face
As well as locking visible apps on your iPhone in iOS 18, it’s also possible to hide apps. This places the apps in a hidden folder that can only be opened using Face ID, Touch ID (on the iPhone SE), or your passcode.
It’s not possible to hide pre-installed apps such asSafari, but any third-party apps that you’ve downloaded and installed can be hidden in this way. Apps aren’t completely hidden everywhere; the names of hidden apps may pop up in places such as your App Store purchase history or theScreen Timeapp, but they won’t appear on your Home Screen and aren’t visible in the App Library until you unlock the Hidden folder.
How to unhide apps in iOS 18
You can make hidden apps visible again in a few taps
If you want to put a hidden app back onto your Home Screen again, you can unhide it. This will remove it from the Hidden folder. Once unhidden, you can add it back to your Home Screen again.
Which apps should you lock or hide on your iPhone?
You can lock as many apps as you want, but there are some good places to start
If you’re giving your iPhone to your kids so that they can play games or watch videos, then there are a few apps that they probably shouldn’t have access to. You might want to lock or hide these now that it’s possible in iOS 18.
Browsers are good place to start, since kids can easily find things that they shouldn’t when searching in a web browser. You can’t hide Safari, since it’s a native app, but you can lock it so that it requires Face ID to use. If you have other browsers installed, such as Chrome, it’s a good idea to lock or hide these, too.
YouTube Kidsis a great app if you want to let your kids gawp at age-appropriate content without worrying about them stumbling on things that they shouldn’t be watching. The standard YouTube app has no such guardrails, however, so if you have that app installed, you probably want to lock or hide it, too.
Browsers are good place to start, since kids can easily find things that they shouldn’t when searching in a web browser. You can’t hide Safari, since it’s a native app, but you can lock it so that it requires Face ID to use.
Streaming appssuch asNetflix and Disney+often let you set up kids' accounts and password protect the adult accounts, so that they can only watch the content that’s suitable for their age group. If you haven’t set this up, or the app doesn’t support creating kids' accounts, then you may want to lock or hide your streaming apps, too.
Messaging appscan also often contain some NSFW content that’s not appropriate for kids. you’re able to’t hide the Messages app, but you can lock it if necessary. Third party apps such as WhatsApp can be locked and hidden.
Beyond that, it’s really a case of common sense. If you havedating appson your iPhone, you’re probably going to want to hide those.Banking appsusually have their own forms of authentication, but you might want to lock those just in case. Take a browse through your iPhone and lock up everything you wouldn’t want your kids to play with. Then you can hand them your smartphone without having to worry about what they’re going to get up to.
