Works for My journal whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold My journal's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts My journal behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode; choose Hide and Require Face ID instead to move it into App Library's Hidden folder as well.
Lock My journal with Face ID
- Find My journal on your Home Screen or in App Library.
- Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
- Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. My journal now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close My journal from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide My journal in App Library
- Touch and hold My journal's icon and tap Require Face ID.
- Choose Hide and Require Face ID instead of Require Face ID.
- Confirm. The icon leaves your Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library.
- To open it later, swipe to App Library, tap Hidden and authenticate.
Hiding also locks the app. To undo either, touch and hold the icon again and choose Don't Require Face ID.
Why lock My journal?
My journal is a journal & diary app, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Journals collect your private thoughts, moods and often your location and photos. A lock screen inside the app is not the same as encryption of the synced entries.
Lifestyle apps cover family, home and personal organisation, and often combine location, contacts and photos in one place.
A lock answers one question — who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change what My journal sends to its developer; for that, see My journal's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time My journal opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep My journal's content out of Spotlight and Siri suggestions
- With Hide, remove the icon from the Home Screen
It does not
- Stop someone who knows your passcode
- Encrypt or change how My journal stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove My journal from purchase history or Screen Time reports
Don't see Require Face ID?
- Update to iOS 18 or later in Settings › General › Software Update.
- Make sure a passcode is set in Settings › Face ID & Passcode; the lock needs one.
- Some Apple apps (Settings, Calculator, Camera, Maps, Find My, Clock) cannot be locked or hidden.
- If your iPhone is managed by work or school, the option may be restricted.
Other settings worth checking for My journal
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › My journal › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
My journal's full privacy label
The developer states that no data is collected from this app.
Lock these apps too
After you lock My journal
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does My journal have its own passcode?
What happens to My journal's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked My journal encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding My journal remove it from my purchase history?
Is My journal safe? Full privacy report →Does My journal track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All lifestyle apps →