Works for My Secret Folder whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold My Secret Folder's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts My Secret Folder 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 Secret Folder with Face ID
- Find My Secret Folder 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 Secret Folder now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close My Secret Folder from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide My Secret Folder in App Library
- Touch and hold My Secret Folder'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 Secret Folder?
My Secret Folder is a private photo app, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Private-photo apps promise to keep pictures out of your main library. The label shows what leaves the phone; it cannot show whether the hiding is a real lock or just a separate folder.
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 Secret Folder sends to its developer; for that, see My Secret Folder'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 Secret Folder opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep My Secret Folder'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 Secret Folder stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove My Secret Folder 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 Secret Folder
Photos
Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos. Limited Access lets you pick exactly which pictures the app can see; Add Photos Only lets it save without reading your library.
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › My Secret Folder › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
My Secret Folder's full privacy label
The developer has not provided privacy details on the App Store.
Lock these apps too
After you lock My Secret Folder
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does My Secret Folder have its own passcode?
What happens to My Secret Folder's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked My Secret Folder encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding My Secret Folder remove it from my purchase history?
Is My Secret Folder safe? Full privacy report →Lock an app: A–Z →All lifestyle apps →