Works for MyPics whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold MyPics' icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts MyPics 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 MyPics with Face ID
- Find MyPics 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. MyPics now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close MyPics from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide MyPics in App Library
- Touch and hold MyPics' 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 MyPics?
MyPics is a photo manager, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Photo managers usually ask for full library access. That gives them every picture, along with its location and date metadata.
Photo and video apps usually request access to your photo library. iOS lets you share only selected photos, which keeps the rest of the library — and its location metadata — away from the app.
A lock answers one question — who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change what MyPics sends to its developer; for that, see MyPics' full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time MyPics opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep MyPics' 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 MyPics stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove MyPics 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 MyPics
Tracking
Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.
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 › MyPics › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
MyPics' full privacy label
None declared
Lock these apps too
After you lock MyPics
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does MyPics have its own passcode?
What happens to MyPics' notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked MyPics encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding MyPics remove it from my purchase history?
Is MyPics safe? Full privacy report →Does MyPics track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All photo & video apps →