Works for Secure Vault Lite whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold Secure Vault Lite's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Secure Vault Lite 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 Secure Vault Lite with Face ID
- Find Secure Vault Lite 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. Secure Vault Lite now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close Secure Vault Lite from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide Secure Vault Lite in App Library
- Touch and hold Secure Vault Lite'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 Secure Vault Lite?
Secure Vault Lite 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.
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 Secure Vault Lite sends to its developer; for that, see Secure Vault Lite's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Secure Vault Lite opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep Secure Vault Lite'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 Secure Vault Lite stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove Secure Vault Lite 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 Secure Vault Lite
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 › Secure Vault Lite › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Secure Vault Lite's full privacy label
The developer has not provided privacy details on the App Store.
Lock these apps too
After you lock Secure Vault Lite
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does Secure Vault Lite have its own passcode?
What happens to Secure Vault Lite's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked Secure Vault Lite encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding Secure Vault Lite remove it from my purchase history?
Is Secure Vault Lite safe? Full privacy report →Lock an app: A–Z →All photo & video apps →