Works for Waldo whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold Waldo's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Waldo 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 Waldo with Face ID
- Find Waldo 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. Waldo now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close Waldo from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide Waldo in App Library
- Touch and hold Waldo'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 Waldo?
Waldo's privacy label lists financial info, contacts and user content — the kind of data 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 Waldo sends to its developer; for that, see Waldo's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Waldo opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep Waldo'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 Waldo stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove Waldo 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 Waldo
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.
Contacts
Settings › Privacy & Security › Contacts. Limited Access shares only the people you select instead of your whole address book.
Sign-in
When creating an account, Sign in with Apple can give the app a relay address from Hide My Email instead of your real one.
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › Waldo › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Waldo's full privacy label
Lock these apps too
After you lock Waldo
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does Waldo have its own passcode?
What happens to Waldo's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked Waldo encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding Waldo remove it from my purchase history?
Is Waldo safe? Full privacy report →Does Waldo track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All photo & video apps →