How to Lock App on iPhone without Screen Time in iOS 16

Have you ever had to unlock your phone and give it to someone else so they could make a brief call or send a text? Then they manage to access your private information like texts, Instagram, Facebook, etc.? This guide will teach you how to lock apps on your iPhone 14/13/12 without Screen Time in iOS 16.

While iOS and iPadOS don’t have a setting to lock any apps behind Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, some third-party developers do it on their own. These remain scarce, but a few solutions can help bridge the gap.

Many people contend that locking your iPhone or iPad should be sufficient to prevent others from accessing your apps. However, if you share the device, unintentionally leave it unlocked so that anyone can take a quick look at it, or don’t use a passcode on it, others may be able to access and use your apps. You can use biometric authentication to lock applications like Messenger, Mail, Signal, and WhatsApp, but you’ll have to utilize shortcuts for other apps.

How to Lock Apps on iPhone 14/13/12 in iOS 16 via Shortcuts App

There are additional methods to increase the security of your apps if Apple doesn’t support employing biometric verification or your passcode in a shortcut or automation. The AppDefense and AuthKit-based app-locking solution we demonstrated in a previous post in Shortcuts is probably too difficult or involved for most users. Here are a couple of quicker options that don’t include any additional shortcuts:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and then navigate to the Automation tab and select Create Personal Automation.

Create Personal Automation

2. From the list, select App.

App

3. Tap on the Choose button.

Choose

4. Select the app which you want to lock and then Done.

How to Lock Apps on iPhone 14/13/12 in iOS 16 via Shortcuts App

5. Make sure is Opened is selected and tap Next.

Next

6. Tap Add Action.

Add Action

7. On the search box search for Timer and tap Start Timer.

Start Timer

8.  Make sure to change 30 minutes to 1 second and tap on Next at the top right.

change 30 minutes to 1 second

9. Turn off Ask Before Running and tap Done.

Turn off Ask Before Running

10. Return to the Home page and launch the Clock app now. Tap the Timer in the lower right corner of the clock app. Tap on When Timer Ends.

When Timer Ends

11. Choose to Stop Playing. Then tap on Set at the top right.

Stop Playing

When you set a timer in the Clock app, it usually makes a sound when it expires. You must press the notice if the timer sounds off while using your iPhone or iPad to turn it off.

Instead, you can configure your iPhone or iPad’s timer to halt music playback. You’ll be sent to the lock screen once the countdown expires and the music, podcast, or other audio you were listening to will cease. Better still, if no audio was playing, you would still be returned to the lock screen. To proceed after reaching the lock screen, you must re-authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. And in Shortcuts automation, we may utilize it in this way as an app lock.

Any applications you choose earlier will now open for a brief period of time before returning to the Home screen and being locked.

That’s all. These were the process to lock apps on iPhone 14 and older iPhones using the Shortcuts app without Screen Time in iOS 16.

Read more

• How to Change Charging Animation on iPhone [iOS 15 & iOS 16]

• How to Make Full-screen Caller ID on iPhone 14, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max in iOS 16