iOS 18 will introduce a new security feature that will allow users to lock individual apps, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
This feature will give users the option to lock built-in iPhone apps like Mail, Messages, Notes, Phone, Photos, Safari, Settings, and more, providing an extra layer of privacy and security. Opening the app will require Face ID authentication, and the feature will likely also work with Touch ID or an iPhone passcode.
We have not confirmed whether the feature will work with third-party apps from the App Store.
Apple already allows certain content to be locked behind Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, such as notes in the Notes app and photos in the Recently Deleted and Hidden albums in the Photos app. The new iOS 18 feature will take these things further by allowing entire apps to be locked, even if the iPhone is generally unlocked.
iPhone users have already found ways to lock apps using Screen Time or Shortcuts, but these methods will no longer be necessary on iOS 18.
Apple will unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on Monday. The first iOS 18 beta will likely be made available to Apple Developer Program members right after the keynote, with the update scheduled to be widely released in September.
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