How to lock the Photos app on iPhone

 Since these images may represent something personal to you, it's natural that you'd want to maintain your privacy by locking the gallery in your iPhone.

While Apple doesn't offer a built-in feature to lock the Photos app with Face ID or Touch ID, fortunately there are two easy workarounds: Create a custom shortcut or use Screen Time. Below, TipsMake will show you how to lock the Photos app on iPhone using these two methods.

Use Shortcuts to lock photos app on iPhone

The first method to lock the Photos app involves using the built-in Shortcuts app to create a custom iPhone shortcut. For those who don't know, you can use this app to create various handy iPhone shortcuts to automate daily tasks. If you can't find the shortcut on your iPhone, you can download it for free from the App Store.

Download Shortcuts (Free)

After downloading Shortcuts, open it and follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Automation tab from the bottom and click on New Automation .

2. In the Search field , enter App and select from the search results.

3. On the next screen, tap Choose , select the Photos app and tap Done .

4. Select Is Opened and Run Immediately . Leave Notify When Run turned off. Click Next .

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5. Select New Blank Automation on the next screen and press Add Action .

6. In the Search field , enter Lock and select Lock Screen from the search results.

7. Click Done to save your shortcut.

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Now, whenever you tap the Photos app, the shortcut will automatically run in the background and completely lock your iPhone (and the Photos app). You can then unlock your device and access the Photos app using your Face ID, Touch ID, or Lock Screen passcode.

To remove a shortcut key, go to the Automation tab in the Shortcuts app and swipe left on the automation section. Then, press Delete .

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Use Screen Time to lock the Photos app on iPhone

If you don't want to create an iPhone shortcut, an alternative is to use Screen Time. The default purpose of using Screen Time is to control the amount of time you use your iPhone. It locks you out of an app and gives you a reminder when the usage time is up.

Therefore, this lock feature can be used as a security feature to lock the Photos app on your iPhone. Here's how:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > App & Website Activity .

2. In the pop-up window, click Turn On App & Website Activity .

3. Next, create a password by tapping Lock Screen Time Settings . Enter your preferred four-digit password.

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4. Click App Limits > Add Limit . Enter your Screen Time password.

5. Click the drop-down arrow of the Creativity category . Select the Photos app and click Next .

6. Scroll the timer to select 1 min . Switch to Block at End of Limit and then click Add .

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It is done! The Photos app will now be locked with a password after one minute of use per day.

When you return to the home screen, you'll see the Photos icon gray out and an hourglass appear next to the app name. If it's not grayed out yet, just tap the Photos app and wait a minute for the Screen Time limit to kick in.

To unlock the Photos app on your iPhone, tap it. Then, select Ask For More Time > Enter Screen Time Passcode .

​Here, you may notice some Screen Time limitations. For example, it lets you access the app in just "a minute" without having to enter a passcode. Once the minute is up, the only option left is to unlock the Photos app for 15 minutes, an hour, or once a day.

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At the time of writing, there's no way to re-lock the Photos app whenever you want, unless you redo the steps in this section. So, it's best to take steps to hide specific photos on your iPhone for added security. Or if you really want the Photos app to automatically lock whenever you exit, you'll have to use the Shortcuts method.

In the future, if you don't want to lock the Photos app anymore, just turn off Screen Time on your iPhone.

Marvin Fry

Update 25 October 2023