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How to Lock Specific Apps on Android

Tap each step to see how to lock specific apps on your Android phone.

  1. Find your manufacturer's App Lock menu

    The location of app lock varies by manufacturer and Android version. On Samsung devices, go to Settings > Biometrics and security > More security settings > App lock. On other brands, look for a similarly named feature under Security or Privacy in Settings.

  2. Choose which apps to lock

    In the app lock list, check or add each app you want to require authentication for.

  3. Protect it with biometrics or a PIN

    Set fingerprint, face recognition, or your screen-lock PIN/pattern as the unlock method for locked apps.

  4. Open a locked app to confirm it works

    Launching a locked app now shows an authentication prompt first, and you can only get into the app after it succeeds.

  5. Use an alternative if your phone has no built-in app lock

    If your device's manufacturer does not offer a native app lock feature, you can substitute an encrypted separate space, such as Samsung's Secure Folder, and move apps into it instead.

  6. Fully separate apps with a Secure Folder

    Apps installed inside a Secure Folder run in an isolated space, so you only need to authenticate once, when opening the folder itself, rather than for each app inside it.

A lighter layer of privacy than a full screen lock

Handing your phone to a child or a coworker for a moment does not mean you want them browsing your banking app or messages. Locking just the sensitive apps lets you share the device without locking everything else behind the same wall.

How this differs from a general app-lock overview

Rather than a quick cross-device summary, this guide focuses specifically on Android: where each manufacturer buries the setting, and what to do when a phone has no built-in app lock at all -- namely, substituting a Secure-Folder-style encrypted space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my phone doesn't have an App Lock menu at all?

Some manufacturers skip the feature entirely. In that case, a Secure Folder-style encrypted space (built into Samsung devices, and available as a separate app installed from other brands) works as a substitute -- apps placed inside it need authentication only to open the folder.

Does locking an app also hide its notification previews?

That depends on the manufacturer and the individual app's notification settings, so check your notification settings separately if you want previews hidden too.