How to Use Face ID to Unlock Apps on iPhone (Guide)

Unlocking the phone is only the start of what Face ID can do. The same quick glance can open your banking app, your password manager, your private notes and your chat apps, adding a second lock behind the lock screen for the things that matter most.

There are two ways apps get Face ID protection: the app itself offers it in its own settings, or you lock the app using the system-wide app lock built into recent iOS versions. Knowing both covers almost every app on your phone.

This guide covers the in-app method, the system app lock, how to see and manage the list of apps using your face, and what to do when an app stubbornly refuses to cooperate.

Quick Answer

To use Face ID with an app, first enable it inside the app’s own settings (usually under Security or Privacy), or lock the app system-wide: touch and hold the app icon on the Home Screen and tap Require Face ID. Manage everything centrally in Settings, Face ID and Passcode, under Other Apps, where you can switch any app’s Face ID access on or off.

Method 1: Turn On Face ID Inside the App

Most well-built apps, especially banking, finance, health and password apps, include their own Face ID switch. It usually lives in the app’s security or privacy section.

1. Open the app and sign in normally once.
2. Find its Settings, then look for Security, Privacy, or App Lock.
3. Turn on the option named Face ID, Biometric Unlock, or similar.
4. Some apps ask you to set an app-specific PIN first, which acts as the fallback when Face ID fails.
5. Close the app and reopen it to test the glance unlock.

Banking apps often log you out fully when Face ID is off, and log you straight into your accounts when it is on. That speed is convenient, so weigh it against who else can access your phone when it is unlocked.

Method 2: Lock Any App With the Built-In App Lock

Recent iOS versions added a system-level lock that works even on apps whose developers never added Face ID support. It is perfect for Photos, Messages, social apps and email.

1. On the Home Screen or in the App Library, touch and hold the app’s icon.
2. Tap Require Face ID in the menu that appears.
3. Confirm with Require Face ID again. The app now needs your face every time it opens.
4. To remove the lock later, hold the icon again and tap Don’t Require Face ID.

You can also hide a locked app entirely on supported versions, so it disappears from the Home Screen and search, living only in a hidden folder in the App Library. Locked and hidden apps also stop showing content in notifications and previews.

Manage All Face ID Apps in One Place

iOS keeps a central register of every app allowed to request Face ID. Reviewing it occasionally is a good security habit, because you may find apps you forgot you authorised.

1. Open Settings and tap Face ID and Passcode. Enter your passcode.
2. Tap Other Apps.
3. Review the list and switch off Face ID for anything you no longer use or do not trust.

Switching an app off here does not delete the app or its data. It simply means the app must use its own password or PIN again. If an app never appears in this list, it does not support Face ID internally and you should use the built-in app lock instead.

When an App Refuses to Use Face ID

Sometimes the toggle is on but the app still demands a password every time. Work through these causes in order:

• The app forgot your permission after an update. Open its settings and turn Face ID off and back on.
• You entered the app password recently after Face ID failures, and the app is in a cautious state. Use Face ID successfully once from its login screen to reset it.
• Face ID itself is having a bad day. Check that phone unlocking by face works; if not, fix Face ID first.
• The app requires its own PIN after every phone restart. That is the app’s security policy, not a fault.

If Face ID is unreliable across many apps at once, the common cause is the enrolment, and our Face ID reset and re-setup guide walks through fixing that properly.

Which Apps Deserve a Face ID Lock Most

Not every app needs a second lock, and locking everything creates friction that tempts you to switch the whole system off. Prioritise by what an unlocked phone in the wrong hands could do in five minutes.

Top of the list: banking and payment apps, password managers and authenticators, email (because email resets every other account), health records, and messaging apps if your conversations are sensitive. Next tier: photos, notes, social media and shopping apps with saved cards. Games, news and reference apps rarely need a lock at all.

One more judgement call: consider what happens when YOU cannot use your face, wet hands at the gym, a mask at the dentist, a phone handed to a partner. Every locked app falls back to its PIN or your passcode, so keep those fallbacks memorable. And remember the family dimension: a child who knows your passcode can open Face ID apps through the fallback, so the lock’s real strength is always the strength of the code behind it. Set a good one, and the app locks genuinely mean something.

Common Mistakes and Helpful Tips

• Remember that anyone whose face is enrolled as an alternate appearance can open your Face ID apps too, including banking. Enrol second faces carefully.
• Lock your authenticator and password-manager apps with Face ID as well; they are the keys to everything else.
• App lock does not hide the fact an app exists, unless you also choose the hide option, and hidden apps still appear in Settings and billing records.
• If you lend your phone for a call or a photo, locked apps keep the borrower out of your private data even on your unlocked phone.

Apple describes the system app lock in its iPhone user guide. The official Apple page on locking and hiding apps covers the exact gestures for your iOS version.

Conclusion

Face ID can guard far more than your lock screen. Turn it on inside banking, password and health apps, use the built-in Require Face ID lock for everything else, and review the Other Apps list in Settings from time to time. Just remember that every enrolled face, including an alternate appearance, opens all of these apps, so manage that second face slot with the respect it deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lock the Photos app with Face ID?

Yes. Touch and hold the Photos icon, tap Require Face ID, and confirm. Photos then needs your face on every open. For extra privacy you can also hide the app, and specific sensitive pictures belong in the Hidden album, which itself can require Face ID.

Why does my banking app ask for a password instead of Face ID sometimes?

Banks deliberately require the password after a restart, after several Face ID failures, after long gaps, or when their risk systems notice something unusual, such as a new location. That behaviour is the bank’s security policy and cannot be switched off.

Does the built-in app lock work on every app?

It works on nearly all third-party and most Apple apps. A few system functions cannot be locked. If the Require Face ID option does not appear when you hold an icon, check that Face ID is set up and that Screen Time restrictions are not blocking changes.

Can someone bypass an app’s Face ID lock with my passcode?

In most apps, yes: the passcode is the fallback when Face ID fails or is unavailable. That is another reason your passcode itself must be strong and private. A person who knows your passcode effectively has the keys to your Face ID apps too.

How do I stop an app from using Face ID without deleting it?

Go to Settings, Face ID and Passcode, Other Apps, and switch the app off in the list. The app returns to its own password or PIN. You can re-enable it at any time from the same screen or from within the app’s settings.