The best way to stop others from gaining access to your app is by locking it. It’s possible to lock an app on Android, but not iOS.
Apple has now released a Lock Screen action within the Shortcuts App, which allows you to automate the locking of apps on your iPhone.
We’ll show you how to create an iPhone lockscreen automation that uses the Lock Screen Action.
Create Personal Automation Using the Lock Screen Action
Apple added the Lock Screen feature to the Shortcuts application with the iOS 16.4 upgrade. If you haven’t done so already, you should upgrade your iPhone to iOS 16.4.
Then, ensure that you have Shortcuts installed on your iPhone. It comes pre-installed on iOS but if for some reason you uninstalled the app from your iPhone, you will need to download it.
Follow these steps once the software is installed to create your own personal automation:
- Click on the Automation Tab in the Shortcuts application.
- Choose Create Personal Automation.
- Scroll down to see the App Tap the trigger to activate it.
- Select the apps you wish to lock by clicking Choose on the next screen.
- Be sure to check the The door is opened Select the option and click Next .
- Click the Add action button and then in the search box, type Lock screen. Tap on this to add the lock screen to your personal automation.
- Hit Next .
- Now, toggle off the Ask Before Running option to allow the automation to run automatically–without requesting your approval.
You can lock any iPhone app using Personal Automation
Shortcuts allows you to create a personal automation. To use it, follow a few easy steps.
Tap on the app you’ve added to your personal automation. Once you’ve done this, your iPhone will be locked by bringing you to the Lock Screen.
If you have enabled Face ID on your iPhone it will unlock the screen immediately and allow you to interact with the application you opened. If you have an older iPhone that has a Home Button, you will need to place the registered finger on it to unlock the iPhone and open the app.
You will be required to enter a passcode or password if neither Face ID nor Touch ID are enabled. Once you enter the passcode or password, your iPhone will be unlocked and open to the app.
Personal automation may not be the ideal solution, but it does the job
Shortcuts may seem more like a temporary solution than a permanent one if you are familiar with Android’s app locking solutions. Personal automation locks the iPhone, not the app. This causes some delay, and slows down the process.
It still does the job. We think this is a better solution than previous workarounds to lock apps on iPhones.