Four Ways to Lock Apps on iPhone Without Screen Time [Guide]

There are four methods how to lock apps on iPhone without Screen Time:

• through guided access;
• via shortcuts;
• with Face ID, Touch ID & Passcode;
• with parental control app like Eyezy.

You can use all of those for personal needs or kids. Children, especially teens, don’t like parental control — neither physical, nor digital. Nevertheless, If you can’t or your teen doesn’t want you to use Screen time on their iPhone, you still have options for restrictions to lock certain apps on their iOS device.

You know what I mean: if they keep using that one banned app, if you see them chatting before bed, or any other problems in the teenage-phone-parent ‘love triangle’.

For example, Snapchat, Instagram, and Discord are among the top dangerous apps for kids. At the same time, they are the most popular too. Thus, in today’s guide, we’ll discover four methods to lock apps on iPhone even without Screen time.

Comparison of the Methods to Lock iPhone Apps

To choose the best way to lock apps on iPhone, compare them in the table below.

Start with Screen Time Passcode

If you’re hesitant about Screen Time because you’re worried that a child could easily bypass it, you should know about the Screen Time passcode option. It prevents kids from changing the screen time feature settings on their iPhone.

This method works if you’ve set up screen time within Family Sharing.

1. Open the Setting app, and tap Screen time.
   
2. Tap on your child’s name in the Family section and scroll down to Lock Screen Time Settings.
   
3. Enter a 4-digit passcode and re-enter it to confirm. You’ll see “Change Screen Time Passcode” option where you can change it.
   

Note that if you forget your passcode, you will need to reset it using your Apple ID. Kids cannot bypass screen time to change app limits without the passcode as well.

Set up Guided Access

The guided access feature allows you to limit your iPhone to one app. It works on iOS 12 and later. You can use this feature to limit access to other apps when a child stays focused on one — for example, Zoom for studying or else.

It works with Apple ID; thus, kids cannot bypass it.

To set up guided access:

1. Go to the Settings app. Tap Accessibility > Guided Access in the “General” block.
   
   And touch the toggle switch to turn it on.
   
2. Go to Passcode Settings. Set Guided Access Passcode and enter a passcode to secure its settings. You can choose either Face ID or Touch ID to end a Guided access session.
   
3. Touch Time Limits to choose the sound notification. It will make the remaining Guided Access time spoken before time ends.
   
4. Tap the Accessibility Shortcut toggle and turn it on. When the mode is on, you can access the Guided access settings.
   
   Tap Display Auto-Lock to set the time the iPhone will lock automatically when Guided Access is turned on.
   

After setting the Guided Access, you are ready to use it. Here is an example:

1. To start the session, open an app. If you have an iPhone X or later, triple-click the side button.
   On an iPhone 8 or earlier, triple-click the home button.
   You can also prevent parts of the screen from responding to touch. To do that, just circle those areas with one finger or tap “x” to remove it.
2. Tap Start to run the function.
   
3. There will be a notification that the Guided Access started. To exit, one needs to double-click the side button or use Face ID.
   
   After the triple click, the user needs to enter the passcode to end or edit the Guided Access.
   

To test the Guided Access in action, I called my child during their game. The notification about the call appeared, but the child couldn’t answer. So, it works — just use it for those cases when you need nobody to distract your kid.

Use Shortcuts

The Shortcuts feature automates tasks with multiple steps. This feature is available for iPhones running iOS 13 or higher. You can adapt shortcuts to limit screen time.

For example, you can use them to lock a screen automatically when someone taps it or set up time-limited sessions for certain apps. Once the timer runs out, the app will lock automatically.

The Shortcuts feature requires effective setup, since tech-savvy kids can disable the conditions, rendering shortcuts useless.

To set up shortcuts to restrict access to a certain app:

1. Open the Shortcuts app. To create a new shortcut, go to the Automation tab.
   
2. Tap on “New Automation” or a plus sign to create a personal shortcut.
   
3. From here on, you can adjust the settings. First, tap “Choose” for app. Select the necessary one and press “Done”.
   
4. Now you can choose whether the Automation will work when an app is opened or closed. There are other settings:
   “Run After Confirmation” asks to confirm access to the app;
   “Run Immediately” launches the feature right away;
   “Notify When Run” shows notification when the app is opened/closed.
   Then tap “Next”.
   
5. Tap on New Blank Automation. A search window will open. Scroll down to [Lock Screen] or find it with a search and tap on it.
   
   Now you’ve added conditions, hit Done.
   

To check the set Automation, I opened the game and got the notification that the screen was locked. I can unlock my phone, but the game is still unavailable when I try to open it again.

Still, a child can do the reverse deeds to turn off the set Shortcut.
Here is an easy way to do this, even with just a swipe to the left.

Lock Apps with Face ID, Touch ID & Passcode

You can lock apps on your kid’s iPhone with your Face ID, Touch ID or Passcode, so they won’t be able to use any without your face and touch.

iPhone app locking is available on iPhones running iOS 18 and later. This feature is mostly useful when a child uses your iPhone, since an iPhone associated with a child’s account (e.g., under Apple’s Family Sharing or Screen Time parental controls) will not have the ability to lock or hide apps.

You can also use third-party apps like an app locker to create biometric protection for various apps.

To lock apps with Face ID, Touch ID, & passcode:

1. Go to the home screen and find the app you want to lock.
2. Tap and hold the app icon until the quick action menu appears.
3. Tap [Require Face ID or Touch ID or passcode].
   
4. Tap [Require Face ID or Touch ID or passcode] again and confirm using your Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode.
   

When you lock an app, you can only open it by authenticating using your face ID, touch ID, or passcode. By the way, it gives several tries for authentication.

Choose Eyezy for Overall Parental Control

Eyezy is an excellent phone monitoring app for iPhones running iOS 7–13. The app syncs data to an online platform where you can see the iPhone’s activities.

Apart from viewing what your child has been up to, you can use it to block apps and allow access to the apps and features appropriate for your child. Thus, you can use it to manage screen time.

You don’t need to install Eyezy on a target iPhone. All you need is your child’s Apple ID to start syncing data to Eyezy.

Since there’s no need to install Eyezy, a child cannot disable it.

Try EyeZy

To use Eyezy to lock apps on iPhone:

1. Install the app on your child’s iPhone.
2. Access the online dashboard. Go to the navigation bar and look for Connection Blocker.
3. Click Block applications. Find the app that you want to block and click [Block.]

Your child will no longer be able to access that specific app when they try to use it on their iPhone.

Conclusion

There are various methods to lock apps on iPhones without screen time. A screen time passcode and guided access are the best ways to limit app usage without a child bypassing it.

Meanwhile, Eyezy allows you to lock apps remotely, so there’s no chance a child could bypass it. Besides, this family tracker shows any other digital activity of your kid on the iPhone.

Various features can prove useful in different situations. It’s a matter of your current need.