Want to put a lock on WhatsApp, Gallery, or your banking apps but do not want to install yet another app that shows ads and asks for invasive permissions? Good news: learning how to lock apps on Android without any app is easier than most people think. Almost every major phone brand sold in India — Samsung, Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Vivo, and even Google Pixel — ships with a built-in app lock or a secure folder feature. You just need to know where it hides.
Built-in locks are also safer than third-party app lockers. They are integrated with your phone’s fingerprint or face unlock, they cannot be bypassed by simply uninstalling an app, and they never upload your data to unknown servers. Here are 7 built-in ways to lock apps on Android, depending on your phone brand, plus two bonus tricks that work on every phone.
1. Samsung Secure Folder (Samsung Galaxy Phones)
Samsung’s Secure Folder, powered by Knox security, is the gold standard. It does not just lock apps — it creates an entirely separate, encrypted space on your phone. Go to Settings > Security and privacy > Secure Folder, sign in with your Samsung account, and choose a lock type (PIN, pattern, password, or fingerprint). Then open Secure Folder and tap Add apps to move copies of WhatsApp, Gallery, or banking apps inside. For anyone looking to lock apps on Android with maximum security, Secure Folder is the strongest built-in option available.
Apps in Secure Folder run in their own sandbox, so notifications can be hidden and files stay encrypted even if someone connects your phone to a computer. For a lighter option, Samsung’s app drawer also lets you hide apps: swipe up to open the drawer, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Hide apps. Hiding does not lock the app, but it keeps it out of sight.
Pro tip for Samsung users: enable “Show Secure Folder” off in Secure Folder settings to remove its icon from the app drawer entirely — you can then open it only from Settings, which keeps nosy borrowers from even knowing it exists. Also turn on “Auto lock Secure Folder” so it relocks itself immediately when the screen turns off, rather than staying open in the background.
2. Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO App Lock
MIUI and HyperOS have a proper built-in App Lock. Open Settings > Apps > App Lock, turn it on, sign in with your Mi account (this lets you reset the password if you forget it), and set a pattern, PIN, or password. Then toggle the lock on for each app you want to protect. Xiaomi’s implementation is one of the best: you can enable fingerprint unlock, hide notification content for locked apps, and even lock the Settings app itself so nobody can turn App Lock off.
3. OnePlus App Locker and Hidden Space
OnePlus phones running OxygenOS include App Locker under Settings > Privacy > App Locker. Select the apps to lock and choose whether fingerprint unlock applies. OnePlus also offers Hidden Space: swipe right in the app drawer to access a separate area, tap the plus icon, and add apps you want completely out of view. Hidden Space asks for its own password, separate from your main screen lock, which makes it genuinely useful for privacy.
4. Oppo, Realme, and Vivo App Lock
Oppo’s ColorOS, Realme UI, and Vivo’s Funtouch OS all ship with a built-in app lock, since they share the same parent company ecosystem. Look under Settings > Privacy > App Lock (the exact name varies slightly: “App Encryption” on some Oppo models). Enable it, set a privacy password, and choose which apps to encrypt. These implementations also let you hide app icons from the home screen and access hidden apps by dialling a special access code on the dial pad — handy if you want the app invisible, not just locked.
5. Google Pixel Private Space (Android 15 and Above)
Google added Private Space to stock Android with Android 15. On a Pixel, go to Settings > Security & privacy > Private Space, set it up with a Google account, and choose a lock method different from your main lock screen. Install sensitive apps inside Private Space, and they vanish from the app drawer, recent apps, and notifications until you unlock the space. You can even hide the Private Space container itself so nobody knows it exists. Motorola phones running near-stock Android 15 support this too.
Note that Private Space requires you to sign in with a Google account inside the space itself, and apps installed there are completely separate copies — a second WhatsApp inside Private Space needs its own phone number verification. That separation is exactly what makes it secure: nothing leaks between your main profile and the private one.
6. Screen Pinning (Works on Every Android Phone)
Screen pinning is the universal fallback. It does not lock apps with a password, but it locks your phone to ONE app — perfect when handing your phone to a friend, a child, or a shopkeeper. Enable it in Settings > Security > App pinning (search for it if you cannot find it). Then open the app, swipe up to recent apps, tap the app’s icon, and choose Pin. The user cannot leave that app without your screen-lock PIN. To unpin, press and hold Back and Home (or swipe up and hold) and enter your lock.
7. Guest Mode and Multiple Users
For the “someone borrows my phone” scenario, Android’s multiple-user feature is underrated. Go to Settings > System > Multiple users and enable it. You can hand the phone over in Guest mode, where none of your apps, chats, or photos are visible at all. When you get the phone back, switch to your profile — everything is untouched. It is the cleanest way to share a device without locking dozens of apps individually.
Bonus Tricks That Also Lock Apps on Android
Two more built-in options deserve a mention. First, WhatsApp, Telegram, and most banking apps (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm) have their own in-app locks: WhatsApp > Settings > Privacy > Fingerprint lock; GPay locks with your screen lock automatically. Locking the app from inside is often simpler than a system-wide lock — and if your chats are what you are protecting, our guide on recovering deleted WhatsApp messages without backup explains what to do when something goes wrong. Second, Digital Wellbeing’s app timers (Settings > Digital Wellbeing) can restrict an app after a time limit — not a security lock, but useful for keeping kids or yourself off addictive apps.
A final caution: if your phone brand is not listed above and has no built-in lock, resist the urge to grab the first “AppLock” from the Play Store. Many free app lockers are adware in disguise, and a lock app that can be bypassed by booting into Safe Mode or uninstalling it provides only an illusion of security. Stick to the built-in methods above to lock apps on Android safely, keep a separate strong password for the lock, and your private apps stay private.
One last piece of advice for anyone using these methods to lock apps on Android: use a lock password or PIN that is different from your phone’s main screen lock. If someone watches you unlock your phone — at a shop, in a cab, at a family gathering — they should not automatically gain access to your locked apps too. A separate 6-digit PIN or a different fingerprint-registered finger costs nothing and closes the most common way app locks get defeated in real life.
That covers every reliable way to lock apps on Android using only built-in tools — no extra downloads, no ads, and no shady permissions. Pick the method that matches your phone brand, set a PIN different from your screen lock, and your private apps stay private. And if WhatsApp is the app you guard most closely, see our guide on fixing a WhatsApp backup stuck at 99% so your locked chats are safely backed up too.
Sources: Samsung Secure Folder documentation; Android Private Space documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Samsung Secure Folder better than a normal app lock?
Yes. Secure Folder creates a separate encrypted space with its own apps and files, protected by Knox, while a basic app lock only asks for a PIN before opening an app.
Does Google Pixel have a built-in app lock?
Pixels on Android 15 and above have Private Space (Settings > Security & privacy), which hides apps, notifications, and recent-app entries behind a separate lock.
What is screen pinning and when should I use it?
Screen pinning locks your phone to a single app until your screen-lock PIN is entered — ideal when handing your phone to someone briefly. It works on every Android phone.
Are third-party app lock apps safe to use?
Built-in locks are safer. Many free app lockers are adware, request invasive permissions, and can be bypassed via Safe Mode or uninstalling — avoid them when a built-in option exists.
