3 Quick Ways to Lock Apps on Android [Step-by-Step Guide]

On the Quora question and answer website, a user once asked: How can I lock my apps in an Android phone without locking the screen in an Android phone?

There are about 9 million apps available for mobile phone users in different app stores. Each of these apps serves a different purpose from the other or serves similar purposes. Some of them are pre-installed alongside the phone's OS. For instance, Android phones will come along with Google Play Store apps.

Locking that app might be inevitable if you are not interested in using an app or notice that you are spending too much time in an app, locking that app might be inevitable. There are various android app locks that you can choose from. In this article, we will be considering how to lock apps on different Android phones.

Part 1. How to Lock Apps on Android in Settings

In this section, we will consider the default methods provided in the Android Settings app to lock individual Android phones. Most Android devices have a Settings app feature that allows users to keep their phone pinned to one app. Throughout this section, we will be considering the various steps for pinning Android apps.

1How to Lock Apps on Samsung Phones

The Samsung Settings app differs from other Android versions. Below are the methods to lock apps on your Samsung device.

Setting

You can use the Samsung Settings app to lock an app by following the steps below.

Open the Settings app on your phone.
Click on Biometrics and security option.
Navigate to Other security settings and tap on it.
Under the Advanced section of the page, you will see Pin windows. Tap the switch in front of the Pin windows to enable the pinning function.

Note : You can also find the Pin windows by search it in Setting.

Open the app you want to pin.
After opening it, tap the Recents button at the bottom of your screen to see opened apps.
Click on the app icon at the app's top.
A list of three options will pop up. Choose Pin this app.
You will get a notification showing you how to unpin the app: To unpin this app, touch and hold the Recents and Back buttons simultaneously.
Complete the process by tapping the OK button.

Secure Folder

Samsung as an alternative method for locking apps. It comes pre-installed on all Samsung devices. If you cannot find it on your Samsung and it has Android version 7 or higher, you can get it on the Google Play Store. Here is how to use it.

Open the Settings app on your phone.
Click on Biometrics and security option.
Look for the Secure Folder section on the screen and pick it.
Click on Agree and login into your Samsung account.
Choose a Lock type; pattern, pin, password, or biometric.
Open the Secure Folder app.
Click on Add apps to include the apps you want to lock.
Press the Add button once it pops up.
Click on the hamburger icon at the top right corner of the screen to get a drop-down list.
Select Lock and exit from the list. You will get a message telling you that Secure Folder is locked.

2How to Lock Apps on Motorola Smartphones

By following these steps, you can add an extra layer of security to your Motorola smartphones.

Open the Settings app on your phone.
Look for the Security option.
Tap on the Screen lock button.
Pick Screen Lock Options and choose one option from Swipe, Pattern, PIN and Password..
Touch the Overview key to select the apps that you only want to show on the screen.
Tap on the icon to pin the app.

3How to Lock Apps on LG Mobile

The LG Mobile Android phones also have the pinning feature in their Settings app. Here is how to use it.

Launch the Settings app.
Navigate to the Security option and click on it.
Find the Lock screen setting and set a type of secure unlock (Knock Code, pattern, PIN, or password) .
Tap on the Screen pin and the Pin to activate it.
Launch the app you want to want used exclusively.
Load the recent apps by clicking the recent apps button at the bottom of the screen.
You will see the Screen pin on your most recent app. Click on the app icon you want to pin.
Press the Screen Pin icon and then tap YES to lock the app.

If you wannt to deactivate the feature, touch and hold the Back and Recent App buttons at the same time, then input your unlock sequence.

4How to Lock Apps on Google Pixel 6 and Later

Google Pixel devices also allow you to enable this feature. Here is how to use it.

Open your phone's Settings app.
Navigate to the Security option and click on it.
Find the Advanced section to access other hidden settings.
Tap on the Screen pinning option to turn on it if it is not active. You'd better also enable "Ask for unlock pattern before unpinning".
Press the multitask key to see recently opened apps.
Click the app's icon that you want to "pin on the screen" and pick the tap Pin.

You have already fixed the app on the screen. Anytime you need to stop it, please press and hold the Back and Recent App buttons at the same time.

5How to Lock Apps on Oneplus Smartphones

The Oneplus Smartphone is another Android brand that has the build-in feature to pin an app.

Launch your phone's Settings app.
Navigate to the Security and Fingerprint option and click on it.
You will find the App Locker.
Find the app you want to lock and switch the button beside it.

Part 2. How to Lock an App on Android with App Lock

Other than the default method of using Settings to lock apps on Android, you can lock apps using an app lock for Android. For instance, you can use AppLock. It is a free app with extensive functionality. It has an intruder selfie mode. This mode captures the face of any intruder that accesses a locked app without your consent. Like most Android app pin features, it allows security options like pin, password, biometric, and pattern. You can also use a fake icon use a fake icon to replace the app lock feature, such as a calculator, calendar, or notepad.

Part 3. You May Change to a Launcher with App Lock

Another way to lock apps on Android is to get a launcher for your phone with the App Lock features. Launchers serve as the theme of mobile devices. They are the software used to control the interface activities of Android phones, like the keyboard, app listing, home screen, lock screen, etc. They are relatively the most powerful feature on an Android phone. They can even lock your app for you. These features include Microsoft, POCO, Lawnchair 2, and Android launchers.

Part 4. A Better Way to Lock Apps on Your Kid's Android Device

Instead of using a launcher, you can lock Android apps using another phone. It is better and more efficient because it comes with many other packages. We recommend using AirDroid Parental Control to access all these packages.

It is a reliable app primarily designed for parents to guide their kids when using their phones or online. Part of the tools in the app is that you can limit how long your kid spends in an app or website. Also, you can lock the app completely. If your kid tries accessing a locked screen, it will notify you. You can see the app even if they get a new app with a similar function. Some other features of the app are mentioned below.

Lock or restrict specific inappropriate apps and new apps.
Schedule time for your children to access certain apps or devices.
Learn which apps have been used and the length of time.
Monitor apps' notifications, such as Facebook Messenger, Line, and WhatsApp.
Cast your child's Android device to your phone so you can use it remotely.
Remotely monitor your kid's phone surroundings.
Find your kids anytime and get alerts of geo-fenced zones you set.

Part 5. Why You May Need to Lock Android Apps

There are several reasons to lock Android Apps. Some of them are discussed below.

Some app locking features prevents the distraction of getting constant notification from apps.
There are times you need someone to use only an app without having access to other apps on your device.
You want to prevent your kid from using a malicious app.
To prevent an app from using too much background data.
An app using too much RAM space can be locked to limit its memory usage.
You can lock an app if you catch yourself or your child spending too much time using it.

Final Words

You can lock apps on your Android device if an app proves too problematic. You can use the default Settings app option to pin an app. The process is similar, but each Android phone has varying path labels. Users consider this process too strict because mobile phone functions like receiving calls will become inaccessible. Hence, you can use alternatives like Android launchers or third-party apps. We recommend using AirDroid Parental Control. It offers full Android app lock functions and phone tracking features.