--- title: "DuckDuckGo Privacy on iPhone: Hide, Lock and Limit It (iOS 27)" description: "DuckDuckGo privacy settings on iPhone: lock it with Face ID, hide it, use application Lock, fire Button and more. Checked for iOS 27." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/duckduckgo lang: en published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # DuckDuckGo privacy on iPhone: every setting > Every way to hide, lock and limit DuckDuckGo on iPhone, from iOS and from the app itself. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - Oct 31, 2026 ## Quick answer You can lock DuckDuckGo with Face ID: touch and hold it and tap Require Face ID. On iOS 18 or later you can also hide it in the locked Hidden folder. DuckDuckGo has its own lock too: Application Lock. Inside the app, fire Button, fire Tabs and automatically clear data are available. - **Developer:** Duck Duck Go, Inc. - **Own lock:** Application Lock - **Can be hidden:** Yes (iOS 18+) - **iPad app:** Yes You can lock DuckDuckGo with Face ID: touch and hold it and tap Require Face ID. On iOS 18 or later you can also hide it in the locked Hidden folder. DuckDuckGo has its own lock too: Application Lock. Inside the app, fire Button, fire Tabs and automatically clear data are available. This page collects every privacy setting for DuckDuckGo on iPhone, from iOS and from DuckDuckGo's own settings, checked against official help pages in October 2026. ## DuckDuckGo guides | Task | Fastest method | Time | Guide | |---|---|---|---| | Hide apps | Hide and Require Face ID | 10 sec | [How to hide DuckDuckGo on iPhone](/hide-apps/duckduckgo) | | Lock apps | Require Face ID | 10 sec | [How to lock DuckDuckGo on iPhone](/lock-apps/duckduckgo) | ## What iOS can do with DuckDuckGo | Setting | Available for DuckDuckGo | Where | |---|---|---| | Lock with Face ID | Yes | Touch and hold the icon -> Require Face ID | | Hide in the Hidden folder | Yes | Touch and hold -> Require Face ID -> Hide and Require Face ID | | Remove from Home Screen | Yes | Touch and hold -> Remove App -> Remove from Home Screen | | Hide notification previews | Yes | Settings -> Notifications -> DuckDuckGo -> Show Previews | | Exclude from Siri and search | Yes | Settings -> Siri -> Excluded Apps | | Limit with Screen Time | Yes | Settings -> Screen Time -> Time Allowances | ## DuckDuckGo's own privacy settings ### Application Lock Turn on Application Lock in the app's Settings. If Touch ID, Face ID, or a passcode is set up on your iPhone, the app asks you to unlock it each time you open it. ### Fire Button Tap the Fire Button to clear your tabs and browsing data at once. Fireproofed sites, bookmarks, and downloads are kept. ### Fire Tabs Fire Tabs are kept apart from your regular tabs, and their browsing data is deleted when you close them all. ### Automatically clear data In the app's Settings you can choose to clear tabs and data automatically when the app restarts. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you lock DuckDuckGo on iPhone? Yes. Touch and hold DuckDuckGo, tap Require Face ID and confirm. It then needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to open. DuckDuckGo also has its own lock, Application Lock. ### Can you hide DuckDuckGo on iPhone? Yes. On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold DuckDuckGo, tap Require Face ID, then Hide and Require Face ID. It moves to the locked Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library and leaves search results. ### Does DuckDuckGo have its own passcode? DuckDuckGo has Application Lock. Turn on Application Lock in the app's Settings. If Touch ID, Face ID, or a passcode is set up on your iPhone, the app asks you to unlock it each time you open it. It uses your iPhone's Face ID or passcode rather than a separate code. ### Do DuckDuckGo settings sync to my iPad? The iOS lock and hidden status don't sync with iCloud; set them on each device. DuckDuckGo has an iPad app, so repeat the steps there. ## Sources - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) - [DuckDuckGo Help: The Fire Button, Fire Windows, and Fire Tabs](https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy/fire-tabs) - [DuckDuckGo iOS source: Application Lock setting (General settings)](https://github.com/duckduckgo/apple-browsers/blob/main/iOS/DuckDuckGo/Settings/Views/Sections/MainSettings/SettingsGeneralView.swift) - [Spread Privacy (DuckDuckGo blog): DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser on iOS 14 (default browser)](https://spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgo-privacy-browser-ios14/) ## DuckDuckGo guides - [How to hide DuckDuckGo on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-apps/duckduckgo) - [How to lock DuckDuckGo on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/duckduckgo) ## Other browsers & search apps - [Google Chrome privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/chrome) - [Brave privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/brave) - [Firefox privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/firefox) - [Google privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/google) ## Browse - [All apps](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps) - [Hide apps on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-apps) - [Lock apps on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps) - [Block apps on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/block-apps) - [Hide photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos) --- Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000