--- title: "Files Privacy on iPhone: Hide, Lock and Limit It (iOS 27)" description: "Files privacy settings on iPhone: lock it with Face ID, take it off the Home Screen, hide a location in Browse and more. Checked for iOS 27." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/files lang: en-gb published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # Files privacy on iPhone: every setting > Every way to hide, lock and limit Files 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 - 31 Oct 2026 ## Quick answer You can lock Files with Face ID: touch and hold it and tap Require Face ID. It comes with iPhone, so it can't go in the Hidden folder. Files has no lock of its own. Inside the app, hide a location in Browse and delete a file or folder are available. - **Developer:** Apple - **Own lock:** None - **Can be hidden:** No (built-in app) - **iPad app:** Yes You can lock Files with Face ID: touch and hold it and tap Require Face ID. It comes with iPhone, so it can't go in the Hidden folder. Files has no lock of its own. Inside the app, hide a location in Browse and delete a file or folder are available. This page collects every privacy setting for Files on iPhone, from iOS and from Apple, checked against official help pages in October 2026. ## Files guides | Task | Fastest method | Time | Guide | |---|---|---|---| | Hide apps | Remove from Home Screen | 10 sec | [How to hide Files on iPhone](/en-gb/hide-apps/files) | | Hide photos | Keep images in Files instead of Photos | 1 min | [How to hide photos in Files](/en-gb/hide-photos/files) | ## What iOS can do with Files | Setting | Available for Files | Where | |---|---|---| | Lock with Face ID | Yes | Touch and hold the icon -> Require Face ID | | Hide in the Hidden folder | No | -- | | Remove from Home Screen | Yes | Touch and hold -> Remove App -> Remove from Home Screen | | Hide notification previews | Yes | Settings -> Notifications -> Files -> Show Previews | | Exclude from Siri and search | Yes | Settings -> Siri -> Excluded Apps | | Limit with Screen Time | Yes | Settings -> Screen Time -> Time Allowances | ## Files privacy settings ### Hide a location in Browse Go to **Files -> Browse -> More button -> Edit (or Edit Sidebar) -> turn the location off**. Hides a location from the Browse screen. It doesn't delete it. ### Delete a file or folder Go to **Files -> Browse -> locate the file -> touch and hold -> Delete**. Removes the file from the location. ### Keep images in Files instead of Photos Go to **Files -> touch and hold a file -> Copy / Move**. Files stores documents, images, and other files in folders (iCloud Drive or On My iPhone). This is separate from the Photos library. ### Notification previews Go to **Settings -> Notifications -> Files (below Notification Style) -> Show Previews**. Standard per-app notification settings. ## Keep Files photos out of your camera roll Photos you save from Files land in the Photos app, outside any app lock. Move private ones into a vault and delete the originals. > **Lock this in VaultForYou.** Keep Files photos in an encrypted vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you lock Files on iPhone? Yes. Touch and hold Files, tap Require Face ID and confirm. It then needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to open. Files has no separate lock of its own. ### Can you hide Files on iPhone? Not in the Hidden folder, because Files comes with iPhone. You can remove it from the Home Screen so it only appears in App Library and search. ### Does Files have its own passcode? No. Files relies on iOS for locking. Use Require Face ID, which accepts Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. For a separate code, Screen Time with its own passcode is an option. ### Do Files settings sync to my iPad? The iOS lock and hidden status don't sync with iCloud; set them on each device. Files 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) - [Apple Support: Modify files and folders in Files on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/modify-files-and-folders-iphc61044c11/ios) - [Apple Support: Files basics](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/files-basics-iphe9d46e90f/ios) - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) ## Files guides - [How to hide Files on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/files) - [How to hide photos in Files](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-photos/files) ## Other apple apps apps - [Photos privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/photos) - [Safari privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/safari) - [Notes privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/notes) - [Camera privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/camera) - [FaceTime privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/facetime) - [Health privacy on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/health) ## Browse - [All apps](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps) - [Hide apps on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps) - [Lock apps on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps) - [Block apps on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/block-apps) - [Hide photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/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