--- title: "How to Lock Dropbox on iPhone: 4 Ways (iOS 27)" description: "Lock Dropbox on iPhone with Face ID in 10 seconds: touch and hold it, tap Require Face ID. Plus Dropbox's own Passcode lock and what each lock protects." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/dropbox lang: en-gb published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to lock Dropbox on iPhone > Face ID can guard Dropbox in 10 seconds. Dropbox's own lock goes further. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - 31 Oct 2026 ## Quick answer Touch and hold the Dropbox icon, tap Require Face ID, then tap it again to confirm. Dropbox then asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. It works on iOS 18 or later and takes about 10 seconds. Dropbox also has its own lock: Passcode lock (Account -> Settings -> Passcode lock -> Turn passcode on). - **Fastest way:** Touch and hold -> Require Face ID -> confirm. - **Own lock:** Passcode lock, with its own code. - **Opens with:** Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. - **Other devices:** The iOS lock doesn't sync. Set it on each device. - **iOS version:** iOS 18 or later - **Time needed:** About 10 seconds - **Difficulty:** Easy - **Needs an app?:** No - **Reversible?:** Yes - **Separate code?:** Yes, with Passcode lock iOS can lock Dropbox with Face ID in about 10 seconds, and Dropbox adds Passcode lock, which uses its own code. Below: 4 ways to lock it, and what each one does and doesn't protect. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Dropbox's settings against its official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Lock Dropbox with Face ID (iOS 18 and later) 1. **Find Dropbox on your Home Screen** Touch and hold the Dropbox icon until the quick actions menu opens. 2. **Tap Require Face ID** On iPhones with Touch ID it says Require Touch ID. Require Passcode is also offered. 3. **Confirm** Tap Require Face ID again and authenticate. Dropbox now asks for Face ID every time it opens. Dropbox relocks each time you leave it. Apple says information inside a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. **What this does not do:** your iPhone passcode opens every locked app. So does anyone whose face or fingerprint is enrolled on your phone. ## Method 2: Dropbox's own lock ### Passcode lock Go to **Account -> Settings -> Passcode lock -> Turn passcode on**. Set a 4-digit Dropbox passcode that you enter each time you open or return to the app. After you set it, you can also turn on Face ID or Touch ID under Passcode lock. After 10 wrong tries in a row, Dropbox signs out on that device. This lock uses its own code, separate from your iPhone passcode. That makes it stronger against someone who knows your passcode. Don't forget the code. ## iOS lock vs Dropbox's own lock | | iOS Require Face ID | Passcode lock | |---|---|---| | Opens with | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | Its own code (Face ID may also be offered) | | Separate from iPhone passcode | No | Yes | | Hides notification content | Yes | Depends on the app | | Set where | Home Screen, touch and hold the icon | Account -> Settings -> Passcode lock -> Turn passcode on | ## Method 3: Lock and hide Dropbox together In the same menu, **Hide and Require Face ID** locks Dropbox and moves it to the Hidden folder in App Library. See [how to hide Dropbox](/en-gb/hide-apps/dropbox). ## Locking Dropbox doesn't lock its photos Photos you saved from Dropbox are in your camera roll, outside the lock. Move them into a vault and delete the originals from Photos. > **Lock this in VaultForYou.** Keep Dropbox 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) ## How to unlock Dropbox again Touch and hold Dropbox, tap **Don't Require Face ID**, then authenticate. To stop Dropbox using Face ID for its own sign-in, go to **Settings -> Face ID & Passcode -> Other Apps** and turn it off. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I lock Dropbox on my iPhone? Yes. On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Dropbox, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. It then needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. Dropbox also has its own lock, Passcode lock. ### How do I lock Dropbox without Face ID? Use the same menu. On iPhones with Touch ID it reads Require Touch ID, and you can choose your passcode instead. Dropbox's Passcode lock can also use its own code. ### Can someone open Dropbox if they know my passcode? Yes, if you only use Require Face ID: it accepts your iPhone passcode. Dropbox's Passcode lock uses its own code, so it can stop someone who knows your iPhone passcode. ### Does locking Dropbox hide its notifications? It hides what's inside them. Apple says information from a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. The icon stays on your Home Screen. To hide the icon too, use Hide and Require Face ID. ### Does a lock on Dropbox carry over to my iPad? No. Apple says locked and hidden apps don't sync with iCloud. The lock only applies to the iPhone where you set it. Lock Dropbox separately on your iPad with the same menu (iPadOS 18 or later). ## Bottom line Require Face ID locks Dropbox in about 10 seconds. Dropbox's Passcode lock adds a separate code, which is the stronger choice. ## Sources - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) - [Apple Personal Safety User Guide: Lock or hide apps on your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/ipsd0be4c185/web) - [Dropbox Help: Set a four-digit passcode on a mobile device](https://help.dropbox.com/security/passcode) - [Dropbox Help: Enable Face ID or Touch ID for the Dropbox mobile app on iOS](https://help.dropbox.com/installs/ios-touch-id) - [Dropbox Help: How to manage Dropbox mobile app settings](https://help.dropbox.com/account-settings/mobile-app-settings) - [Dropbox Help: How to use camera uploads](https://help.dropbox.com/create-upload/camera-uploads-overview) ## More Dropbox privacy guides - [How to hide Dropbox on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/dropbox) - [How to hide photos in Dropbox](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-photos/dropbox) - [Dropbox privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/dropbox) ## Lock apps for other apps - [How to lock Google Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/google-photos) - [How to lock Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/photos) - [How to lock Safari on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/safari) - [How to lock WhatsApp on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/whatsapp) - [How to lock Notes on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/notes) - [How to lock Cash App on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/cash-app) - [All lock-app guides](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps) --- 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