--- title: "How to Lock DuckDuckGo on iPhone: 4 Ways (iOS 27)" description: "Lock DuckDuckGo on iPhone with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode in 10 seconds, then see what the lock hides and how to remove it again." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/duckduckgo lang: en published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to lock DuckDuckGo on iPhone > Face ID can guard DuckDuckGo in 10 seconds. DuckDuckGo's own lock goes further. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - Oct 31, 2026 ## Quick answer Touch and hold the DuckDuckGo icon, tap Require Face ID, then tap it again to confirm. DuckDuckGo 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. DuckDuckGo also has its own lock: Application Lock. - **Fastest way:** Touch and hold -> Require Face ID -> confirm. - **Own lock:** Application Lock. - **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?:** No iOS can lock DuckDuckGo with Face ID in about 10 seconds, and DuckDuckGo adds Application Lock. 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 DuckDuckGo's settings against its official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Lock DuckDuckGo with Face ID (iOS 18 and later) 1. **Find DuckDuckGo on your Home Screen** Touch and hold the DuckDuckGo 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. DuckDuckGo now asks for Face ID every time it opens. DuckDuckGo 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: DuckDuckGo's own lock ### 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. This lock uses the same Face ID or passcode as your iPhone, so it adds a second prompt, not a second secret. ## iOS lock vs DuckDuckGo's own lock | | iOS Require Face ID | Application Lock | |---|---|---| | Opens with | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | | Separate from iPhone passcode | No | No | | Hides notification content | Yes | Depends on the app | | Set where | Home Screen, touch and hold the icon | Inside DuckDuckGo | ## Method 3: Lock and hide DuckDuckGo together In the same menu, **Hide and Require Face ID** locks DuckDuckGo and moves it to the Hidden folder in App Library. See [how to hide DuckDuckGo](/hide-apps/duckduckgo). ## How to unlock DuckDuckGo again Touch and hold DuckDuckGo, tap **Don't Require Face ID**, then authenticate. To stop DuckDuckGo 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 DuckDuckGo on my iPhone? Yes. On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold DuckDuckGo, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. It then needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. DuckDuckGo also has its own lock, Application Lock. ### How do I lock DuckDuckGo without Face ID? Use the same menu. On iPhones with Touch ID it reads Require Touch ID, and you can choose your passcode instead. Screen Time with a Screen Time passcode is another option that uses a different code. ### Can someone open DuckDuckGo if they know my passcode? Yes, if you only use Require Face ID: it accepts your iPhone passcode. To stop someone who knows your passcode, you need a lock with its own separate code, such as a Screen Time passcode. ### Does locking DuckDuckGo 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 DuckDuckGo 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 DuckDuckGo separately on your iPad with the same menu (iPadOS 18 or later). ## Bottom line Require Face ID locks DuckDuckGo in about 10 seconds. DuckDuckGo's Application Lock adds a second prompt inside the app. ## 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) - [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/) ## More DuckDuckGo privacy guides - [How to hide DuckDuckGo on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-apps/duckduckgo) - [DuckDuckGo privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/duckduckgo) ## Lock apps for other apps - [How to lock Google Chrome on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/chrome) - [How to lock Brave on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/brave) - [How to lock Google on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/google) - [How to lock Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/photos) - [How to lock Safari on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/safari) - [How to lock WhatsApp on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/whatsapp) - [All lock-app guides](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps) ## The full guide - [How to lock apps on iPhone, with Face ID or without it](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-apps-iphone) --- 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