How to lock apps on a Google Pixel phone

Some Android smartphones person built-in ways to fto you fastener apps connected your mobile, but Google Pixel phones don't. So, if you ain a Pixel instrumentality you mightiness beryllium wondering: "how tin I fastener apps connected my mobile?".

By 'locking apps', I mention to immoderate benignant of method for stopping personification utilizing definite apps connected your phone. Maybe you're giving your instrumentality to a kid and you don't want them to accidentally find a shopping app, aliases you want to make judge a personification borrowing your telephone doesn't commencement rooting astir connected your banking app. Perhaps you want to fastener apps for your ain benefit, to extremity wasting truthful overmuch clip connected TikTok.

Unlike, say, Xiaomi aliases Huawei phones, Pixel phones don't person a autochthonal app locking feature. However, they do person a characteristic that's somewhat similar, and location is different action if you're happy downloading apps to execute nan aforesaid result.

In this guide, we'll tally done your 2 options for locking apps connected your Pixel phone.

Tools and requirements

You will request 1 awesome point for locking apps connected your Pixel phone, and that's... well, a Pixel phone. With apps you'd for illustration to lock. Pretty simple, really.

That's nan lawsuit for nan first of these 2 options, astatine least, but nan 2nd 1 will require said Pixel telephone to beryllium connected to nan internet. Cell connection, WiFi, wired net – immoderate of these options is fine.

Quick steps for really to fastener apps connected a Pixel phone

There are 2 options for locking apps connected a Pixel phone, and present they are:

1. Open Settings > Security and privateness > More information and privateness > App pinning and move it on, successful bid to pin 1 app that telephone users tin entree without a password.
2. Open nan Play Store and download a third-party app locking app to group timers, passcodes aliases fingerprint unlocking connected apps.

Step-by-step guideline to app pinning

Let's commencement pinch app pinning, a autochthonal mounting connected Pixel phones that doesn't require you to instal anything.

When an app is pinned, telephone users will only beryllium capable to usage that app without afloat unlocking nan phone. It's a awesome action if you want to fto personification play a game, watch a video, aliases publication done a chatlog connected your mobile, without them past delving into your individual files. Here's really to group it up.

1. Find nan information settings menu

First, you'll request to unfastened up your phone's settings menu, which is nan 1 pinch a cog icon that'll astir apt beryllium connected your Pixel's location page (and if it isn't, it's because you moved it location else).

In settings, scroll down until you find Security and privacy rather adjacent nan bottommost (or alternatively, conscionable usage nan Search settings barroom to skip correct to nan end).

2. Find nan app pinning settings

Now scroll correct to nan bottommost of nan Security and privateness paper to find nan action More information and privacy. App pinning is hidden away! Press this option.

In this menu, again scroll correct to nan bottommost until you find App pinning. As you tin spot successful nan pictures, it's betwixt Trust agents and Confirm SIM deletion. Select App pinning.

3. Turn connected app pinning

You'll spot an toggle barroom labelled Use app pinning, and you should toggle this to move app pinning connected (as good arsenic nan expertise to person your telephone fastener itself erstwhile you unpin an app, which I'd recommend).

This paper besides walks you done really app pinning works, really to alteration it, and what nan limitations of it are, and you tin publication them each successful nan image above.

The 1 point it doesn't explicate is what Overview is. This is erstwhile you spot an overview of each nan apps open, toggled by swiping up and holding (if you person motion navigation enabled) aliases pressing nan quadrate icon astatine nan bottommost (if you person three-button navigation.

Step-by-step guideline to third-party app fastener apps

If app pinning won't trim it for you, past you'll want to instal a third-party app locking app which will springiness you overmuch greater power complete nan process.

Be warned: nan only awesome institution which had an app locking app was Antivirus elephantine Norton, which shuttered Norton App Lock backmost successful June 2024, and truthful each nan options connected nan marketplace are from smaller aliases less-well-known companies.

If you're worried astir installing thing dodgy onto your phone, make judge to publication nan app shop reviews connected thing you are considering installing. Bear successful mind that you are giving an app full entree complete your phone, and you should only do truthful if you deliberation it's a reliable app.

To springiness you immoderate bid of mind, I tested retired a fewer app locking apps and will talk you done nan 3 that seemed astir trustworthy and easy-to-use to me.

1. Applock

We'll commencement pinch nan 1 which I recovered simplest to use, Applock. This has a 4.2/5 standing connected nan Play Store and complete 100 cardinal downloads, truthful tons of group intelligibly spot it.

If you want to fastener apps utilizing Applock, you'll request to unfastened nan Play Store, search for Applock, prime it and property Install.

When you first commencement up Applock, you'll beryllium prompted to create a shape passcode, which you'll person to repetition to verify it. Remember what you put in, because this is your codification for unlocking apps that you've selected!

You'll now spot a database of your apps, starting pinch ones Applock recommends you lock, and past onto a wide list. To fastener an app, simply press nan padlock by its name, and it'll show a greenish locked icon.

Now, erstwhile you effort to unfastened that app, you'll person to input nan shape codification you put successful before. This fastener surface will usually person ads, though a inexpensive subscription scheme gets free of them.

Applock has a fewer other features but it's alternatively barebones successful general, pinch nary action for PIN unlocking aliases much in-depth locking tools. However, that makes it useful for technophobes who conscionable want basal locking functionality.

2. Applock Pro

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

With complete 100 cardinal downloads and a 4.6/5 standing based connected astir 1.5 cardinal reviews, Applock Pro is 1 of nan astir celebrated of nan app locking apps I tested and it's besides nan astir in-depth. It gives you loads of options for locking apps connected your Pixel instrumentality successful various ways, but it's besides a small much analyzable than nan anterior option.

If you want to fastener apps utilizing Applock Pro, you'll request to unfastened nan Play Store, search for Applock Pro, prime it and property Install.

When you first footwear up Applock Pro, you'll person to take a passcode for nan app's locking (it tin beryllium pattern, sound code, 4-digit PIN aliases 6-digit PIN). It doesn't person to beryllium nan aforesaid arsenic your phone's unlock codification aliases PIN. Create a password and property Create. You'll person to re-enter to verify it and property Save.

The page you'll spot adjacent will database each nan apps connected your phone. To fastener them, simply press the padlock button. They'll vanish from nan list, and spell to nan Locked category, which you tin spot astatine nan top, which by default has a fewer options for illustration Chrome, Facebook and your Files app.

When personification tries to unfastened up a locked app, they'll only beryllium capable to do truthful if they input nan codification you created earlier. This intends you tin fto group person wide entree to your phone, but support immoderate things a secret.

You tin besides usage Applock Pro to customize nan fastener surface that appears, group a locking cooldown and show telephone use. The app identifies caller apps erstwhile you instal them and gives you nan action to fastener them too. By default location are sometimes ads connected nan fastener surface (not always) but a subscription to nan app's Premium tier does distant pinch these and lets you take from a wide room of alert sounds. Paying isn't necessary, though, for nan basal functionality.

3. StayFree

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

StayFree is an app designed to thief minimize nan magnitude of clip you usage your telephone (or personification other usage your phone), truthful it tin fastener apps automatically erstwhile they walk a clip threshold. It has complete 10 cardinal downloads connected nan Play Store and a glowing wide standing of 4.7/5, and during my testing I recovered it easy to usage and beautiful effective.

If you want to fastener apps utilizing StayFree, you'll request to unfastened nan Play Store, search for StayFree, prime it and property Install.

Once nan app is installed, unfastened it up and you'll spot a dashboard showing your telephone usage betwixt apps. To fastener apps, though, you'll request to prime nan 2nd action on nan bottom, Usage Limits.

From here, prime Add Usage Limit and past Apps, Websites, aliases Categories.

First, you'll want to property Select apps, websites aliases categories to limit and you'll spot a database of each app installed connected your phone, arsenic good arsenic a breakdown of categories. Select nan app aliases class you want to fastener (you tin prime aggregate options) and past property Select.

Next, you'll want to take nan style of locking: permanent, based connected a schedule (so you tin fastener it betwixt definite hours), based connected a usage limit (so if you transcend a usage time, nan app is blocked) and 'variable' which intends you group nan artifact limit each clip you unfastened nan app.

Choose whichever facet you want to artifact by, aliases simply 'permanent' if you want nan app everlastingly blocked, and property Save.

Now, nan app artifact will beryllium successful effect! In nan app you'll announcement a 3rd action on nan bottom, In-App Blocking, and this lets you prime definite features to artifact successful a fewer of nan large societal media apps. For example, you tin artifact commenting successful TikTok aliases searching videos connected YouTube.

Troubleshooting

Can I fastener an app connected a Pixel tablet?

If you've sewage nan Google Pixel Tablet, you tin fastener apps successful conscionable nan aforesaid measurement arsenic I've elaborate above, because nan package is nan same. That's besides nan lawsuit pinch nan App Pinning aliases third-party fastener apps.

What if I hide my passcode?

The third-party fastener apps I tested each propose you adhd a information question, truthful that if you hide your app fastener passcode, you tin usage this to get backmost into your phone.

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