Best app lock apps for Android
App lock apps put a PIN, pattern, password or fingerprint in front of chosen apps such as messages, banking or the gallery, and can hide them as well.
8 apps ranked · How we rank
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A free, ad-supported locker that suits anyone who shares a phone and wants apps, files and payments behind a PIN, pattern or fingerprint.
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A free, widely used privacy layer for shared phones, best for locking apps, photos and notifications rather than hardened security.
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A free, widely used app locker that puts a visible barrier in front of apps, chats and the gallery, with snoop-catching extras for shared phones.
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A fast, gesture-driven way to hide apps and media on a shared Android phone, free with ads and in-app purchases.
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A free, well-established vault for hiding photos, videos and apps behind a working audio-manager disguise, best for people who share a phone.
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A long-established privacy app that locks photos, videos and apps, with cloud backup and a few trade-offs in ads and permissions.
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A free, ad-supported lock screen for people who want a photo and a touch pattern instead of a plain passcode.
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A free launcher that puts junk cleaning, photo deduplication, file review and an app lock on your home screen, supported by ads.
About app lock apps
A single screen lock guards everything or nothing, so these suit anyone who shares a phone, hands it to a child or friend, or wants private apps kept apart from the rest. Many hide an app from the launcher or make the lock screen look like a crash or system error. Some are light and simple; others add intruder photos, fake covers and time limits, which usually means more permissions and background activity. They also differ in how firmly the lock is enforced and how easily it can be bypassed.
What to look for
- Check which unlock methods are supported and whether the app can fall back to a weaker one, since a lock that accepts a simple pattern is easier to defeat.
- Look at how the app hides itself, because a visible lock icon or an entry in the app list tells anyone holding the phone exactly where to look.
- Consider what the app asks for in permissions and whether it needs an internet connection, as a lock that phones home with your usage data is a poor trade for privacy.
- See how the app handles uninstalling and failed attempts, since a lock that can be removed from the settings menu or guessed after a few tries offers little protection.
- Weigh the free version against the paid unlock, because many app locks limit the number of protected apps or hide features behind a one-time purchase or subscription.
How we rank
Apps are ranked by their Google Play rating (weighted by how many people rated them), their number of installs, how recently they were updated and how closely they fit the category. Only apps we've reviewed are included.