Best App Lockers for Mac: Compare 4 Options and Native Tools

You hand someone your Mac to show them a photo. A moment later, they switch to Messages. Your Mac is already unlocked, so there is nothing stopping them from opening it.

An app locker adds a check before someone can use the apps you choose. Hey Mac and FaceGate offer face recognition with Touch ID or password fallback. AppLocker has camera-free options, including trusted devices and networks. Cisdem AppCrypt pairs app passwords with website blocking.

The choice comes down to two things: how you want to unlock an app, and how soon it should lock again. Here is how the four options compare, along with the cases where a built-in Mac feature makes more sense.

Which app locker fits your Mac?

This is a comparison of documented features. We have not run hands-on tests of the competing apps, so the recommendations below are about which features fit your needs.

Hey Mac: app locking with optional lock-screen unlock

Hey Mac is a useful fit if you want to open protected apps with your face and also want the option to unlock your Mac’s lock screen. You can enable either feature on its own or use both.

App Lock puts a shield over selected apps until you verify with your face, Touch ID, or Mac password. During setup, choosing App Lock alone skips the saved-password step used for automatic lock-screen entry.

The relock settings matter as much as the unlock method. You can have an app lock when you switch away, five or fifteen minutes after unlocking, or five minutes after switching away. If you often hand your Mac to someone else, locking on each switch avoids leaving a timed access window.

You can cover the whole display or just the protected app’s window. Window-only coverage can briefly expose content when windows open or move, so check it with the apps and displays you normally use.

Hey Mac is free and open source. Release v1.0.4 requires an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 14 or later and is not notarized. The setup guide walks through installation, permissions, and your first checks.

FaceGate: face unlock for individual apps

FaceGate is another free, open-source option. It focuses on selected apps, with local face recognition, Touch ID, and password fallback. Its site lists per-app session timers, macOS 14 or later, and recognition on Apple silicon.

It is worth a look if app locking is all you need. The developer also describes head-pose challenges for liveness checks. Those features do not establish how well it resists spoofing; we have not independently tested that.

If you are deciding between FaceGate and Hey Mac, start with whether you also want lock-screen unlocking. Our FaceGate comparison covers the differences in more detail.

AppLocker: passwords, Touch ID, and trusted devices

AppLocker by Denk Alexandru offers individual app passwords and Touch ID. Its Bluetooth ID and Network ID features can also allow access when your personal device is nearby or your Mac is on a preferred Wi-Fi network.

That can be convenient at home. Think through who else uses that space, though: your phone being nearby or your Mac joining home Wi-Fi does not mean you are the person at the keyboard.

AppLocker is free to download with in-app purchases. The listing describes monthly, annual, and lifetime options; check your local store for prices, compatibility, and the features included. Before buying, try switching away from a protected app and returning. Check closing its window and quitting it separately, too.

Cisdem AppCrypt: app passwords plus website blocking

Cisdem AppCrypt is worth considering if you want to restrict websites as well as apps. It uses an AppCrypt password and includes schedules, an allowlist mode, and automatic relocking.

Its Mac settings distinguish time away from an app from time away from the computer. Review both so the password prompt appears when you expect it. Website schedules may be useful for focus or family use, but they add settings to check if access behaves unexpectedly.

AppCrypt has a three-day trial. When checked, its one-Mac license was US$19.99 annually or US$39.99 for a one-time purchase. Prices and offers can change. Use the trial to check your actual apps and confirm the current Mac requirements before paying.

AppCrypt locks apps rather than password-protecting their files or folders. If files are what you need to secure, choose a method that protects them directly.

When a built-in Mac feature is enough

Someone uses your Mac regularly

Create a separate standard user account for them and lock your session before handing the Mac over. They get their own settings and sign-ins, and you do not have to remember which of your apps need protection.

You want to spend less time in an app

Screen Time’s App Limits let you set a daily allowance and block access when it runs out. That suits usage limits. It still allows time in the app before the limit, so it does not give you a fresh identity check whenever the app opens.

You only need to protect something inside one app

Check that app’s own settings first. The Photos Hidden album and WhatsApp’s lock options may already cover what you need. For steps covering native methods and app lockers, see how to lock apps on Mac.

What to try before choosing

Use an app with nothing private in it and try one locker at a time. A few checks will tell you more about the fit than a long feature list:

1. Open the app. Does its content appear before the lock?
2. Switch away and return. Try immediately, then after the timer expires. Does it ask again when you expect?
3. Close and reopen it. Check closing a window separately from quitting the app.
4. Sleep and wake your Mac. Unlock macOS normally, then return to the protected app.
5. Try your backup method. If face recognition is unavailable, can you still use Touch ID or a password?
6. Check other places the content appears. Look at notifications, extra windows, other displays, and browser sessions.

Note the version and relock settings you tested. If an update changes the behavior later, those notes give you something useful to compare.

What an app lock does not cover

An app shield can stop someone casually reading an open window. It does not encrypt the app’s files, remove notification previews, or sign you out on another device. It also does not guarantee protection against an administrator or someone deliberately trying to bypass it.

For example, locking Photos does not make every photo file inaccessible elsewhere. Locking a messaging app does not automatically hide its banners; check Messages notification settings separately.

Face recognition through a regular webcam also differs from Apple’s Face ID hardware. Keep your normal Mac login and disk protection in place.

Questions about Mac app lockers

Is there a free app locker for Mac?

Yes. Hey Mac and FaceGate are free and open source. Check compatibility before downloading: Hey Mac v1.0.4 needs Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later.

Can I lock apps without using a camera?

Yes. AppLocker offers passwords and Touch ID, while AppCrypt uses an app password. Hey Mac’s shield also offers Touch ID or Mac-password verification.

Will these apps unlock the Mac login screen too?

That is a separate feature. Hey Mac offers it alongside App Lock. If unlocking the Mac itself is your main goal, start with our face-unlock app comparison.

About this comparison

Written by Harshit Maurya, the developer of Hey Mac. Features and pricing were reviewed on October 31, 2026 using official product information and Hey Mac v1.0.4. Competing apps were not installed for this comparison.