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How to Lock Apps on Mac: 4 Methods That Work (2026)

Harshit MauryaUpdated

Quick answer: The short version of how to lock apps on Mac: macOS has no switch that puts a password on a single app, so you pick from four options. Use Screen Time limits behind a passcode, a separate user account for anyone who borrows your Mac, an encrypted disk image for private files, or a third-party app locker that asks for your face, Touch ID, or password every time a chosen app opens.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Hey Mac, a free, open-source app locker for macOS. We cover Apple's built-in options first and mention other third-party tools fairly.

Key Takeaways

  • A one-minute Screen Time limit plus a passcode is the closest native "lock", but it's built for time management.
  • A separate Standard account is the strongest native option for a shared Mac.
  • To protect files rather than apps, use an encrypted disk image or locked notes (Method 3 is an alternative, not an app lock).
  • Third-party lockers like Hey Mac or FaceGate prompt on every launch for your face, Touch ID, or password.

Can you lock apps on a Mac without third-party software?

Partly. Apple's tools restrict apps, but none asks for a password the moment an app opens. On iPhone, iOS 18 added a built-in option to lock an app so it needs Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to open (Apple Support). No such feature exists on macOS, as Digital Trends noted in July 2026.

Before you pick a method, set the basics. In System Settings > Lock Screen, set "Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off" to a short delay so your Mac locks itself when idle (Apple Support).

Method 1: Lock apps with Screen Time limits and a passcode

Screen Time can block an app after a daily allowance runs out. If you set that allowance to one minute and protect Screen Time with a passcode, the app is effectively locked for the rest of the day unless someone enters the code. Apple describes the passcode as a way to "require a passcode to change Screen Time settings and to allow more time when limits expire" (Apple Support).

Step 1: Turn on Screen Time and set a passcode

These steps match Apple's guide for current macOS versions (Apple Support):

  1. Open System Settings on your Mac.
  2. Click Screen Time in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down).
  3. If Screen Time is off, turn on App & Website Activity.
  4. Scroll down and click Lock Screen Time Settings.
  5. Enter a four-digit passcode, then enter it again to confirm.

Use a code that differs from your login password.

Step 2: Add a one-minute app limit (macOS Sequoia 15 and Tahoe 26)

On macOS 15 and 26, Apple's steps for app limits are (Apple Support, macOS Tahoe 26; macOS Sequoia 15):

  1. In System Settings > Screen Time, click App Limits and turn it on.
  2. Click Add Limit.
  3. Search for the app you want to protect and select its checkbox. You can also select a whole category or a website.
  4. Choose Every Day and enter 1 minute in the Time field.
  5. Select Block at end of limit.
  6. Click Done.

On macOS Sonoma 14, App Limits and the Every Day time field are there too, but Apple's Sonoma guide doesn't list a "Block at end of limit" option, so check what your Mac shows (Apple Support, macOS Sonoma 14).

What changes on macOS 27

On macOS 27, Apple's guide replaces the App Limits page with Schedules and Time Allowances (Apple Support, macOS 27). Time Allowances work by category, not by individual app:

  1. Open System Settings and click Screen Time.
  2. Click Time Allowances. Turn on Match Screen Time Schedule if you want the allowance tied to your schedule.
  3. Click Manage Categories, click Add, then select a category, such as Entertainment, Games, or Social Media.
  4. Select a time window in your schedule, then click Continue.
  5. Set the daily limit, then click Done, and Done again.

Apple's macOS 27 guide doesn't describe a per-app limit or a "Block at end of limit" option, so Screen Time on macOS 27 can't lock one specific app the way Method 1 does on earlier versions. Apple also notes that you need macOS 27 (and iOS 27 or later) on all your devices to use the latest Screen Time features. If you need to lock a single app on macOS 27, use Method 2 or Method 4.

Limits of the Screen Time method

Screen Time was designed for time management, not privacy:

  • The app opens freely for the first minute each day. Anyone can read your messages during that window.
  • The passcode holder can grant more time. That is fine if only you know the code. It is a weak point if someone else learns it.
  • It locks by time, not by person. Once you allow more time, the app is open for anyone at your keyboard.

It works well for kids and focus. For keeping someone out of Messages or Mail, it's a soft lock at best.

Method 2: Use a separate user account and Fast User Switching

If someone uses your Mac regularly, give them their own account, as Apple recommends for Macs with multiple users (Apple Support). Your Messages, Mail, and files stay inside your account.

Create a Standard account

  1. Open System Settings > Users & Groups.
  2. Click Add User and enter your administrator password if asked.
  3. Choose Standard as the account type. Standard users can install apps and change their own settings, but can't add users or change other users' settings.
  4. Set a name and password, then create the user.

For a one-time visitor, turn on the Guest User account instead.

Switch accounts in seconds

Fast User Switching keeps both people logged in so you don't have to quit your apps. Where you turn it on depends on your macOS version:

  • macOS Tahoe 26 and later: go to System Settings > Menu Bar. Select Fast User Switching and choose an option from the pop-up menu, or click Add Controls, click Fast User Switching, and choose Add to Menu Bar or Add to Control Center (Apple Support).
  • macOS Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15: go to System Settings > Control Center. Under Fast User Switching, choose an option from the Show in Menu Bar pop-up menu, or turn on Show in Control Center (Apple Support, Sequoia 15; Sonoma 14).

To switch, click the fast user switching menu in the top-right corner, choose your name, and enter your password. If two or more users are logged in, you can also press Touch ID to switch.

Trade-off: this protects everything in your account, but it isn't an app lock. If you leave your own session unlocked and walk away, every app is still open.

Method 3 (alternative): Protect your files and notes instead of apps

This method doesn't lock an app. It's an alternative for when the real goal is protecting data, not the app icon.

Put private files in an encrypted disk image

Apple's Disk Utility can create a password-protected container for confidential documents (Apple Support):

  1. Open Disk Utility and choose File > New Image > Blank Image.
  2. Enter a filename and choose where to save it.
  3. Enter a name and a size for the image.
  4. Choose APFS as the format.
  5. Click the Encryption pop-up menu, choose an option, then enter and verify a password.
  6. Leave Partitions as "Single partition - GUID Partition Map" and Image Format as "read/write disk image".
  7. Click Save, then Done, and copy your files into the mounted image.

Apple warns that a forgotten password means you can't open the image, and the files are readable until you eject it. To protect your whole startup disk, turn on FileVault in System Settings > Privacy & Security (Apple Support).

Lock individual notes in Notes

The Notes app has its own lock. You can use your Mac login password or a custom password, plus Touch ID (Apple Support):

  1. In Notes, open the note you want to protect.
  2. Click the lock button next to the search field.
  3. Choose Lock Note, then enter your password.

You can't lock Quick Notes, shared notes, tagged notes, or notes with video, audio, PDF, or document attachments. Apple can't recover notes if you forget a custom password and can't use Touch ID.

Method 4: Use a third-party app locker (face, Touch ID, or password)

An app locker is the only way to get a prompt every time a chosen app opens. These tools run in the background and cover the app until you prove it's you.

Hey Mac: lock apps with your face, Touch ID, or password

Hey Mac is a free, open-source (MIT) app that adds face unlock to the Mac lock screen and an App Lock for apps you choose. With App Lock you can:

  • Lock any app, such as Messages, Notes, Mail, or WhatsApp. Others see a blur until you verify with your face, Touch ID, or password.
  • Choose the blur: cover the whole display or only the locked window.
  • Set relock rules per app: every launch, after 5 to 15 minutes, or when you switch away.
  • Quit protection: quitting a protected app requires your face, and a background agent keeps Hey Mac running so force quit can't bypass it.

Face recognition runs 100% on-device through the Apple Neural Engine and Core ML. Hey Mac never saves photos of your face. It stores only an encrypted numeric face embedding in the macOS Keychain, and that data never leaves your Mac.

Requirements: a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later), macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and a camera.

How to set up App Lock in Hey Mac

  1. Download the latest DMG and drag Hey Mac to Applications, or run brew install --cask iharshitmaurya/tap/heymac.
  2. Open Hey Mac. Because it isn't notarized yet, macOS may block the first launch. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
  3. Follow the 6-step guided setup: allow camera access, enroll your face, test an unlock, and choose your security preferences.
  4. After setup, choose the apps you want App Lock to protect.
  5. For each app, decide whether the blur covers the whole display or only the locked window, and when it relocks: every launch, after 5 to 15 minutes, or when you switch away.
  6. Reopen a protected app to check that it stays blurred until you verify with your face, Touch ID, or password.

Honest limits: Macs have no depth sensor, so Hey Mac's face check is not as secure as iPhone Face ID. Its liveness check helps reject photos and screens, but the app is built for convenience. Keep a strong account password. Touch ID and your password keep working alongside it. For a deeper look at face unlock on Mac, read our guide to Face ID for Mac.

Other app lockers worth knowing

  • FaceGate: a free, open-source (MIT) app locker by Dweep Desai with face unlock, Touch ID, and password options. Its GitHub README lists head-pose liveness challenges, per-app session timers, lock-on-sleep, scheduled lock and unlock windows, and uninstall protection. It needs macOS 14 or later and, like Hey Mac, isn't notarized yet (GitHub). Digital Trends reviewed it and recommends Touch ID if you want full security, since software face unlock "is not foolproof" (Digital Trends).
  • AppLocker: a password locker for individual Mac apps by Denk Alexandru. Its Mac App Store listing says it also supports Touch ID, Bluetooth ID (unlock when your phone is nearby), and Network ID (unlock on trusted Wi-Fi). It's free to download with in-app purchases and requires macOS 11 or later (Mac App Store).
  • Cisdem AppCrypt: an app locker and website blocker. Cisdem says it locks individual apps with a password, re-locks them after inactivity or sleep, supports schedules, and records failed attempts to bypass restrictions. It's paid, with a 3-day free trial (Cisdem).

We compare face-based options in more detail in the best face unlock apps for Mac.

Comparison: every way to lock apps on Mac, side by side

MethodLocks on every launch?Unlock withCostBest forMain weakness
Screen Time app limit + passcode (macOS 15 and 26)No, after a 1-minute allowance4-digit Screen Time passcodeFree, built inKids, focus, distraction controlApp is open for the first minute; passcode holder can grant more time
Separate user accountNot per app; whole accountAccount password or Touch IDFree, built inShared family or work MacsDoesn't help if your own session is left unlocked
Encrypted disk image (Method 3 alternative)Not an app lock; protects filesImage passwordFree, built inPrivate documentsFiles are open until you eject the image
Locked notes (Method 3 alternative)Not an app lock; protects notesLogin or custom password, Touch IDFree, built inPrivate notesSome note types can't be locked
Hey Mac App LockYes, with per-app relock rulesFace, Touch ID, or passwordFree, open sourceLock app on Mac with faceNot notarized yet; face check isn't Face ID-grade
FaceGateYes, with session timersFace, Touch ID, or passwordFree, open sourceFace unlock with schedulesSoftware face unlock, per Digital Trends
AppLockerYesPassword, Touch ID, Bluetooth ID, or Network IDFree with in-app purchasesPassword protect apps on MacPaid tiers for full use; no face unlock
Cisdem AppCryptYes, with re-lock after inactivity or sleepPasswordPaid, 3-day free trialLocking apps plus blocking websitesPassword only; no face or Touch ID listed

FAQ

Is there a built-in way to password protect apps on Mac?

No. Apple's Mac User Guide doesn't describe a per-app password lock. The closest native option is a Screen Time app limit with "Block at end of limit" and a Screen Time passcode, which blocks the app after its allowance runs out.

Can I lock an app on Mac with my face?

Yes, with a third-party app. Macs don't have Face ID hardware, so tools like Hey Mac and FaceGate use the built-in camera and on-device recognition. They're convenient but not as strong as iPhone Face ID, so keep Touch ID or a strong password as your main protection.

What happens if I forget my Screen Time passcode?

To change or remove the passcode, you need the current code, or you can verify your identity with your Mac password or Touch ID. For a reset, Apple points to its article on forgotten Screen Time passcodes (Apple Support).

Can I lock folders on Mac instead of apps?

Yes. Create an encrypted disk image in Disk Utility and store the folder inside it. Eject the image when you're done, because its contents are readable while it's mounted (Apple Support).

Which method should you use?

For kids and distractions, use Screen Time. For a Mac someone shares daily, use a separate account. For a prompt every time Messages, Mail, or Notes opens, use an app locker. Try Hey Mac if you want that prompt to clear with a glance, and bring questions to the Hey Mac community.

About the author

Harshit Maurya is the developer of Hey Mac, an open-source face unlock and app lock app for macOS written in Swift and Core ML. Source code and build notes are on GitHub.

Sources

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