# How to lock Dropbox on iPhone > Lock Dropbox on iPhone: touch and hold its icon and tap Require Face ID (iOS 18+). You can also hide it in App Library. Or use Dropbox's Passcode lock. Source: https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/dropbox/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou ![Dropbox quick actions menu with Require Face ID on iPhone](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/img/lock-app--dropbox.png) - Require Face ID - Can hide - In-app: Passcode lock App Store app by Dropbox. Dropbox can hold scans, IDs and camera uploads. - **Lock:** Yes - **Hide:** Yes - **Needs:** iOS 18+ - **In-app lock:** Yes **Quick answer:** To lock Dropbox, touch and hold its icon on the Home Screen and tap **Require Face ID** (Require Touch ID or Passcode on some iPhones). Needs **iOS 18 or later**. To also hide it, choose **Hide and Require Face ID**, then **Hide App**: it moves to the locked Hidden folder in App Library. Dropbox also has its own **Passcode lock**, which can use a code that isn't your iPhone passcode. What it covers ## What locking Dropbox covers - **Require Face ID**Whole app, iOS 18+ - **Hide in App Library**Hidden folder, locked - **Dropbox's own lock**Passcode lock - **Notification previews**Content kept out when locked - **Search and Siri suggestions**Content kept out when locked - **Other devices**Lock doesn't sync via iCloud - **Someone with your passcode**Passcode still opens it Good to know about Dropbox - With a Dropbox passcode set, your Dropbox folder isn't available in the Files app. - After 10 wrong passcodes in a row, Dropbox logs the device out. 6 steps ## Lock and hide Dropbox Steps 1–3 lock it. Steps 4–6 also hide it. **Tap:** Hold icon › Require Face ID › Hide and Require Face ID › Hide App 1. **Touch and hold the Dropbox icon.** On the Home Screen, touch and hold the app icon until the quick actions menu opens. 2. **Tap Require Face ID.** Tap **Require Face ID**. iOS 18 or later. 3. **Confirm with Face ID.** Confirm with Face ID or your passcode. From now on the app asks before it opens. 4. **Tap Hide and Require Face ID.** After **Require Face ID** in the quick actions menu, tap **Hide and Require Face ID** (Touch ID or Passcode on some iPhones), then authenticate. 5. **Tap Hide App.** Tap **Hide App**. Dropbox leaves your Home Screen and moves to the **Hidden** folder at the bottom of App Library. 6. **Open it from App Library.** Swipe left past your last Home Screen page, tap **Hidden** at the bottom of App Library, authenticate, then tap the app. Built into Dropbox ## Dropbox's own lock: Passcode lock **Tap:** Dropbox settings › Passcode lock Dropbox settings › **Passcode lock**, then turn on Face ID. - **Opens with:** A 4-digit Dropbox passcode, or Face ID once set - **Covers:** The Dropbox app - **Own code:** Yes Compare ## Ways to lock Dropbox, side by side | Method | Opens with | What it covers | Code separate from passcode | Needs | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Require Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/glossary/require-face-id/) | Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode | The whole Dropbox app | No | iOS 18 or later | | Hide in App Library | Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode | Removes the icon from Home Screen, App Library and search | No | iOS 18 or later | | Passcode lock (in Dropbox) | A 4-digit Dropbox passcode, or Face ID once set | The Dropbox app | Yes | Any recent Dropbox version | | [Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/) | A separate Guided Access passcode | Keeps your iPhone in one app while someone holds it | Yes | Any iOS version | Older iPhones ## Dropbox on iOS 17 and earlier Require Face ID and hidden apps arrived in iOS 18. Before that: - **Passcode lock:** Dropbox settings › **Passcode lock**, then turn on Face ID. Doesn't need iOS 18. - **Guided Access:** Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access. Keeps your iPhone in one app; [steps](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/). - **Screen Time:** Settings › Screen Time › App Limits. Built for time limits, not privacy. - **Photos you want locked:** The [Hidden album](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/hidden-album/) locks on iOS 16+, or a [locked note](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/). > Photos and videos behind a lock your passcode can't openVaultForYou keeps the photos, videos and documents you choose in a private vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. [Get VaultForYou](https://www.vaultforyou.app/)Free to download · iPhone, iOS 16 or later Questions ## Locking Dropbox: questions ### How do I lock Dropbox on iPhone? Touch and hold the Dropbox icon on your Home Screen, tap Require Face ID, then confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. iPhones with Touch ID say Require Touch ID instead. You need iOS 18 or later. From then on Dropbox asks before it opens, and relocks after you quit it. ### Can I hide Dropbox on iPhone? Yes. Dropbox comes from the App Store, so after Require Face ID you can tap Hide and Require Face ID, then Hide App. It moves to the locked Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library. Its name still appears in Screen Time, battery usage and App Store purchases. ### Should I use Passcode lock or Require Face ID? Passcode lock, built into Dropbox, covers the Dropbox app. It opens with a 4-digit Dropbox passcode, or Face ID once set. Require Face ID locks the whole app instead, with Face ID or your passcode. Passcode lock can use a code that isn't your passcode, so it keeps out someone who knows your passcode. ### Does locking Dropbox hide its notifications? Apple says information inside a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search, Siri suggestions or CarPlay. The lock applies only to the iPhone where you set it; the locked status doesn't sync to your other devices through iCloud, so lock it on each one. ### How do I lock Dropbox on iOS 17 or earlier? Require Face ID needs iOS 18. On older versions, use Passcode lock inside Dropbox. Guided Access keeps your iPhone in one app while someone holds it. Updating to iOS 18 or later, if your iPhone supports it, adds Require Face ID. Sources ## Where these facts come from - [Apple iPhone User Guide: Lock or hide an app](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) - [Dropbox Help: Set a passcode on a mobile device](https://help.dropbox.com/security/passcode) - [Dropbox Help: Face ID and Touch ID on iOS](https://help.dropbox.com/installs/ios-touch-id) Dropbox is a trademark of its owner. This site isn't affiliated with Dropbox or Apple. ## Related - [Lock Files](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/files/) - [Lock OneDrive](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/onedrive/) - [What is App Library](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/glossary/app-library/) - [Every app you can lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/)