# How to lock Telegram on iPhone > Lock Telegram on iPhone: touch and hold its icon and tap Require Face ID (iOS 18+). You can also hide it in App Library. Or use Telegram's Passcode lock. Source: https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/telegram/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou ![Telegram quick actions menu with Require Face ID on iPhone](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/img/lock-app--telegram.png) - Require Face ID - Can hide - In-app: Passcode lock App Store app by Telegram. Telegram keeps chats, channels and saved files synced and open on your phone. - **Lock:** Yes - **Hide:** Yes - **Needs:** iOS 18+ - **In-app lock:** Yes **Quick answer:** To lock Telegram, 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. Telegram also has its own **Passcode lock**, which can use a code that isn't your iPhone passcode. What it covers ## What locking Telegram covers - **Require Face ID**Whole app, iOS 18+ - **Hide in App Library**Hidden folder, locked - **Telegram's own lock**Passcode lock - **Notification previews**Content kept out when locked - **Search and Siri suggestions**Content kept out when locked - **Call history**Calls kept out when locked - **Other devices**Lock doesn't sync via iCloud - **Someone with your passcode**Passcode still opens it Good to know about Telegram - Telegram recommends a passcode and 2-Step Verification, both in Settings › Privacy and Security. - The passcode is local to the app, so it can differ from your iPhone passcode. 6 steps ## Lock and hide Telegram 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 Telegram 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**. Telegram 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 Telegram ## Telegram's own lock: Passcode lock **Tap:** Telegram Settings › Privacy and Security › Passcode Telegram Settings › **Privacy and Security** › Passcode. - **Opens with:** A passcode you set in Telegram - **Covers:** The Telegram app on that device - **Own code:** Yes Compare ## Ways to lock Telegram, 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 Telegram 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 Telegram) | A passcode you set in Telegram | The Telegram app on that device | Yes | Any recent Telegram 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 ## Telegram on iOS 17 and earlier Require Face ID and hidden apps arrived in iOS 18. Before that: - **Passcode lock:** Telegram Settings › **Privacy and Security** › Passcode. 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 Telegram: questions ### How do I lock Telegram on iPhone? Touch and hold the Telegram 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 Telegram asks before it opens, and relocks after you quit it. ### Can I hide Telegram on iPhone? Yes. Telegram 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 Telegram, covers the Telegram app on that device. It opens with a passcode you set in Telegram. 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 Telegram hide its notifications? Apple says information inside a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search, Siri suggestions, CarPlay or your call history. 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 Telegram on iOS 17 or earlier? Require Face ID needs iOS 18. On older versions, use Passcode lock inside Telegram. 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) - [Telegram FAQ](https://telegram.org/faq) Telegram is a trademark of its owner. This site isn't affiliated with Telegram or Apple. ## Related - [Lock WhatsApp](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/whatsapp/) - [Lock Signal](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/signal/) - [Lock Messages](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/messages/) - [Lock Messenger](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/messenger/) - [Lock LINE](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/line/) - [What is App Library](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/glossary/app-library/) - [Every app you can lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/)