Unlock apps with your voice on iPhone

Updated October 4, 2026

Typing a code to open an app gets old fast. Voice unlock lets you open the apps you lock — and a private vault for photos, videos and notes — by saying a short secret phrase. Here is how it works on iPhone, and how to use it well.

What voice unlock can and can't do

Your iPhone's own lock screen can only be opened with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode; no App Store app can replace that. What Voice Unlock & App Locker does is put its own lock in front of the apps you choose (using Apple's Screen Time framework) and in front of its encrypted vault. That lock opens when you say your phrase.

How it works

1. You choose a phrase of two or more words, for example “purple tiger on the moon”, and say it once during setup.
2. When you unlock, the app listens through the microphone and Apple's Speech framework turns your words into text — on your iPhone when your language supports it.
3. The text is compared with your phrase. Small recognition differences are tolerated, so you don't have to be word-perfect.
4. If it matches, the vault or the locked app opens. If not, try again or tap Face ID or Use PIN.

How to choose a good secret phrase

• Three to five ordinary words. Common words are recognized reliably; made-up words and names are not.
• Something you never say by accident and that isn't about you — not your pet's name or your street.
• Easy to say clearly. Avoid tongue twisters and words that sound alike.
• In the recognition language set in the app. English and Vietnamese are both supported.

When to use Face ID or the PIN instead

A spoken phrase can be overheard. On a bus, in an office or anywhere someone could hear you, tap Face ID or Use PIN on the lock screen instead. Your PIN is also the way in if the microphone is unavailable — for example during a phone call.

Privacy

The app has no account and no server. Audio is used only while you unlock or set up your phrase, is never stored, and is never sent to us. Read the full privacy policy.

Frequently asked questions

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