How to password protect a folder on iPhone
Apple's Files app has no way to put a password on a folder that we could find documented. The workable routes are a locked note for a few images or text, a password-protected PDF for documents, or a vault app whose Vault is protected as a whole and sorted into folders inside. Which one fits depends on what is in the folder.
Why Files has no folder password
Files shows folders from iCloud Drive and from your phone, and Apple's guide to Files covers organising them, not locking them. The iPhone User Guide does list lock features for apps and for notes, but none for a folder. That is why guides promising to "lock a folder in Files" end up recommending something else. If you also want to lock the Files app itself, there is a separate guide for that. How to lock the Files app on iPhone
A folder in Files is also not protected by Face ID or a passcode beyond your phone's own lock. Anyone who opens your unlocked phone can open it.
Option 1: a locked note
Notes can lock a note with your iPhone passcode or a Notes password. Open the note, tap the More button and tap Lock. For a folder of text, a few photos or a list of numbers, a locked note acts as a small locked container.
Apple's limits: notes containing PDFs, audio, video, or Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents cannot be locked; neither can shared notes, notes with tags, or notes in some mail accounts. If you forget a Notes password, Apple cannot help, and resetting does not unlock old notes. So it is a locked note, not a locked folder, and it does not hold files.
Option 2: a password-protected PDF
If the folder holds documents, turning them into one PDF with a password is a common route. We have not verified a built-in iPhone way to do it today, so rely on the dedicated guide rather than a summary here. How to password protect a PDF on iPhone
Option 3: a vault with folders
In StrongRoom you create a folder inside an unlocked Vault and move Items into it. Folders are one level deep, and a Vault can hold up to 500 of them. The folder name, how many Items it holds and which Items are in it are stored inside the encrypted index with everything else, so they are encrypted too. The Vault, not the folder, is what you lock: a pattern or passphrase opens the whole Vault, and anything in a folder opens with it.
Any file type goes in: photos, videos, PDFs and documents from Files. Search by name works across every folder, and you can filter by Photos, Videos or Files. Folders, search and filters.
What it cannot do: folders cannot be nested, a single folder cannot have its own password, and a Share Package of chosen Items does not carry the folder. If you need a separate lock for separate things, Pro lets you keep more than one Vault, each with its own pattern or passphrase. Several Vaults.
The limits, in full: no cloud copy exists, so an Export Package kept somewhere safe is your only copy off the phone. What StrongRoom does not protect against.
Comparison
| Method | Password you set | Holds | Does not hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folder in Files | No | Anything | No lock beyond your phone's |
| Locked note | Notes password or iPhone passcode | Text, images | Video, PDFs, other documents |
| Protected PDF | In the PDF | One document | Several file types |
| Vault with folders | Pattern or passphrase for the Vault | Photos, videos, any file | Nested folders; per-folder passwords |
Frequently asked questions
Can I lock a folder in the Files app?
Apple's Files documentation does not describe a folder lock. Use a locked note, a protected PDF or a vault app.
How do I password protect a folder on iPhone without an app?
A locked note is the built-in route, for text and images only.
Can I put a password on one folder inside StrongRoom?
No. The password protects the whole Vault. Pro adds more Vaults if you need separate locks.
Are folder names in a vault visible?
In StrongRoom, folder names, counts and membership are stored inside the encrypted Vault.
Sources
- How to lock or unlock notes on your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- iPhone User Guide, Organize files and folders in Files (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.