Jailbreak Tweak 'AppLocker' Locks Individual Apps With Touch ID - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Jailbreak Tweak 'AppLocker' Locks Individual Apps With Touch ID

by

Following the December release of the evasi0n jailbreak for iOS 7 devices, several new jailbreak tweaks for the iPhone 5s are in the works, including a newly updated version of AppLocker that is designed to take advantage of the Touch ID sensor of the iPhone 5s.

AppLocker is a tweak that has existed for some time, allowing users to lock individual apps with a password. With iOS 7 and an iPhone 5s, AppLocker is able to lock and unlock apps using Touch ID's fingerprint recognition capabilities. iDownloadBlog has a detailed video of the tweak in use:


AppLocker is only able to access fingerprints that have been entered into the iPhone 5s via the Touch ID menu in the Settings app, and different fingerprints are not distinguished by the system, so there is little setup needed to install the tweak. As demonstrated in the video, app unlocking works as seamlessly as standard device unlocking with Touch ID.

At the current point in time, Touch ID on non-jailbroken devices is limited to unlocking the phone and making purchases in the App Store. It is likely that Apple will expand the use of Touch ID in the future, but it remains unknown whether Apple has plans to release a Touch ID API that would allow the functionality to be built into individual apps as in the AppLocker jailbreak tweak.

The security implications of the Touch ID-supported AppLocker tweak are unknown, as Apple has said that all Touch ID data (in the form of a mathematical representation of a fingerprint) is stored in a "Secure Enclave" inside the A7 processor that is walled off from the rest of iOS and unavailable to iOS or other apps.

According to the developer of the tweak, who spoke to Cult of Mac, AppLocker is not accessing Touch ID data, but rather confirming that a finger is authenticated. "All I am doing is asking iOS, 'Hey, is this finger authenticated?' and I get either a 'Yes' or a 'No,'" he said.

The Touch ID functionality in AppLocker 2.2 is currently available for download on jailbroken devices via the ModMyi repo. The update is free for current AppLocker users and $0.99 for new purchasers.

Top Rated Comments

Z
zunairryk
161 months ago
Why is the calculator app locked in the video? Is it his secret naughty number stash? Does he type in "34 + 35" and giggle to himself?

It's called a Demo :rolleyes:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
O
osx11
161 months ago
aka New Feature in iOS 8......
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
AngerDanger
161 months ago
Why is the calculator app locked in the video? Is it his secret naughty number stash? Does he type in "34 + 35" and giggle to himself? Because I certainly don't… nope…
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
W
wikiverse
161 months ago
this might not be terribly useful on a phone but an ipad is a very different story. Before ipad air came out I was sure it would have touch id and it would be used as some kind of multi-user authentication tool along the lines of this jailbreak app. I still expect it to happen in ios 8 and the next ipad.

Multi user iPad? Put down the crack pipe.

Apple don't want to sell you one iPad for many users, they want you to buy one iPad each.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kriebe Avatar
kriebe
161 months ago
It's called a Demo :rolleyes:

And his comment is called a joke. ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Agent OrangeZ Avatar
Agent OrangeZ
161 months ago
I want banks to have the ability (an API) to use Touch ID to access bank accounts quicker on my phone. I am looking at you Chase app!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...
Read Full Article • 122 comments
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
Read Full Article • 35 comments
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 With End-to-End Encrypted RCS, New Wallpaper, and Maps Updates

Monday May 11, 2026 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, the newest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems. The software comes nearly two months after Apple released iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 15.8.8, iOS 16.7.16, iOS 18.7.9, and...
Read Full Article • 82 comments