A smartphone is a very personal gadget. We have personal messages and information in the likes of messaging & social media apps. Then there are banking apps, where a lot of our sensitive data is stored. Also, we click a ton of personal photos and videos, which are saved in the gallery app of our smartphone. Unlike iOS, where you need to be jailbroken to lock apps with Touch ID, Android features a number of cool apps that let you lock apps through a password, PIN, fingerprint scanner or some really unique ways.

While custom ROMs like CyanogenMod (read: Lineage OS) and Android builds from various manufacturers come with the app locking feature built-in, most Android users look for app lockers on the Google Play Store. So, if you are looking for app lockers on Android to lock apps with your device’s fingerprint sensor, we have you covered. Here are the 10 best app lockers for Android:

1. AppLock

AppLock is the most popular app locker app on the Play Store, with more than 100 million downloads. The app has certainly earned that, as it’s also the best app locker for Android. With AppLock, you can lock apps as well as various Android toggles like WiFi, Bluetooth, mobile data etc. You can even lock incoming calls or almost any Android element. You can also set up various lock profiles for work, home etc. There are also options to make sure that the app locking triggers at a certain time or location. AppLock also lets you add a cover like a warning message that says “the app has stopped”, which is one of the usual Android warnings.

Moreover, you can choose to hide the app, prevent uninstallation, and set up a delay for re-locking. It also includes a power saving mode, so if you use AppLock, you don’t need to worry about the app draining your device’s battery. Along with app locking, the app also brings a photo and video vault, and support for plugins. AppLock is certainly a feature rich app and it works flawlessly. The app does include ads but they are rare and of the non-intrusive kind.

Install: (Free, with in-app purchases)

2. Privacy Knight Applock

Privacy Knight, designed by the Alibaba group, is an ad-free and totally free app locker that isn’t very popular but certainly deserves to be. The app lets you lock apps through different methods like PIN/pattern, fingerprint, face tracking or through a disguise cover like blow to unlock, shake, or a crash message. Along with apps, you can lock incoming calls with Privacy Knight. There are options to prevent uninstallation of the app, hide notification preview from apps like WhatsApp and secret door to disguise the app as a dialer. Along with that, the app captures photos of intruders that enter the wrong password.

The app also includes additional features like a photos & videos vault, the ability to check for privacy issues and clear browser history.

Install: (Free)

3. Norton App Lock

Chances are, you have heard of Norton, the popular anti-virus maker. Well, the company offers a pretty good app locker for Android. The Norton App Lock is a very simple app locker which should be a good choice, if you are looking for a free & ad-free app locker that just works. With Norton App Lock, you can lock apps by fingerprint, PIN or pattern. There aren’t a lot of options here but you can protect it from uninstallation by giving it admin privileges. There are also options to set a recovery email, along with a sneak peak feature that captures photos of intruders who enter the wrong PIN or pattern 3 times.

Install: (Free)

4. Hexlock App Lock

Hexlock App Lock is a fairly new app locker for Android that has gained a lot of traction due to its beautiful interface and handy features. The app lets you lock apps through fingerprint, with the PIN and pattern as your backup. There are various preset profiles like Work, Home, Party, Parental, School etc. but you can edit these or create your very own profiles. Hexlock lets you automatically enable a profile based on the WiFi network your device is connected to. Other than that, the app captures photos and saves the location of intruders trying to unlock apps. There are also options to set up uninstall prevention, app re-lock delay and more. While Hexlock does include non-intrusive ads, you can remove them via an in-app purchase.

Install: (Free, with in-app purchase of $1.30 to remove ads)

5. App Locker: Fingerprint & Pin

App Locker is one of the many app lockers for Android with the “app locker” moniker. The app isn’t very popular and it’s not hard to understand why. It has a pretty outdated UI but if you look past that, it has some really unique features. Apart from the usual app locking features, App Locker lets you set custom lock settings on a per app basis. So, you can set the primary lock method for an app to fingerprint, while pattern as the primary method for another app. Other than that, the app lets you choose a crash cover, set app re-lock delay and more. It includes ads but you can remove the ads by purchasing the full version of the app.

Install: (Free, Pro $3.99)

6. Keepsafe App Lock

The Keepsafe App Lock app is the simplest app locker in this list. The app features a gorgeous Material Design UI and packs in support for PIN, pattern and fingerprints. There are options to set delay on when the apps are re-locked, prevent uninstall and hide PIN touches. If you’d like to disable the app temporarily, the app lets you disable it for a few hours. The app is available in a free version but it features ads, however, you can make an in-app purchase to remove ads in the app. That pretty much sums up the app, I have used the app for quite a while and it’s as simple as it gets and works well.

Install: (Free, with in-app purchase of $1.99 to remove ads)

7. FingerSecurity

FingerSecurity is one of the best app lockers for Android, thanks to its sheer number of features. The feature-rich app lets you lock apps via fingerprint and you can enable the improved protection features to make sure that parts of the app and the app’s data isn’t visible in the recents screen. There’s also the advanced security option to prevent uninstalls. The app also lets you set a time out, which is the delay in re-locking apps, along with options to theme the fingerprint indicator, and more.

The app is available in a free version but it’s fairly limited. However, you can get the Premium version, which brings more theming options, like the ability to change background of the lock page. It also brings options to set safe locations, detect intruders, set up a fake crash, and more. Overall, the app definitely packs in a ton of features but in my usage, I did face a few hiccups in performance, so that’s something you should keep in mind.

Install: (Free, with in-app purchase of $1.99 for Premium)

8. AppLock – Fingerprint

AppLock – Fingerprint (yes, that’s the app’s name on the Play Store) is another very popular app locker on Android and deservedly so, because it packs in a ton of great features. There’s support for fingerprint scanner, PIN, and you can set different passwords for different apps. You can also set up profiles and make sure that the app locks activate at a certain time or based on the WiFi and Bluetooth connection. Along with apps, the app locker also lets you lock system settings, the home screen, rotation, and more.

Moreover, there are cool features like the ability to hide the app, remotely unlock a phone via SMS, “Observer” which as the name suggests captures photos on failed unlock attempts. AppLock – Fingerprint includes ads but you can remove them through an in-app purchase. Overall, it is the app to get if you love playing with a ton of options.

Install: (Free, with in-app purchases)

9. MaxLock

MaxLock is an awesome app locker for rooted Android devices only. That’s sad but if you have a rooted Android device, you get some great features with MaxLock. The app is based on Xposed Framework, so you obviously need to have Xposed installed on your device. MaxLock is a totally free and ad-free app that unlike many app lockers out there, gives performance and battery the priority. The locking methods include fingerprint, PIN, pattern and knock code. The open-source app includes ton of customization options, fake crash feature, a MasterSwitch to disable it easily, ability to remove thumbnail of apps in the recents window, and more.

There’s a Premium version of the app as well, which you can get via a donation. It brings features like I.Mod (grace period for delay in re-locking), logs of failed unlock attempts, and ability to backup/restore locked apps list.

Install: (Free, with donation for Premium features)

10. CM AppLock

Cheetah Mobile, the developers behind the CM AppLock app, does not have a great reputation, all thanks to overwhelming app recommendations in their various apps. Having said that, the CM AppLock is still decent app locker you can use. The app supports fingerprint unlocking and lets you lock apps and settings like WiFi, Bluetooth etc. It also lets you set a delay in re-locking apps and brings the ability to capture a selfie of any intruder when 3 incorrect attempts are made. Plus, you can choose the background of the lock page from your photos or get one of the themes inside the app. CM AppLock is free and ad-free, so you can try it out.

Install: (Free)

SEE ALSO: 7 Best Lock Screen Replacement Apps for Android

Lock Your Personal Apps with the Best App Lockers for Android

There are a ton of app locker apps on the Play Store but the aforementioned 10 are most certainly the best app lockers you can use on Android. All of them support the fingerprint scanner and all of them bring some unique features, so you can choose the app that suits you best. So, try out these app lockers on your Android smartphone and do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.