Unlock options: Face ID, code or pattern

Hidden always needs Face ID. You choose whether that’s enough, or whether Hidden also asks for a code or a pattern of its own.

What it is

Hidden has two unlock options, in Hidden settings → Unlock:

Option	What opens Hidden	Good for
Face ID only (the default)	Face ID (or Touch ID). Anyone who can pass Face ID on this iPhone can open Hidden.	Quick access when you’re the only person whose face unlocks the phone.
Face ID + code or pattern	Face ID and your Hidden code or pattern. Neither alone works.	Stronger protection: someone who knows your phone’s passcode still can’t open Hidden.

There’s no “Off”. Hidden’s keys are always behind Face ID; that is part of how it’s encrypted.

Your Hidden passcode can be:

A number code: 6 digits or more.
A passphrase: letters (and anything else you like), at least 8 characters. Tap Use letters instead.
A pattern: drawn on a 4×4 grid of dots, through at least 6 dots. Tap Use a pattern.

When to use it

Add a code or pattern if anyone else’s face or fingerprint is set up on the phone, if someone knows your iPhone’s passcode, if you share the phone, or if you want to use separate spaces or the emergency passcode (both need a Hidden passcode, and Pro).

Step by step

Add a code or pattern

Open Hidden and tap ••• → Hidden settings.
Tap Unlock, then Face ID + code or pattern….
Type a new code (6 digits or more) and type it again. Or:
- tap Use letters instead for a passphrase of 8 characters or more, or
- tap Use a pattern, draw a pattern through at least 6 dots, then draw it again until you see Pattern ready.
Tap Turn on. Paperwise confirms: “Hidden now asks for your code or pattern”.

Open Hidden with a code or pattern

Open Hidden. You’ll see Hidden is locked and Face ID starts by itself.
Below it, draw your pattern or type your code:
- A pattern is checked as soon as you lift your finger.
- A code is checked when you tap Unlock (or Return). It doesn’t submit on its own when you reach a certain length.
To switch between the two, tap Use code or Use pattern. Paperwise remembers your last choice on this iPhone.

Change your code or pattern

Hidden settings → Unlock → Change code or pattern…, then enter the new one and tap Save. Nothing is re-encrypted, so it’s instant.

Go back to Face ID only

Hidden settings → Unlock → Face ID only. Read the warning carefully: only the space you’re in stays on this iPhone. Any other space or emergency passcode set up here is erased (copies synced to your account stay encrypted there).

Hide the pattern while you draw

With a passcode on, Hidden settings shows Show pattern while drawing. Leave it off and the dots you touch don’t light up, so nobody watching can follow your pattern. You feel a light tap for each dot if haptics are on.

Wrong tries and waits

You get 5 free tries. After that, Paperwise makes you wait before the next one: 1 minute, then 5, 15 and 60 minutes, and then an hour for every further wrong try. The screen shows “Too many wrong tries. Try again in …”.

The count is kept in the iOS Keychain, so closing, restarting or reinstalling the app doesn’t reset it.
Changing the iPhone’s date or time doesn’t shorten a wait. Restarting the iPhone starts an unfinished wait again from the beginning; it never makes it shorter.
After more than 10 wrong tries in 24 hours the waits stay on, even if you open a space in between.

Free and Pro

Face ID only, Face ID + code or pattern, and the pattern are free.

Pro: separate spaces and the emergency passcode build on your Hidden passcode. See Separate spaces.

Privacy

Your code or pattern is never stored. Paperwise stretches it with Argon2id on the iPhone and combines it with the Face ID secret to unlock Hidden’s keys.
With a code or pattern on, knowing your iPhone’s passcode does not open Hidden.
With Face ID only, Hidden is exactly as strong as the Face ID check on that phone.

Tips

A pattern is just another kind of passcode. Use 8 or more dots and avoid simple shapes like an L or a Z.
All codes on one iPhone use the same keyboard (numbers or letters), chosen with your first one. A pattern works with either.
With VoiceOver on, Hidden uses the code field and hides the pattern option.

What if…

What if I forget my code or pattern?

Tap Forgot passcode? on the lock screen and use your recovery key. See Recovery key and Forgot passcode.

What if Face ID asks again after I typed my code?

If Hidden says “Face ID is needed again”, close the screen and open Hidden again so Face ID can run first.

What if a pattern isn’t accepted while I set it up?

It needs at least 6 dots. A line that passes over a dot picks it up, so check the shape you meant.