How to set a pattern lock on iPhone

Set up Underlock with a pattern

You need an iPhone with iOS 17 or later, and a pen and paper. To see your iOS version, open the Settings app and tap General, then Software Update. Your pattern opens your vault in Underlock. Underlock doesn’t lock other apps, and your iPhone keeps its own passcode. See how Underlock’s pattern lock works.

Underlock is coming soon to the App Store. Here’s how it will work.

Draw your pattern

Connect at least 6 dots. You’ll use it to open your vault.

That works. A pattern of 8 dots or more is harder to guess.

Use a passphrase instead

1. 1. Open Underlock. Tap Get started.
2. 2. Three short cards explain how Underlock works. Tap Next on each card.
3. 3. On the Draw your pattern screen, draw a pattern that connects at least 6 dots. A hint then tells you how hard your pattern is to guess. A pattern of 8 dots or more is harder to guess. Prefer to type? Tap Use a passphrase instead. Type a few words you’ll remember, twice. Then go to step 5.
4. 4. Draw the same pattern again.
5. 5. Get a pen and paper. Tap I’m ready.
6. 6. Write down the 12 words Underlock shows you, in order. These 12 words are your recovery phrase. Tap I’ve written it down.
7. 7. Underlock then asks for 3 of your words, such as words 3, 7 and 11. For each one, choose the matching word from a short list.
8. 8. Your vault opens, empty. To add photos, videos, files or notes, tap Add.

Your recovery phrase

Write these 12 words down, in order. They get you back in if you ever forget your pattern.

1. 1ocean
2. 2lemon
3. 3tiger
4. 4piano
5. 5galaxy
6. 6honey
7. 7forest
8. 8window
9. 9puzzle
10. 10sunset
11. 11velvet
12. 12harbor

Keep the paper somewhere safe. Don’t take a photo or save it in another app.

I’ve written it down

Keep the paper somewhere safe. If you forget your pattern, your 12 words open your vault. If you forget your pattern and lose the paper, nobody can open your vault, not even us.

Open your vault with your pattern

1. 1. Open Underlock.
2. 2. On the pattern screen, draw your pattern.

Your vault opens. If you draw a different pattern, Underlock says Wrong pattern. By default, your vault locks as soon as you leave Underlock for another app. Your vault can also lock 1 or 5 minutes after you leave instead. To choose, tap Settings, then App settings, then Auto-lock. To lock your vault yourself, tap Lock.

Change your pattern

1. 1. Open your vault.
2. 2. Tap Settings, then tap Change pattern.
3. 3. Draw your current pattern.
4. 4. Draw your new pattern.
5. 5. Draw your new pattern again.

Underlock says Pattern changed. Your 12 words stay the same, so keep the paper.

Hide the line as you draw

As you draw, a line joins the dots you touch. The line shows by default, as it does at setup. To draw without the line:

1. 1. Open your vault.
2. 2. Tap Settings, then tap App settings.
3. 3. Turn off Show pattern trail.

Now only the dot under your finger lights up as you draw. To see the line again, turn Show pattern trail back on.

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