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Set up App Lock (PIN & biometrics)

Enable App Lock, set a 4–6 digit vault PIN, choose Lock after leaving, and turn on Face ID / fingerprint.

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Set up App Lock (PIN & biometrics)

App Lock asks for your vault PIN (and Face ID / fingerprint when available) before opening the app after you leave. The same vault PIN unlocks locked albums that use Require unlock to open. Setup lives under Account Settings → App Lock.

Why use it

If someone picks up your phone with FWDLink still signed in, they hit Unlock FWDLink instead of your albums and page tools.

Remember: App Lock is local access control only — not encryption. For AES-256 private storage, use Encrypted / Locked album on specific albums.

How to enable App Lock

  1. Open Account Settings and find App Lock (or go to the account tab with #app-lock).
  2. Turn on Enable App Lock.
  3. If you do not have a PIN yet, choose Set PIN, enter a 4–6 digit PIN, then Confirm PIN.
  4. Set Lock after leaving:
    • Immediately
    • 30 seconds
    • 1 minute
    • 5 minutes
    • 15 minutes
  5. If your device supports it, tap Enable under Unlock faster with Face ID / fingerprint.
  6. Optionally use Lock now anytime to lock immediately.

Change or remove the PIN

  • Change PIN — enter your current PIN, then set and confirm a new 4–6 digit PIN.
  • Remove PIN — clears the vault PIN (you may need to confirm). Features that depend on the vault PIN (App Lock, Require unlock, PIN-based encryption) will need a PIN again later.

Face ID / fingerprint

Biometrics are a faster unlock on this device. They do not replace the PIN entirely — you can always unlock with the vault PIN. Biometrics are per device; enable them again on another phone or browser if supported.

Example

You leave your desk for coffee with Lock after leaving set to 1 minute. When you return, FWDLink shows the unlock screen. You use Face ID to get back in quickly; if biometrics fail, you enter the vault PIN instead.

Forgot PIN?

On the unlock screen:

  1. Tap Forgot PIN?.
  2. Enter your Account password (the password you use to sign in to FWDLink — not the vault PIN).
  3. Tap Verify & continue.
  4. Set a new PIN and confirm it.

This resets the vault PIN on this device. It does not decrypt Maximum privacy albums if you also lost an encryption passphrase that was not the vault PIN. See Forgot PIN, can’t unlock, and recovery.

Tips

  • Use a PIN you will remember but others will not guess (avoid birth years on a shared device).
  • Prefer a shorter lock delay on shared or public devices.
  • Set up App Lock before relying on Require unlock to open or vault-PIN encryption on albums.

Related guides

Troubleshooting

PINs do not match / PIN must be 4–6 digits
Enter the same digits twice. Only numbers are allowed, length 4 to 6.

Could not enable biometrics on this device
Use a supported browser/device with Face ID / fingerprint enrolled in the OS. You can always unlock with the PIN. Biometrics are per device.

It never locks when I leave
Check Enable App Lock is on and Lock after leaving is not longer than you expect. Use Lock now to lock immediately.

Forgot PIN asks for a password I don’t know
That field is your FWDLink account (sign-in) password, not the old vault PIN. Reset the account password through normal account recovery if needed, then return to Forgot PIN?.

Need more help?
Browse the Help Center or Contact support.

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