Lock the app and your data

A 4-digit PIN opens Budgie. After a few wrong tries the app makes you wait, and the PIN is tied to your data on this device — there is no reset that hands it back.

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  • Free, no account
  • Works offline
  • Source-available
Budgie lock screen on launch, showing Enter your PIN above four empty dots and a number keypad

Nothing opens before the PIN

Three frames: the keypad the app opens on, the four digits that open it, and the Settings group where you switch the lock on.

  1. The app opens on the lock screen

    With App Lock on, every route in the app redirects to this keypad until the PIN checks out — on every cold launch, and again the moment the app goes to the background. There is nothing behind it to read: no balances, no transaction list, no skip.

  2. Four digits, and a wait after wrong tries

    The fourth digit submits on its own — a wrong PIN clears the dots and says so. The first four wrong tries cost nothing; the fifth wrong PIN starts the first wait, which is 30 seconds, then 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes and finally 1 hour before the next try. The wait survives closing the app and restarting the phone, and a successful fingerprint or face unlock resets it. There is no reset that hands the data back.

  3. You switch it on in Settings

    App Lock sits in the Security group. Tap Enable, pick the four digits, and if your device has Face ID, Touch ID or Android fingerprint or face unlock enrolled Budgie offers to unlock with it — the keypad stays as the fallback. Screenshot Protection is its own switch directly underneath.

Budgie lock screen on launch, showing Enter your PIN above four empty dots and a number keypad
Four slots, nothing typed
No skip, no PIN reset
Budgie lock screen with two of the four PIN dots filled in while the PIN is typed
Two of four digits in
The fourth digit submits
Budgie Settings screen with the Security group showing the App Lock card and the Screenshot Protection switch turned on
App Lock: PIN and biometric unlock
Balances hidden from screenshots
  1. Four slots, nothing typed
  2. No skip, no PIN reset
  1. Two of four digits in
  2. The fourth digit submits
  1. App Lock: PIN and biometric unlock
  2. Balances hidden from screenshots

What stands between you and your data

4

digits open the app and your dataThe same four digits are tied to your data on this device.

4

wrong PINs before any waitThe fifth wrong PIN starts a 30-second wait, and each one after that waits longer.

Instant

re-lock when you leave the appSwitch away and the keypad is back when you return.

See the lock for yourself

Leave Budgie and come back. The keypad is the first thing you see.

Leaving the app brings the keypad back

A wrong PIN clears the dots and says so

Read the source
Budgie lock screen with the title Enter your PIN, four empty PIN dots and a number keypad

What you get

A lock tied to your data

The PIN is tied to your data — not just a screen guard

Unlock with your face

Optional Face ID, Touch ID or Android fingerprint or face unlock, with the PIN as fallback

Locks when you leave

Re-locks the moment the app goes to background

Everything included

  • A 4-digit PIN, set from Settings → Security, with a wait that starts at the fifth wrong PIN and grows up to 1 hour
  • No “forgot PIN” recovery — that's the privacy guarantee

The details

For when you want to know exactly how it behaves.

Why most app locks are decoration

Many app locks are only a screen laid over your data. Budgie's PIN is built into how the app opens your data, so the lock is not just a cover — and it adds a growing wait to slow down anyone guessing.

App goes to background → lock kicks in. Wrong PINs never lock you out forever, but the fifth wrong try and every one after it makes you wait longer, and there is no reset that hands the data back (your call: keep the PIN safe). A 4-digit PIN is a convenience lock, not a vault.

Guides on the blog

Questions

What if I forget my PIN?

Your data is tied to the PIN — there's no recovery mechanism, by design. Keep your PIN somewhere safe (a password manager works) or use the database backup feature to restore from a known-good state.

How quickly does the app re-lock?

The moment the app goes to the background. There is no grace period and no inactivity setting to get wrong — the next time you come back, the keypad is there.

Is biometric the same as PIN security?

Biometric unlock is your phone's Face ID, Touch ID or Android fingerprint or face check standing in for typing the PIN. The PIN stays on the device and remains what protects your data — biometrics are a faster path to the same lock, not a second one. A successful scan also clears any wait caused by wrong PINs.

Does the lock work if my phone is jailbroken?

A jailbroken or rooted device with active malware can capture the PIN as you type it, and a 4-digit PIN has only 10,000 combinations. Don't unlock Budgie on a compromised device.

Ready to take Budgie for a spin?

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