---
id: delta-drive.how-do-i-lock-a-folder-in-delta-drive
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/how-do-i-lock-a-folder-in-delta-drive
category: "Delta Drive, Delta Trust & My Drive"
subcategory: "Security, sign-in and privacy"
question: "How do I lock a folder in Delta Drive with a PIN?"
alt_questions:
  - "Password protect a Delta Drive folder"
  - "Delta Drive folder lock"
  - "PIN lock a folder"
  - "Lock a private folder in Delta Drive"
  - "Why can't I open a locked folder in my browser?"
  - "How do I remove a folder lock?"
  - "How do I lock a folder with a PIN?"
  - "Is folder locking available on my account?"
  - "Can I open a locked folder on the website?"
short_answer: "Right-click a folder in the Delta Drive window ▸ Lock…, choose a 6-digit PIN and confirm with an emailed code. It opens only in Storage Studio on your Mac — never in a browser or Finder. Forget the PIN and lose your recovery kit, and it can never be opened again."
tags: ["lock", "pin", "privacy", "folders"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/what-if-i-forget-my-delta-drive-folder-pin", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/what-is-the-delta-trust-recovery-kit", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/who-can-open-a-locked-delta-drive-folder"]
applies_to: "all"
wiki: https://storagestudio.us/wiki/locking-a-folder
last_reviewed: 2026-10-29
---

# How do I lock a folder in Delta Drive with a PIN?

In the Delta Drive window on your Mac, right-click the folder and choose **Lock…**. Choose a 6-digit PIN, enter it again, optionally add a hint (sent to you with **E-mail me my hint**, never shown in the app), and confirm with the one-time code we email you. The folder then locks in the background and shows a lock.

To open it, double-click it and enter your PIN and an emailed code. It locks again after 5, 15 (the default), 30 or 60 idle minutes, and when your Mac sleeps, the screen locks or Storage Studio quits. Files you open are private copies that are deleted when it locks; changes aren't saved back, so use **Add files…** for a new version.

A locked folder can't be opened in a browser or Finder. **If you forget the PIN and lose your recovery kit, the folder can never be opened again — Storage Studio can't recover it for you.**

Folder locking is on for every Delta Drive account. **Lock…** is missing only on a folder that can't be locked — a synced or linked folder, a folder from your Mac that's being copied to the drive, a folder you keep on this Mac, one of the drive's own folders, or a folder inside a locked folder or containing one.

See [who can open a locked folder](https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/who-can-open-a-locked-delta-drive-folder) and [if you forget the PIN](https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/what-if-i-forget-my-delta-drive-folder-pin).