Option 1: Use the Hidden album
The Hidden album is built into Photos and costs nothing.
- Open Photos and find the photo or video.
- Tap Select, choose one or more items, then tap the More button (•••).
- Tap Hide and confirm.
The items leave your Library, albums and the Photos widget and move to Collections → Utilities → Hidden. On current iOS that album is locked by default, so opening it needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. You can also stop the Hidden album from appearing at all: go to Settings → Apps → Photos and turn off Show Hidden Album.
What it protects: people scrolling through your photos, the Memories feature and widgets. What it doesn't: anyone who knows your iPhone passcode. The photos also stay in iCloud Photos and sync to your other devices.
Option 2: Lock the Photos app
On current iOS you can require Face ID for the whole Photos app. Touch and hold the Photos icon, choose Require Face ID, and confirm. Now opening Photos at all needs authentication.
This is useful when you hand your phone to someone to make a call. It is less useful when the person already knows your passcode, because the passcode opens the app too.
Option 3: Move photos into an encrypted vault
A vault app keeps photos in a separate place, behind a separate unlock. The good ones encrypt each file, so a copy of the phone's storage reveals nothing readable.
With VaultBolt:
- Set a pattern, PIN or passphrase that is different from your iPhone passcode, and write down your 12-word recovery phrase.
- Tap + and choose Scan for private photos to let the on-device scan find them, or Choose from Photos to pick them yourself.
- Items are encrypted with AES-256-GCM as they move in.
- Run the zero-copies clean-up: delete the originals, empty Recently Deleted and check iCloud Photos.
Moving a photo into most vault apps copies it. Until you delete the original and empty Recently Deleted, the photo is still in your library for up to 30 days.
Which option should you use?
| Situation | Best option |
|---|---|
| Friends sometimes scroll your camera roll | Hidden album |
| You hand your phone over for calls or maps | Lock the Photos app |
| Someone knows your iPhone passcode | Encrypted vault |
| You share an Apple Account or iCloud Photos | Encrypted vault |
| Someone might pressure you to open it | Vault with a decoy and duress code |
Don't forget the copies
Wherever you hide photos, check the places copies collect: Recently Deleted, Shared Albums, messaging apps that auto-save media, and any other device signed in to your Apple Account.
Frequently asked questions
Does the iPhone Hidden album use Face ID?
Yes. On current iOS the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are locked by default and open with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode.
Do hidden photos sync to my other Apple devices?
If iCloud Photos is on, photos you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too, and they stay part of your iCloud Photos library.
Does hiding a photo encrypt it?
Hiding moves the photo out of your main views and puts it behind device authentication. It is not a separate encrypted vault with its own key.
Can I put a different password on the Hidden album?
No. The Hidden album uses your device passcode or Face ID. To protect photos with a different code, use a vault app.
