How to Hide Photos on iPhone (3 Ways, and Who Can Still See Them)
There are three practical ways to hide photos on an iPhone. They differ in one important way: who can still open them. Pick the method that matches the person you are hiding them from.
Method 1: The built-in Hidden album
This is free and takes a few seconds.
- Open Photos and select the photo or video.
- Tap the More button (three dots), then tap Hide.
- Confirm. The item leaves your library view and moves to the Hidden album under Utilities.
On iOS 16 and later the Hidden album is locked by default. Opening it asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. You can also stop the album from appearing at all: go to Settings, then Photos (on iOS 18 and later: Settings, Apps, Photos), and turn off Show Hidden Album.
Who can still see them: anyone who knows your iPhone passcode. Face ID falls back to the passcode, so a partner, a child or a friend you once unlocked the phone for can open the album.
Method 2: A locked note
- Open Notes and create a new note.
- Tap the camera or attachment button and add the photo.
- Tap More, then Lock. You can use your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password.
- Delete the original from Photos, then also delete it from Recently Deleted.
Who can still see them: anyone with your note password, or anyone with your passcode if you chose to lock notes with the passcode. Notes is fine for a handful of documents but awkward for many photos or any video.
Method 3: A separate vault app
A vault app keeps photos in its own encrypted storage, behind a code that is not your iPhone passcode. This is the method that still works when someone knows your passcode.
What to look for:
- Its own unlock code, separate from the phone passcode.
- Encryption on the device, with a published description of how the keys are made.
- A clear recovery plan. If you forget the code, how do you get back in? The app should say plainly, before you add anything. "Email support" means someone else can get in too; "nobody can, not even us" means you must remember the code.
- No forced account if you do not want your photos tied to an email address.
Units, for example, opens with a pattern you draw on a 5 by 5 grid, and each pattern opens a different vault. The unlock screen never shows how many vaults exist.
After you hide them: clear Recently Deleted
Whichever method you use, if you delete the original from your library, it sits in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days. Open Photos, go to Utilities, open Recently Deleted, and delete the items there too.
Which method should you use?
| If you are hiding photos from | Use |
|---|---|
| Someone glancing at your camera roll | Hidden album |
| Someone who knows your passcode | A vault app with its own code |
| A few documents you rarely open | A locked note or a vault app |
| Several people who should see different things | A vault app with separate vaults |