How to hide photos on iPhone: 4 ways, from quick to truly private

The short answer#

To hide a photo on iPhone, open the Photos app, touch and hold the photo, tap Hide, then confirm. It moves to the Hidden album and disappears from your library, your other albums and the Photos widget on your Home Screen.

That takes a few seconds. But the Hidden album opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode, so it keeps photos away from a casual glance, not from anyone who knows your passcode. This guide covers every way to hide photos on iPhone, from the quickest to the most private, so you can pick the one that matches who you're hiding them from.

Way 1: Hide photos with the Hidden album#

The Hidden album is built into the Photos app on every iPhone, iPad and Mac. It works for videos as well as photos.

Hide one photo

1. 1

   Open the Photos app

   Find the photo or video you want to hide.
2. 2

   Touch and hold it

   A menu appears. You can also open the photo and tap the More button (three dots).
3. 3

   Tap Hide

   Confirm that you want to hide it. The photo leaves your library straight away.

Hide several photos at once

1. 1

   Tap Select

   It's at the top of your library.
2. 2

   Choose your photos

   Tap each one, or drag your finger across a row to select several quickly.
3. 3

   Tap More, then Hide

   Confirm, and they all move to the Hidden album.

What hiding changes

Once hidden, a photo no longer shows in your library, in other albums or in the Photos widget on your Home Screen. If you use iCloud Photos, Apple says photos you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too, so you don't need to hide them again on your iPad or Mac.

Hiding doesn't move, copy or encrypt the photo. It's still part of your photo library, just filtered out of view.

Way 2: Lock the Hidden album and take it out of view#

On iOS 16 and later, the Hidden album is locked by default: you tap View Album and unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Two settings make it harder to stumble on.

1. 1

   Check the lock is on

   Open Settings, tap Apps, then Photos (on iOS 17 or earlier, Photos is in the main Settings list). Make sure Use Face ID, Use Touch ID or Use Passcode is turned on. It locks the Recently Deleted album too.
2. 2

   Turn off Show Hidden Album

   In the same Photos settings, turn off Show Hidden Album. The album disappears from the Photos app, and so do the photos in it, until you turn the setting back on.

Way 3: Lock photos inside a note#

The Notes app can lock a note, and a note can hold photos. That gives you a lock you can make different from your iPhone passcode.

1. 1

   Create a note and add photos

   In Notes, start a new note, tap the camera button, and choose photos from your library.
2. 2

   Lock the note

   Tap the More button and choose Lock. Pick a separate notes password if you don't want it to open with your iPhone passcode.
3. 3

   Delete the originals from Photos

   The photos in the note are copies. Delete the originals in Photos, then empty Recently Deleted (see below).

It works, but it's clumsy for more than a few photos: no albums, no full-screen browsing, and the note's title stays visible in the list. If you forget a separate notes password, Apple can't recover it for you.

Way 4: Use a vault app#

A vault app keeps photos in a separate, encrypted space with a lock of its own, outside the Photos app. It's the only option on this list where knowing your iPhone passcode isn't enough to see the photos. Here's how it works with VaultShield:

1. 1

   Import your photos

   Add photos and videos from your library. Each one is encrypted on your iPhone before it's stored.
2. 2

   Remove the originals

   Right after importing, VaultShield offers to remove the originals from Photos in one step. iOS asks you to confirm.
3. 3

   Empty Recently Deleted

   The originals wait in Recently Deleted. Delete them there too, so no copy is left in Photos.
4. 4

   Open it with your own pattern

   The vault opens with a pattern that isn't your iPhone passcode, with Face ID on top if you like.

For new photos, use the in-app camera: shots go straight into the vault and never appear in your camera roll. You can also disguise the app icon so it doesn't look like a vault.

Don't forget Recently Deleted#

Deleting a photo doesn't remove it straight away. iOS keeps it in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days in case you change your mind. Whenever you move photos somewhere private, clear the copies left behind:

1. 1

   Open Recently Deleted

   In Photos, scroll to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted. Unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
2. 2

   Select the photos

   Tap Select and choose the ones you moved.
3. 3

   Delete them for good

   Tap Delete. This can't be undone.

Which way should you use?#

It comes down to one question: does anyone else know your iPhone passcode?

If nobody else knows your passcode, the locked Hidden album is usually enough. If someone does, or regularly uses your phone, use a locked note for a few photos or a vault app for more. See the Hidden album vs VaultShield comparison for the detail.

How to unhide photos#

Changed your mind? Unhiding puts photos back in your library and albums.

1. 1

   Open the Hidden album

   In Photos, go to Collections (or Albums), scroll to Utilities and tap Hidden. Tap View Album and unlock it.
2. 2

   Choose the photos

   Touch and hold one, or tap Select and choose several.
3. 3

   Tap Unhide

   For several photos, tap More, then Unhide. They're back in your library straight away.

Can't see the Hidden album? Turn Show Hidden Album back on in Settings, Apps, Photos. More fixes in Where are hidden photos on iPhone?

Frequently asked questions#

Can anyone else see my hidden photos on iPhone?

Anyone who can unlock your iPhone can. The Hidden album opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, so someone who knows your passcode can open it, and anyone holding your unlocked phone can turn Show Hidden Album back on. If you use iCloud Photos, the same photos are in the Hidden album on your other devices, behind each device's own lock.

Can you see hidden photos on a Mac?

Yes, if your Mac uses iCloud Photos with the same Apple Account. On a Mac, the Hidden album is out of view by default; you show it with View, Show Hidden Photo Album, and on macOS Ventura and later it unlocks with Touch ID or your Mac login password.

Does iCloud back up hidden photos?

Yes. Hidden photos are still part of your photo library, so they're stored in iCloud Photos (or in your iCloud backup) like your other photos. Hiding changes where they show up in the app, not where they're stored.

Can someone hack my hidden photos?

The Hidden album has no lock of its own beyond your iPhone's, so the realistic risk isn't hacking: it's someone who knows your passcode, or access to your Apple Account. Use a strong passcode, don't share it, and protect your Apple Account with two-factor authentication.

Will my hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone?

Yes. They come across with the rest of your library, whether you use iCloud Photos, an iCloud backup or a direct transfer, and they stay hidden. Photos inside a vault app are different: check how your vault app moves to a new phone before you switch.

How do I hide photos on iPad?

The same way as on iPhone: touch and hold the photo and tap Hide. To find the Hidden album on iPad, you may need to tap the sidebar button first, then scroll to Utilities.

The bottom line#

To hide photos from a glance, use the Hidden album: touch and hold, tap Hide, and turn off Show Hidden Album. To hide them from someone who knows your passcode, the built-in options run out, and a vault app with its own lock is the reliable way. Whichever you choose, empty Recently Deleted afterwards.