How to hide text messages on iPhone: 6 ways, and who can still see them

The short answer#

iPhone has no button that hides a single text conversation. Instead, you combine a few settings, depending on who you're hiding messages from:

• From people glancing at your Lock Screen: turn off message previews (Settings, Notifications, Messages, Show Previews, Never or When Unlocked).
• From someone who picks up your unlocked phone: lock the Messages app with Face ID (touch and hold Messages, tap Require Face ID).
• From one person's conversation popping up: turn on Hide Alerts for that conversation, or use a Focus filter.
• For good: delete the conversation, then delete it again from Recently Deleted.

Method 1: Hide message previews on the Lock Screen#

By default, a new text shows who it's from and part of the message on your Lock Screen. Anyone near your phone can read it.

1. 1

   Open notification settings

   Open Settings, tap Notifications, then scroll down and tap Messages.
2. 2

   Tap Show Previews

   It may be called Lock Screen Appearance, then Show Previews, depending on your iOS version.
3. 3

   Choose When Unlocked or Never

   When Unlocked shows the text only after Face ID recognises you. Never hides it everywhere, so you see only "Message" and the sender's name.

To change previews for every app at once, use Show Previews at the top of Settings, Notifications instead. Choosing When Unlocked is the best everyday balance: you still read messages at a glance, but nobody else can.

Method 2: Lock the Messages app with Face ID#

On iOS 18 and later, you can make Messages ask for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens.

1. 1

   Touch and hold the Messages icon

   Hold it on your Home Screen until the menu opens.
2. 2

   Tap Require Face ID

   On iPhones without Face ID, it says Require Touch ID or Require Passcode.
3. 3

   Confirm

   Tap Require Face ID again and authenticate.

When Messages is locked, Apple says its content doesn't appear in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. Messages is a built-in app, so you can lock it but you can't move it to the Hidden folder. More on what locking does and doesn't hide in how to hide and lock apps on iPhone.

Method 3: Hide alerts from one conversation#

Hide Alerts stops one conversation from showing notifications, without blocking or deleting it.

1. 1

   Open Messages

   Find the conversation in your list.
2. 2

   Swipe left on it

   Tap the bell button. A crossed-out bell appears next to the conversation.

New messages still arrive and still appear in your conversation list, so this hides alerts, not the chat itself.

Method 4: Use a Focus filter to hide conversations#

A Focus filter changes which conversations the Messages list shows while a Focus is on. It's the closest built-in thing to hiding a chat from your list.

1. 1

   Open Focus settings

   Open Settings, tap Focus, then choose a Focus or tap the Add button to make a new one.
2. 2

   Add a Messages filter

   Scroll to Focus Filters, tap Add Filter, then tap Messages.
3. 3

   Filter by people

   Turn on Filter by People List. While this Focus is on, Messages shows only conversations with the people you allowed for it.

Turn on that Focus before you hand your phone to someone, and conversations with everyone else drop out of the list. Focus filters only apply on the iPhone where you set them up, and anyone holding your unlocked phone can switch the Focus off.

Method 5: Send a message with Invisible Ink#

For a single message, Invisible Ink blurs the text or photo until someone swipes over it. It's useful for something you're sending, not for hiding messages you've received.

1. 1

   Type your message

   In an iMessage conversation (blue bubbles).
2. 2

   Touch and hold the send arrow

   The effects screen opens.
3. 3

   Tap Invisible Ink, then send

   The message stays blurred on both phones until it's swiped.

Method 6: Delete messages for good#

If a conversation shouldn't be on your phone at all, delete it, then remove it from Recently Deleted. Deleted messages wait there for 30 to 40 days, where anyone with your passcode can recover them.

1. 1

   Delete the conversation

   In Messages, swipe left on the conversation and tap the Delete button, then confirm.
2. 2

   Open Recently Deleted

   On the conversations page, tap Edit (iOS 18 and later) or Filters, then tap Recently Deleted.
3. 3

   Delete it permanently

   Select the conversation and tap Delete, then confirm. It can't be recovered after this.

To stop old messages piling up, open Settings, Apps, Messages, tap Keep Messages, and choose 30 Days or 1 Year.

Who else can see your texts?#

The most common question on this topic is how someone else is seeing your texts. These are the usual answers, and how to check each.

• Messages in iCloud. If it's on, your conversations sync to every iPad and Mac signed in to your Apple Account. Hiding or locking Messages on your iPhone doesn't affect those devices. Check which devices are signed in: open Settings, tap your name, and scroll to the device list.
• A shared Apple Account. If you share an Apple Account with someone, they can see your iMessages on their own device. Each person should have their own account.
• Text Message Forwarding. In Settings, Apps, Messages, Text Message Forwarding lists the devices allowed to send and receive your SMS texts. Turn off any you don't recognise.
• Your passcode. Anyone who knows it can unlock your phone, turn previews back on and open a locked Messages app. If you've ever shared it, change it.
• Notification previews on other devices. A paired Apple Watch, iPad or Mac can show message previews too. Check notification settings on each.

Private messaging apps#

If built-in settings aren't enough, some messaging apps add their own protection:

• WhatsApp can lock individual chats behind Face ID or a secret code with Chat Lock, and move them to a separate locked folder.
• Signal has disappearing messages and its own screen lock, separate from your iPhone passcode.

Both still depend on how you lock your phone and who has access to your accounts, but they let you protect a single chat, which Messages can't.

What about photos people send you?#

Photos in a conversation stay in that conversation until you delete it, and if you saved them, they're in your Photos library too. If those photos are the private part, move them somewhere with its own lock. Our guide on how to hide photos on iPhone covers every option, from the Hidden album to a photo vault that doesn't open with your iPhone passcode.

Frequently asked questions#

Can you hide a text conversation on iPhone?

Not directly. iPhone has no hide or archive button for conversations. The closest options are a Focus filter, which shows only chosen conversations while a Focus is on, Hide Alerts for that chat, or locking the whole Messages app with Face ID.

How do I hide text messages without deleting them?

Lock Messages with Require Face ID, set Show Previews to When Unlocked or Never, and use Hide Alerts on the conversation. Your messages stay on your iPhone, but they're harder for someone else to see.

How do I hide messages on my iPhone Lock Screen?

Open Settings, Notifications, Messages, then Show Previews, and choose When Unlocked or Never.

Can I lock my messages with a password?

You can lock the Messages app with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode using Require Face ID. There's no separate password just for Messages. WhatsApp's Chat Lock can use a secret code that's different from your passcode.

How do I find hidden messages on iPhone?

Check conversations with Hide Alerts turned on (they show a crossed-out bell), turn off any Focus with a Messages filter, and look in Recently Deleted (Edit or Filters, then Recently Deleted) for deleted chats.

How secure is iMessage?

iMessage is end-to-end encrypted between Apple devices. That protects messages in transit, but anyone who can unlock your iPhone, or another device signed in to your Apple Account, can still read them.

The bottom line#

To hide texts on iPhone, set Show Previews to When Unlocked, lock Messages with Face ID, and use Hide Alerts or a Focus filter for chats you don't want popping up. Delete anything that shouldn't be on your phone, then empty Recently Deleted. And check where else your messages appear: Messages in iCloud and shared accounts are the most common way someone else sees them.