VaultShield vs. the iPhone Hidden album
The Hidden album is free and already on your iPhone. VaultShield adds a lock of its own. Here is what each one protects, so you can pick the right one.
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Hidden album
VaultShield
- Opens with
- Your iPhone passcodeYour own pattern
- Lives in
- The Photos appIts own encrypted vault
- Encryption
- Your iPhone's built-inEach file, before it's stored
At a glance
The short answer
Which one should you use?
Stick with the Hidden album if
- Nobody else knows your iPhone passcode
- You want hidden photos on your Mac and iPad too
- You'd rather not install anything
Choose VaultShield if
- Someone else knows your passcode or uses your phone
- You want a lock that is separate from your iPhone
- You want folders with their own locks, or a disguised app icon
Side by side
| Feature | Hidden album | VaultShield |
|---|---|---|
| Access | ||
| Opens with | Limited: Your iPhone passcode, Face ID or Touch ID | Offered: A separate pattern, with optional Face ID on top |
| Someone who knows your passcode | Limited: Can open it | Offered: Still needs your pattern |
| Storage | ||
| Where photos live | Limited: Inside the Photos app | Offered: In their own vault, apart from Photos |
| Folders | Limited: One album | Offered: Folders, each with its own lock |
| Camera | Limited: Photos land in your library first, then you hide them | Offered: In-app camera saves straight to the vault |
| Other devices | Offered: Syncs to iPad and Mac with iCloud Photos | Limited: iPhone and iPad, restored from encrypted iCloud backup |
| Privacy | ||
| Encryption | Limited: Your iPhone's built-in protection | Offered: Each file encrypted with XChaCha20-Poly1305 before it is stored |
| Cloud copy | Limited: iCloud Photos; end-to-end encrypted only with Advanced Data Protection | Offered: Optional encrypted iCloud backup that can't be opened without your vault key |
| Visible on your phone | Limited: Listed in Photos unless you turn it off in Settings | Offered: Optional look-alike Home Screen icon |
| Account | Offered: None (Apple Account only for iCloud sync) | Offered: No account |
In detail
The differences that matter
01Who can open it
Hidden album
The Hidden album uses your iPhone's own lock. If Face ID fails, it falls back to your passcode, so anyone who knows that passcode can open it.
VaultShield
VaultShield always asks for its own pattern. Face ID can be added as an extra step, but it never replaces the pattern. Knowing your iPhone passcode isn't enough.
02Where your photos end up
Hidden album
Hidden photos stay in the Photos app, and with iCloud Photos on they sync to every device signed in to your Apple Account.
VaultShield
Photos are encrypted into a vault on your iPhone, apart from Photos. The vault is left out of device backups. A copy only goes to iCloud if you turn on the encrypted backup.
03What happens if you forget
Hidden album
Forget your passcode and you recover your iPhone the usual way, through Apple.
VaultShield
Forget your pattern and you use your 24-word recovery phrase. Lose both and nobody can open the vault, including us. That is the cost of a lock only you hold.
In fairness
Where the Hidden album wins
It's free and already there
No download, no setup. Select a photo, tap Hide, done.
It's on your Mac too
With iCloud Photos, hidden photos follow you to your iPad and Mac. VaultShield runs on iPhone and iPad.
Nothing new to remember
It uses the passcode you already know. A vault means one more pattern and a recovery phrase to keep safe.
Switching
Moving photos to VaultShield
- 1
Import your photos
In VaultShield, add photos and videos from your library. If hidden ones don't show up, unhide them in Photos first.
- 2
Remove the originals
After importing, VaultShield offers to remove the originals from Photos. iOS asks you to confirm, and they move to Recently Deleted.
- 3
Empty Recently Deleted
Open Recently Deleted in Photos and delete them there too, so no copy is left behind.
FAQ
Common questions
It keeps photos out of your library and needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to open. But it has no lock of its own, so anyone who knows your iPhone passcode can open it.
Read the full guideYes. They don't interfere with each other. Some people keep everyday photos in the Hidden album and move the most private ones into VaultShield.
Not yet. VaultShield runs on iPhone and iPad. If you need hidden photos on a Mac, the Hidden album with iCloud Photos does that.
Use the 24-word recovery phrase you were shown when you set up the vault, then choose a new pattern. If you lose both, nobody can open the vault, including us.
Not with a normal iPhone transfer, because the vault is left out of device backups. Turn on the encrypted iCloud backup, then restore on the new iPhone with your recovery phrase.