PHOTOS · UPDATED 3 NOVEMBER 2026

How to hide photos on iPhone

The quickest way to hide a photo on iPhone is the Hidden album, built into the Photos app. It removes the photo from your library view and, on recent iOS versions, locks it behind Face ID. What it does not do is give the photo a lock of its own. Here is how each option works and which one fits what you are trying to keep private.

The short answer

To get a photo out of sight: select it in Photos, tap the More button (•••), and choose Hide.
To stop people seeing the Hidden album at all: turn off Show Hidden Album in the Photos settings.
To keep a photo behind a lock that your iPhone passcode does not open: move it into a separate encrypted vault, then delete the original from Photos and from Recently Deleted.

Option 1: the Hidden album

Open Photos and select one or more photos or videos.
Tap the More button (•••), or touch and hold a single photo.
Choose Hide, then confirm.

The photo disappears from your Library, from albums, and from the Photos widget. You can find it again in Hidden, under Utilities in the Photos app. To bring it back, open it and choose Unhide.

On iOS 16 and later, the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are locked by default. Opening them needs Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. If you are not prompted, check that Use Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode) is turned on in Settings → Apps → Photos. On iOS 17 and earlier it is in Settings → Photos.

Option 2: hide the Hidden album too

In the same Photos settings, turn off Show Hidden Album. The album then disappears from the Photos app until you switch it back on. This is useful if you do not want the album itself to attract questions.

What the Hidden album does not do

The Hidden album is designed for tidiness, not secrecy. It is worth knowing its limits before you rely on it:

Your device passcode opens it. Anyone who knows your iPhone passcode, or who is handed the phone while it is unlocked and can pass Face ID as you, can see your hidden photos.
It is still part of your Photos library. With iCloud Photos turned on, hidden photos sync to your other Apple devices and live in iCloud, hidden there too.
It follows your library's sharing settings. If you use an iCloud Shared Photo Library, photos in the shared library are visible to its members. See keeping photos out of a Shared Library.

For many people this is enough. If the photo would cause real harm in the wrong hands, you probably want a lock that does not depend on your phone's passcode.

Option 3: a separate encrypted vault

A vault app keeps a separate copy of the photo outside your Photos library, encrypted, behind its own password, PIN, or pattern. Done properly, that means:

someone who knows your iPhone passcode still cannot open it,
the photo is not in iCloud Photos or shared libraries,
and the vault's contents are unreadable without its credential.

Look for an app that encrypts on the device and does not require an account. Our checklist for choosing an encrypted photo vault covers what to ask.

Hiding a photo in Vaultage

Open Vaultage and unlock your vault.
Tap the + button, then Import photos and videos, and select the photos.
Wait for the import to finish. Vaultage encrypts each item and stores the original byte-for-byte.
Back in Photos, delete the originals, then empty them from Recently Deleted. Vaultage does not delete anything from your library for you. How to delete photos permanently.

You can also take a photo or record a video directly inside Vaultage, so it never reaches your Photos library at all.

One trade-off to know first: Vaultage has no account and no password reset, and the vault is left out of iCloud backups. If you forget the vault password or lose the phone without an encrypted backup, the vault cannot be recovered. That is what keeps it private, including from us.

Which option should you use?

You want to…	Use
Tidy your library or avoid awkward scrolling	Hidden album
Keep photos away from someone who does not know your passcode	Hidden album with Face ID lock
Keep photos away from someone who knows your passcode	A separate encrypted vault
Keep photos out of iCloud and shared libraries	A local-only vault, then delete the originals

A quick private-photo checklist

Use a strong iPhone passcode, not one that is easy to watch you type.
Turn on the Face ID lock for Hidden and Recently Deleted.
Review iCloud Photos, shared albums, and Shared Library membership.
Check apps like WhatsApp that save photos automatically. See how to stop WhatsApp saving to Photos.
After moving photos to a vault, delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted.

FAQ

Does hiding a photo on iPhone delete it?

No. Hiding only moves the photo out of your main library view into the Hidden album. It stays on your device and in iCloud Photos if that is turned on.

Can someone else see my hidden photos?

Anyone who can unlock your iPhone, or who knows your passcode, can open the Hidden album. A separate vault with its own credential protects against that.

Are hidden photos backed up to iCloud?

Yes, if iCloud Photos or iCloud Backup is on. Hiding does not change what is backed up.

Does Vaultage remove photos from my library?

No. Vaultage imports a copy and leaves the original where it was. Delete it from Photos and Recently Deleted yourself once you have checked the import.