HushboxHow to Hide Photos on iPhone (2026 Guide)
There is no single "hide" button that fits everyone. The right method depends on who you are hiding photos from: a friend scrolling through your camera roll, a family member who shares your iPad, or someone who knows your iPhone passcode.
This guide walks through every built-in option, then explains when a separate vault app makes sense. A comparison table near the end puts them side by side.
Method 1: The Hidden album in Photos
The Hidden album is built into the Photos app. Hiding a photo removes it from your main library, your albums and the Photos widget, and moves it into a separate album.
How to hide a photo
- Open Photos and tap the photo or video you want to hide. To hide several, tap Select and pick them.
- Tap the More button (the circle with three dots).
- Tap Hide, then confirm.
How to find the Hidden album
In iOS 18, scroll down in Photos to the Utilities section and tap Hidden. In iOS 17, go to the Albums tab and scroll down to Utilities. Since iOS 16, the album is locked by default and opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode.
How to unhide a photo
- Open the Hidden album and unlock it.
- Open the photo and tap the More button.
- Tap Unhide. The photo returns to your library.
Method 2: Hide the Hidden album itself
The Hidden album still appears by name in Photos, which tells anyone looking that it exists. You can remove it from view:
- Open Settings.
- In iOS 18, go to Apps › Photos. In iOS 17, go to Photos.
- Turn off Show Hidden Album.
While you are on that screen, check that Use Face ID (or Use Touch ID or Use Passcode, depending on your device) is turned on. That setting keeps the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums locked.
To see your hidden photos again, turn the setting back on.
Method 3: Lock a note in Apple Notes
Apple Notes can lock individual notes, and a locked note can contain photos. You can choose to lock notes with your iPhone passcode or with a separate Notes password.
- Open Notes and create a new note.
- Tap the camera or attachment button and add a photo from your library.
- Tap the More button in the note and tap Lock.
- Follow the prompts to use your iPhone passcode or set a Notes password.
- Go back to Photos and delete the original, or it is still in your library.
Method 4: Lock the Photos app (iOS 18)
iOS 18 can require Face ID to open an app. This adds a check before anyone can browse Photos at all, which helps when you hand your phone to someone to look at one picture.
- On the Home Screen, touch and hold the Photos icon.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID on devices that have it).
- Confirm. Photos now asks for Face ID every time it opens.
Some apps can also be fully hidden with "Hide and Require Face ID", which moves them into a locked Hidden folder in the App Library. Not every built-in app offers that option.
Keep in mind that the passcode is the fallback. Anyone who knows your iPhone passcode can still open a locked app.
Method 5: A photo vault app
A vault app stores photos inside its own space, behind its own passcode. The better ones encrypt each file, so the photos are unreadable without that passcode. You import photos into the vault, check they arrived, then delete the originals from Photos.
A vault is worth it when the threat is someone who can unlock your phone: a partner who knows your passcode, a child on a shared iPad, or a phone you sometimes hand over unlocked. It is not worth it if you only want photos out of Memories and casual scrolling. The Hidden album already does that well.
Vaults have trade-offs. If you forget the vault passcode and lose any recovery key, the files are gone. And deleting a vault app deletes the vault, so export first. Our guide on what to check before trusting a vault app covers this in detail.
Comparison: which method stops whom?
| Method | Who can open it | Encrypted separately? | Works for videos? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden album | Anyone with your Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | No. Hidden is a flag on the photo | Yes |
| Hidden album, not shown | Same, once they turn the setting back on | No | Yes |
| Locked note | Anyone with your iPhone passcode, or your Notes password if you set one | Locked behind its own password if you choose one | No |
| Locked Photos app (iOS 18) | Anyone with your Face ID or iPhone passcode | No | Yes |
| Encrypted vault app | Only someone with the vault's own passcode or recovery key | Yes, if the app encrypts files | Usually |
A note on iCloud and Recently Deleted
With iCloud Photos turned on, hidden photos sync to your other devices and appear in the Hidden album there too. iCloud Photos are end-to-end encrypted only if you turn on Advanced Data Protection.
When you delete a photo from Photos, it moves to Recently Deleted for 30 days. That album is locked the same way as Hidden. To remove a photo for good sooner, delete it from Recently Deleted too.
How Hushbox does this
Hushbox is an encrypted photo vault for iPhone, coming soon to the App Store. It encrypts photos and videos on your device with AES-256-GCM, including file names, dates and thumbnails, and uses its own passcode, separate from your iPhone passcode, with optional Face ID. It stores originals at full quality, can remove the originals from Photos once the vault copy is verified, and lets you export everything to Files for free. No account, no servers, no ads. Learn more about Hushbox.
FAQ
Can someone see my hidden photos if they know my passcode?
Yes. The Hidden album, locked apps and passcode-locked notes all fall back to your iPhone passcode. Only a separate password or a vault with its own passcode stops someone who knows it.
Do hidden photos still show up in my library?
Hidden photos are removed from your main library, albums and the Photos widget. That makes the Hidden album a good fit for keeping photos out of everyday browsing.
Can I hide videos the same way as photos?
Yes, in the Hidden album and in vault apps that support video. Locked notes can't contain video.
What is the most private built-in option?
A note locked with a separate Notes password, because it doesn't open with your iPhone passcode. It only works for photos, not videos.