Hidy VaultHow to lock photos on iPhone in 2026: 3 ways compared
To lock photos on iPhone, hide them: they move to the Hidden album, which iOS locks with Face ID by default. To lock them with something other than your iPhone passcode, move them into an encrypted vault app.
- Lock photos: Photos > touch and hold a photo > Hide. Then check that Settings > Apps > Photos > Use Face ID is on.
- Lock the Photos app: touch and hold the Photos icon > Require Face ID (iOS 18 and later).
- Catch: both open with your iPhone passcode. For a separate lock, use a vault with its own pattern or code.
1. Lock photos in the Hidden album (built in)
Hiding a photo moves it out of your Library, your other albums and the Photos widget into the Hidden album. On iOS 16 and later, that album is locked by default.
- Open Photos, then touch and hold the photo or video.
- Tap Hide and confirm. To hide several at once, tap Select, pick the photos, then tap the More button and Hide.
- To view them later, go to Collections, scroll to Utilities, tap Hidden, then View Album and unlock with Face ID or Touch ID.
Two settings matter, both in Settings > Apps > Photos:
- Use Face ID (or Touch ID, or Passcode) keeps the Hidden and Recently Deleted collections locked. Leave it on.
- Show Hidden Album removes the album from view entirely when you turn it off.
Source: Apple, Hide photos with the Hidden album and Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone.
2. Lock the whole Photos app
Since iOS 18 you can require Face ID to open any app, including Photos. Use this if you hand your phone to people and do not want them scrolling your library.
- On the Home Screen, touch and hold the Photos icon.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID, or Passcode), then confirm.
Photos relocks every time you quit it. Apple also keeps a locked app's content out of search, notification previews and Siri suggestions. Built-in apps like Photos can be locked but not hidden, so the icon stays on your Home Screen. The lock applies to that iPhone only and does not sync through iCloud (Apple: Lock or hide an app).
What the built-in locks don't protect
Both built-in options unlock with the same thing that unlocks your iPhone. If Face ID fails, your iPhone passcode opens the Hidden album and a locked Photos app. Anyone who knows your passcode, such as a partner, a child or someone who watched you type it, can open them.
Hidden photos also stay in your normal photo library. With iCloud Photos on, they are hidden on every device signed in to your Apple Account, and also available on every one of them. Whoever uses a shared iPad or an old Mac still signed in to your account can open them with that device's passcode or password.
That's fine for keeping photos out of a casual scroll. It's not enough when the person you need privacy from knows your passcode, or uses a device on your account.
Hidy Vault keeps photos, videos and documents in encrypted spaces that open only with a pattern you choose, separate from your iPhone passcode. No account and no Hidy server. Free for 3 vaults.
3. Move photos into an encrypted vault
A vault app keeps its own copies of your photos outside the Photos library, behind its own lock. Here's how it works in Hidy Vault:
- Install Hidy Vault. Get Hidy Vault for iPhone and open it. There is no account or email to set up.
- Draw a pattern. On the 5×5 grid, connect at least six dots. That pattern opens your vault. A different pattern opens a different, empty space, and the lock screen never lists which vaults exist.
- Import from Photos. Hidy encrypts the copies with AES-256-GCM, including file names and thumbnails. You can also import from Files, take photos with Hidy's own camera (those never reach your library), write notes and make folders.
- Delete the originals. After an import, Hidy offers to delete the originals from Photos. iOS asks you to confirm, then keeps them in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days. Empty Recently Deleted if you want them gone sooner.
- Lock it. Tap Lock, or just leave the app. Hidy locks as soon as it goes to the background.
- Save a recovery phrase. In Settings, create the vault's 12-word recovery phrase and keep it outside the app. Then make an encrypted backup. See how to back up and recover a vault.
The trade-off is real: Hidy cannot reset a forgotten pattern. If you lose both the pattern and the recovery phrase, nobody can open that vault, including us. The security page lists exactly what Hidy's encryption covers and what it doesn't.
Side by side
| Hidden album | Locked Photos app | Hidy Vault | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlocks with | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | Its own pattern, per vault |
| Opens with your iPhone passcode | Yes | Yes | No |
| Photos stay in your library | Yes, in Hidden | Yes | No, encrypted copies inside Hidy |
| Separate private spaces | No | No | Yes, one per pattern |
| Sync | iCloud Photos, all devices | Lock is this iPhone only | Optional encrypted iCloud backup |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free for 3 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos each |
Which should you use?
Use the Hidden album to keep a few photos out of your main library and out of slideshows. Add the Photos app lock if you often hand your phone to someone. Use a vault when someone close to you knows your passcode, or when the photos are documents, IDs or anything you'd regret leaking.
New to Hidy? Start with your first encrypted vault.
If you are weighing a pattern against a PIN or Face ID, see pattern lock vs PIN vs Face ID.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a password on a single photo on iPhone?
Not one photo at a time. iOS locks the whole Hidden album or the whole Photos app. To give a set of photos its own lock, move them into a vault app with a separate code or pattern.
Can someone with my iPhone passcode open my Hidden album?
Yes. Apple lets the Hidden album be unlocked with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, so anyone who knows the passcode can open it. A locked Photos app works the same way.
Do hidden photos stay hidden on my other devices?
If you use iCloud Photos, a photo you hide on one device is hidden on your other devices too. It is still part of the same iCloud Photos library.
What happens if I forget my Hidy Vault pattern?
Use that vault's 12-word recovery phrase from the lock screen settings. Without the pattern or a valid recovery phrase, Hidy support cannot reset the encryption.
Is Hidy Vault free?
The free plan includes 3 vaults, each with up to 100 photos and 10 videos. Documents, notes, recovery and backups are included. Paid plans remove the limits. See pricing.
