Voice Unlock
Home › Guides

How to hide photos and videos on iPhone

Updated October 4, 2026

Whether it's ID scans, medical photos, gift surprises or simply personal pictures, there are good reasons to keep some photos and videos out of your main library. Here are three ways to hide them on iPhone, from the simplest to the most private.

1. Use the Hidden album in Photos

  1. Select the photos or videos in the Photos app.
  2. Tap the ••• button › Hide, then confirm.
  3. Find them later in Photos › Utilities › Hidden. The album is locked with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode by default (Settings › Apps › Photos › Use Face ID).

Good: built in, free, syncs with iCloud Photos. Limits: it opens with your iPhone passcode, so anyone who knows the passcode can see everything in it. The photos are also still part of your library: shared albums, backups and other devices signed in to your Apple Account include them.

2. Put them in a locked note

You can add photos to a note in the Notes app and lock that note (open the note › ••• › Lock). Notes can use your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password. It works in a pinch, but browsing many photos or videos in a note is awkward, and you still need to delete the originals from Photos.

3. Move them into an encrypted photo vault

A vault app takes photos and videos out of your library and keeps them in its own encrypted storage, behind its own lock. With Voice Unlock & App Locker:

  1. Open the Photos or Videos tab and tap +.
  2. Pick the items in the system photo picker. Each one is encrypted with AES-256-GCM before it's saved on your iPhone.
  3. Choose whether to delete the originals from your Photos library. iOS asks you to confirm.
  4. Open the vault by saying your secret phrase, or with Face ID or your PIN. Tap any item to view it full screen, pinch to zoom, play videos, or share a copy when you choose.

Good: separate PIN and voice phrase, nothing in your library or iCloud, the vault locks as soon as you leave and stays covered in the app switcher. Limits: vault items are not backed up — if you delete the app or lose your iPhone, they're gone. Keep a copy of anything irreplaceable somewhere safe.

Which should you choose?

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Hidden album on iPhone?

Open the Photos app and scroll down to Utilities (on older iOS, Albums › Utilities). The Hidden album is there and unlocks with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode.

Can someone see my hidden photos?

Anyone who can unlock your iPhone with your passcode can open the Hidden album, because it uses the same passcode. Photos kept in an encrypted vault app with its own PIN stay locked even when the iPhone itself is unlocked.

Do hidden photos sync to iCloud?

Yes. If iCloud Photos is on, hidden photos sync to your other Apple devices and stay hidden there. Photos moved into the Voice Unlock vault are stored only on that iPhone and are not backed up, so keep a copy of anything you can't afford to lose.

Can I hide videos too?

Yes. The Hidden album, the Notes app and the Voice Unlock vault all support videos. In Voice Unlock, videos have their own tab and play inside the app.

Try Voice Unlock & App Locker

Lock apps with your voice and keep photos, videos and notes encrypted. Free, no account, no ads.

Download on the App Store

More guides

How to lock apps on iPhone

Face ID app lock, Screen Time limits, Shortcuts and app lockers compared, with steps for each.

Unlock apps with your voice on iPhone

How voice-phrase unlock works, choosing a good phrase, and when to use Face ID instead.

How to lock notes on iPhone

The built-in Notes lock vs encrypted secret notes, and tips for storing passwords.