How to hide photos on iPhone

There are three realistic ways to hide photos on an iPhone. They do not protect the same things, so pick by what you are worried about.

1. The Hidden album in Photos

Select the photos, tap the menu, then Hide. They move to the Hidden album, which is locked with Face ID or your iPhone passcode.

• Good: built in, free, nothing to install.
• Limits: anyone who knows your iPhone passcode can open it. If iCloud Photos is on, hidden photos are still uploaded to iCloud and appear on your other devices.

2. A locked note

In Notes, add a photo to a note and lock the note with a password.

• Good: a separate password from your iPhone passcode.
• Limits: slow for more than a few photos, no real gallery, and notes usually sync to iCloud.

3. A photo vault app

A vault app keeps photos inside the app, behind its own passcode. Check two things before trusting one: where the photos are stored, and whether it needs an account.

Lockal stores photos on the iPhone only, never in a cloud, with no account. It locks as soon as you leave the app and offers to delete the originals from Photos.

Which one to choose

• You only want photos out of the main grid: the Hidden album is enough.
• Someone knows your iPhone passcode: use a vault with its own passcode.
• You do not want the photos in iCloud at all: use a vault that stores them on the device only.

Do not forget Recently Deleted

Whatever you choose, photos you delete from Photos stay 30 days in Recently Deleted. Empty it.