"Hidden" means four different things on an iPhone. Some methods keep a photo out of your grid. One keeps it out of the hands of someone who knows your passcode. Pick based on who you're hiding it from.
Rank the four ways
| Method | Opens with your passcode? | Syncs to iCloud? | Own encryption? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hidden album | Yes | Yes, with iCloud Photos | No |
| 2. Locked note, passcode lock | Yes | Yes, with iCloud notes | Yes |
| 3. Locked note, separate password | No | Yes, with iCloud notes | Yes |
| 4. Vaulteo vault | No | Never | Yes, AES-256-GCM |
Use the Hidden album for clutter
- Open the photo, tap •••, tap Hide.
- Find it later in Photos, Utilities, Hidden.
- Keep Use Face ID on: Settings, Apps, Photos.
Hidden photos leave your library grid, Memories and widgets. Anyone with your passcode opens the album in two taps.
Lock a note with its own password
- In Notes, create a note and tap the camera icon to add photos or scans.
- Tap •••, then Lock.
- Choose Use Password, the separate notes password, over your iPhone passcode.
Notes encrypts locked notes. The note's title still shows in your list, so title it something dull.
Lock the Photos app itself
Since iOS 18 you can touch and hold the Photos icon, tap Require Face ID, and the app asks for Face ID every time it opens. Your passcode still works as a fallback, and your whole library stays visible to anyone who gets in.
Seal photos in a vault with its own key
A vault app with real encryption takes your photo out of Photos completely. In Vaulteo:
- Draw a pattern to create a vault.
- Tap Add and pick the photos, or shoot new ones with the private camera.
- Let Vaulteo delete the originals, then empty Recently Deleted.
Each photo now sits sealed with a key made from your pattern. Your passcode opens nothing, iCloud holds no copy, and a second pattern opens a decoy vault.
Clean up after you hide
- Empty Recently Deleted. iOS keeps deleted photos there for 30 days.
- Check Shared Albums and Shared Library for copies.
- Search your chats for photos you sent yourself.
- Run Vaulteo's camera-roll check to catch IDs, cards and seed phrases you missed.