Image credit: Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious
If you have photos or videos on your iPhone that you don't want other people to stumble across, you can move them to Apple's Hidden album in the Photos app. Hidden items no longer appear in your main photo library, other albums, or the Photos widget on your Home Screen.
On iPhones running iOS 16 or later, the Hidden album is locked by default and requires Face ID, Touch ID, or your iPhone passcode to open. You can also hide the Hidden album itself so it doesn't appear in the Photos app at all.
Your Hidden collection has stronger protection than simply keeping photos out of view. However, keep in mind that it uses your iPhone's existing authentication process rather than a separate password. Someone who knows your passcode may still be able to view those photos.
Beginning with iOS 16, Apple blocked apps from accessing hidden photos while Hidden album authentication is enabled. Specialized forensic tools used by law enforcement, such as Cellebrite, may have capabilities beyond those available to normal apps. We were not able to determine from publicly available information whether these tools can bypass Apple's Hidden album authentication on current versions of iOS.
How to hide photos on your iPhone
To hide a single photo or video in your iPhone library:
- Open the Photos app.
- Find the photo or video you want to hide.
- Touch and hold the photo or video.
- Tap Hide.
- Confirm that you want to hide the item.
The photo or video moves to the Hidden album and no longer appears elsewhere in Photos.
Image credit: Screenshot by Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious
If you want to hide multiple photos or videos at once, tap Select, choose the items you want to hide, tap the Menu icon (triple dots), and select Hide.
Image credit: Screenshot by Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious
Where are hidden photos on an iPhone?
Hidden photos are stored in the Hidden collection under Utilities in the Photos app.
To find them:
- Open Photos.
- Tap Collections.
- Scroll down to Utilities.
- Tap Hidden.
- Tap View Album and authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
The Hidden collection is locked by default on current versions of iOS. You can confirm that your Hidden album is protected by going to Settings > Apps > Photos > Albums where you'll see Use Face ID, Use Touch ID, or Use Passcode toggled on, depending on your iPhone.
Is the Hidden album on iPhone really private?
The Hidden album provides a useful layer of privacy, but it isn't a completely separate secure vault.
On iOS 16 and later, Apple locks both the Hidden and Recently Deleted collections by default. They can be opened with Face ID, Touch ID, or your iPhone passcode. That means someone who doesn't know your passcode and can't authenticate biometrically shouldn't be able to open your Hidden album. However, someone who knows your iPhone passcode may still be able to access it.
Apple does not let you set a separate password specifically for the Hidden album.
How to hide the Hidden album itself
If you'd rather not have the Hidden collection appear in Photos at all, you can remove it from view.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Photos.
- Turn off Show Hidden Album.
Your hidden photos and videos are not deleted. The Hidden collection simply disappears from the Photos app. To make it visible again, return to Settings > Apps > Photos > Albums and turn Show Hidden Album back on. This setting is protected by Use Face ID, Use Touch ID, or Use Passcode, depending on your iPhone.
Image credit: Screenshot by Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious
Can you turn off Face ID for hidden photos?
Yes. The Hidden and Recently Deleted collections are locked by default, but Apple lets you turn that protection off.
Go to Settings > Apps > Photos then turn off Use Face ID, Use Touch ID, or Use Passcode, depending on your iPhone.
I recommend leaving this protection turned on. If you disable it, anyone who can open your Photos app can also open the Hidden and Recently Deleted collections.
Image credit: Screenshot by Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious
Do hidden photos sync with iCloud?
Yes. If you use iCloud Photos, hiding a photo or video on one device also hides it on your other Apple devices signed into the same Apple Account.
The photo is still stored in iCloud Photos. Hiding it simply changes where it appears in the Photos app and places it in the protected Hidden collection.
So if you hide a photo on your iPhone, it will also be hidden on your iPad or Mac if those devices are using the same iCloud Photos library.
How to unhide photos on your iPhone
If you want to return a hidden photo or video to your regular library:
- Open Photos.
- Tap Collections.
- Scroll down and tap Hidden under Utilities.
- Tap View Album.
- Authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
- Touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore.
- Tap Unhide.
The item will return to your regular Photos library.
Image credit: Screenshot by Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious
What is the difference between hiding and deleting a photo?
Hiding a photo keeps it in your Photos library but removes it from normal view and places it in the locked Hidden collection.
Deleting a photo moves it to Recently Deleted, where Apple keeps it for 30 days before permanently deleting it unless you erase it manually sooner. The Recently Deleted collection is also locked by default with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
So if your goal is simply to keep a photo private while preserving it, use Hide rather than Delete.
Can hidden iPhone photos be imported to a Mac or PC?
On current versions of iOS, hidden photos are excluded from import to a Mac or PC when authentication protection for Photos is enabled. That helps prevent someone with physical access to your unlocked iPhone from simply importing your hidden photos through a computer.
How to find the Hidden album if it disappears
If you don't see the Hidden collection under Utilities, it may simply be turned off.
Go to Settings > Apps > Photos and turn on Show Hidden Album. Then return to Photos > Collections > Utilities, where Hidden should appear again.
Apple also lets you reorder collections in the Photos app, so the exact location of Utilities may vary depending on how you've customized Photos.
How iPhone's Hidden album compares with Android
Android phones offer similar privacy features, but they work differently. Google Photos uses a Locked Folder, while Samsung Galaxy phones use Secure Folder, which creates a separate protected space for photos, apps, and other files.
If you also use Android devices, see our guide to how to hide photos on Android.
Fully updated on 10/8/2026 to reflect latest iPhone and iOS features.
