How to hide photos on iPhone.
Use Apple Photos’ Hidden collection to keep selected items out of your main library view. Here is how to use it and what the setting does—and does not—protect.
Quick answer: In Photos, open an item, tap the More button, then tap Hide. For several items, tap Select, choose them, tap More, then Hide. Hidden items move to the Hidden collection. That collection is locked by Face ID, Touch ID, or your iPhone passcode by default.
Hide one photo or video
- Open the item in the Photos app.
- Tap the More button (•••), then tap Hide.
- Confirm if your iPhone asks. The item moves to the Hidden collection and no longer appears in your library or other Photos collections.
Hide several items at once
- In Photos, open your library or a collection and tap Select.
- Choose the photos and videos, tap the More button, then tap Hide.
Find the Hidden collection or remove it from view
Open Photos and go to Collections. Under Utilities, tap Hidden, choose View Album, then authenticate. To make the Hidden collection itself disappear from Photos, open Settings → Apps → Photos and turn off Show Hidden Album. This hides the collection from view; it does not delete the items in it.
What the Hidden album does not do
- It is not a separate passcode. The collection uses your iPhone’s Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode. Anyone who can authenticate on your iPhone may be able to open it.
- It does not make an item disappear from every device or copy. If iCloud Photos is on, hiding an item also hides it on your other devices using the same Apple Account. Copies saved or shared elsewhere are separate.
- It is different from deletion. Hiding keeps the item in Photos. Deleting moves it to Recently Deleted, where Apple says it remains for 30 days unless you permanently delete it sooner.
- Turning off “Show Hidden Album” only removes the collection from view. It does not erase photos or create another encryption key.
For Apple’s complete, current instructions, see Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone.
When might a separate vault fit better?
The Hidden collection is convenient when you want selected items out of your main Photos library while keeping Apple Photos’ normal access and sync behavior. If you are looking for a separate space for photos, videos, and files, Ego is being developed for iPhone with iOS 26 or later. Its public App Store release has not launched. Read how Ego describes its on-device encrypted spaces and recovery limits before deciding whether its approach fits your needs.
Before moving anything: Hiding or importing an item does not necessarily remove copies from shared albums, messaging apps, Files, backups, or other devices. Check those locations separately if they matter to you. See how to control shared album access.
Deciding whether you need another app? Read our comparison of Hidden and a separate encrypted vault.
iPhone can also lock or hide an app as a whole. That device-level control does not move individual images out of Photos; see how app locking differs from photo privacy.
Before sending an image, you can also review what information accompanies it. See how to remove location from photos before sharing.
Photos widgets and Lock Screen wallpaper can still surface visible library images. See how to keep private photos off your Lock Screen and widgets.