Keep the Hidden album locked
The Hidden album keeps photos and videos out of your library, and the Photos app locks the Hidden album by default. To check that the lock is on:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps, then tap Photos.
- Tap Albums. If you don’t see Albums, go to the next step.
- Check that Use Face ID is on. If the switch is off, tap the switch to turn it on. (Some iPhones say Use Touch ID or Use Passcode.)
With the switch on, the Hidden album asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode before the album opens. So does the Recently Deleted album, where deleted photos wait for 30 days. To find both albums, tap Collections in the Photos app, then scroll to Utilities. To move photos into the Hidden album, follow How to hide photos on iPhone.
Lock the whole Photos app
On iOS 18 or later, you can lock most apps, including Photos. A locked Photos app asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode when you open Photos. To see your iOS version, open the Settings app and tap General, then Software Update. Looking there doesn’t install anything.
- Go to your Home Screen.
- Touch and hold the Photos app until a menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID. (Some iPhones say Require Touch ID or Require Passcode.)
- A box opens and asks you to confirm. Tap the same choice again in that box.
- Use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
Apple says a locked app’s content also stays out of search and notification previews. Apple’s steps for locking an app
Lock photos in a note
The Notes app can lock a note. A locked note can hold photos, but a note with a video in it can’t be locked. A locked note opens with your iPhone passcode, or with a password just for Notes. The title of a locked note still shows in the notes list.
- Open the Notes app.
- Tap the New Note button (a square with a pencil).
- Type a title on the first line. The title stays visible after you lock the note.
- Tap the Attachments button (a paper clip), then choose your photos.
- Tap the Note Actions button (three dots), then tap Lock. Lock adds a lock to the note, but the note stays open.
- The first time, choose how your notes lock: with your iPhone passcode, or with a password just for Notes. If others know your passcode, choose a Notes password. If you forget a Notes password, Apple can’t help you open notes locked with it.
- To lock the note now, tap the lock icon at the top of the note.
- To check the note, go back to the notes list and tap the note. Tap View Note, then use the passcode or Notes password you chose in step 6. Check that your photos are there.
- In the Photos app, delete the original photos. Then delete them again in Recently Deleted: tap Collections, then scroll to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted. After this, the locked note holds the only copy of these photos, so if you forget a Notes password, nobody can open these photos. With Apple’s iCloud Photos, the originals are deleted on your other devices too.
To let Face ID open your locked notes, open the Settings app and tap Apps, then Notes, then Password, and turn on Face ID.
What these locks don’t do
These locks are built in and free, but each lock has limits:
- Anyone who knows your passcode can open the Hidden album. The same passcode opens a locked Photos app too.
- Locking the Photos app needs iOS 18 or later. On iOS 17, you can still lock the Hidden album and notes.
- Notes can’t lock videos. A note with a video, a recording, a PDF or a document in it can’t be locked.
- An app lock doesn’t reach your other devices. Locking Photos on your iPhone doesn’t lock Photos on your iPad. With iCloud Photos, your photos are on your other devices too.
If you’re the only one who knows your passcode, Apple’s locks may be all you need. If others know your passcode, change your passcode in the Settings app, lock your photos in a note with a Notes password, or use a vault app. About to hand your iPhone to someone? Go through our checklist first.
A separate lock for your photos
A vault app keeps photos behind a lock of its own. Underlock is the vault app we make: a private vault on your iPhone for photos, videos, files and notes. Underlock opens with a pattern you draw, not your iPhone passcode or Face ID.
Underlock is coming soon to the App Store. Here’s how it will work.
- Open Underlock. Tap Get started.
- Draw a pattern on the grid, connecting at least 6 dots. Then draw the same pattern again. (Prefer to type a few words instead? Tap Use a passphrase instead before you draw.)
- Write down the 12 words Underlock shows you. These 12 words are your recovery phrase: they get you back in if you forget your pattern or passphrase. Keep the paper somewhere safe.
- Underlock then asks for 3 of your words, such as words 3, 7 and 11. For each one, tap the matching word on the screen.
- Tap Add (the plus at the bottom right), then Import from Photos. Choose your photos.
- Keep Underlock open until the import finishes. Leaving Underlock stops the import, but files already imported stay in your vault.
- When Underlock asks about the originals, tap Remove. Confirm when your iPhone asks. The originals then wait in Recently Deleted in the Photos app for 30 days, so nothing is lost yet. If you use Apple’s iCloud Photos, the originals also move to Recently Deleted on your other devices.
- Check that your photos are in your vault. Then delete the originals from Recently Deleted in the Photos app. Anyone with your passcode can open Recently Deleted.
If you lose both your pattern and your 12 words, nobody can open your vault, not even us. By default, your vault locks the moment you leave Underlock, and you can also tap Lock at the top right.
Questions people ask
Yes. The Hidden album is locked by default, and on iOS 18 or later you can lock the whole Photos app. You can also lock photos in a note. The Hidden album and a locked Photos app open with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode.
Use a note: the Notes app can lock notes with a password just for Notes, instead of your iPhone passcode. The Photos app has no password of its own. For photos and videos, Underlock opens with a pattern you draw. If you’d rather type, choose a passphrase at setup: a few words, like a short sentence you’ll remember.
Use a note locked with a Notes password, or a vault app like Underlock. On an iPhone with Face ID, the Hidden album and a locked Photos app always accept Face ID. Turning off Use Face ID doesn’t help: that switch turns off the whole lock, so the Hidden album opens without asking. A Notes password works without Face ID, and Underlock doesn’t use Face ID at all.
No. An app lock works only on the iPhone where you set it. With iCloud Photos, your photos are on your iPad and Mac too, and the Hidden album opens there with that device’s own lock.
Yes. Underlock is free forever: one vault, no file limit. If the free plan ever changes, you keep the plan you started with. More vaults come with Pro, Underlock’s paid plan.
