Do you have some pictures on your iPhone that you want to keep extra private? Maybe they‘re for your eyes only, intended as a surprise gift for someone, or too embarrassing to have out in the open. We all have certain photos that we don‘t necessarily want exposed in our everyday camera rolls.
Luckily, smartphones nowadays have ways to easily conceal pictures you want to keep hidden. On the iPhone specifically, Apple provides the native Hidden album feature right within its Photos app.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through exactly how to hide private photos on your iPhone, as well as unhide them later on. I‘ll also compare some alternative third-party "vault" apps you can use. My goal is to equip you with everything you need to keep your sensitive iPhone photos locked down and invisible until you want to access them again.
Why Hide Photos on Your iPhone?
Before we dive into the step-by-step instructions, let‘s discuss a few common reasons you may want to hide photos in the first place:
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Privacy – You likely have personal or intimate photos that you don‘t want others casually swiping through should they borrow your phone. Hiding them is gives you control over privacy.
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Gift Surprises – Maybe you have some photos setting up a baby nursery or engagement ring that are intended as a surprise for someone. Concealing them ensures they don‘t ruin the surprise if seen prematurely.
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Embarrassing Images – We all have some silly, unflattering, or downright embarrassing photos in our camera rolls. Keep them out of sight in the Hidden folder avoids inadvertent awkwardness!
According to a 2021 survey, over 65% of iPhone users leverage private photo albums or vault apps. So you‘re certainly not alone if wanting to hide pictures! For maintaining privacy in today‘s digital age, having this control is more important than ever.
And now with iOS 16, Apple has made it even simpler to keep prying eyes away from your private images…
What‘s New in iOS 16?
Previously, photos saved in your Hidden album within the Photos app could be easily accessed by anyone simply opening that album. But iOS 16 added an authentication layer requiring your iPhone‘s Face ID or passcode to view any hidden photos:
| Photo Hiding / Viewing Method | Requires Authentication |
|---|---|
| Native Hidden Album in iOS 15 & earlier |
No |
| Native Hidden Album in iOS 16 |
Yes, Face ID or Passcode |
| Third-Party Vault Apps | Yes |
This upgraded security gives you confidence that should anyone else pickup your phone, they won‘t be able to access your concealed pictures without explicitly knowing your passcode.
Next let‘s get into the exact steps for utilizing this native Hidden album on your iPhone running iOS 16…
How to Hide Photos on iPhone
Hiding private photos only takes seconds:
Step 1: Open the Photos App
On your iPhone‘s home screen, tap to launch the Photos app with the multi-colored logo:
Once launched, you‘ll see the various albums and organized photos.
Step 2: Choose Photos to Hide
Navigate to the specific album containing the photos you want to conceal. This is often your Camera Roll or Recents folder for newly taken shots.
Then tap Select in the upper right. Now tap each individual photo you want to hide. A check-mark icon will appear on each selected picture:
To rapidly choose an entire sequence, touch-hold the first image you want, then drag down and across to automatically select them all!
Step 3: Move Photos to Hidden Space
With your private photos selected, click the share icon (box with upward arrow) at screen bottom. From the menu pop-up, choose Hide.
On the confirmation prompt, tap Hide Photo to complete the process.
Your selected photos now reside solely within your private Hidden album!
Step 4: View Hidden Album
To access your concealed pictures at any time, go to the Albums tab in Photos and scroll down to Utilities at the very bottom.
Here you‘ll find the Hidden album. Tap to view the photos within. Remember iOS 16 now requires confirming your identity with Face ID or passcode at this point!
And that‘s it! With just those few taps, you‘ve securely stashed private photos away into your Hidden space where no one else can access them.
Pretty straightforward right? Now let‘s look at reversing the process…
Unhiding Hidden Photos
Need to pull a photo back out from your private Hidden album? Just follow these same steps in reverse:
- Go to Hidden album and authenticate with Face ID/passcode
- Tap Select, choose the photos you want to unhide
- Tap share icon, then choose Unhide
- Photos return to their original album again!
Comparing Top Photo Hiding Apps
Besides the native Photos approach, there are a variety of third-party "vault" apps allowing you to conceal private pictures:
| App | Storage Space | Authentication Required | Overall Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Photos | Unlimited | Face ID/Passcode in iOS 16 | Strongest protection with tight OS/hardware integration |
| KeepSafe Photo Vault | Unlimited | Fingerprint/PIN code/pattern | Excellent independent vault protection |
| Photo Locker | ~100 photos | Pattern code | Just OK – lacks advanced security features |
| Photo Vault | ~2 GB | None initially | Poor security makes photos accessible |
Based on multiple expert reviews, the built-in Photos hidden feature generally provides the greatest combination of storage space, security protections, accessibility, and ease-of-use.
But the KeepSafe Vault app ranked highest for best 3rd party option due to storage limits in other apps and inferior security mechanisms.
So in summary, I recommend leveraging the native Photos approach first due to Apple tight integration for hiding photos easily while keeping them truly inaccessible. But power users with extremely private content may want an additional strong vault app like KeepSafe for absolute certainty nothing gets exposed accidentally.
Give one or both options a try for yourself and let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help you find the best ways to keep private photos private on your iPhone.
