Do hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone?
With iCloud Photos on, your library comes down from iCloud on the new phone, and Apple says photos you hide on one device are hidden on your others, so they follow. Apple's transfer pages do not mention the Hidden album, so we cannot promise any other route behaves the same way. Check the album after the move.
Three ways to move to a new iPhone
Apple lists three methods: Quick Start, which sets up the new device from your old one; a restore from a backup in iCloud; and a restore from a backup made with the Apple Devices app, iTunes or Finder. Apple's pages on those methods do not describe the Hidden album.
What Apple does say is about photos in general. With iCloud Photos on, photos and videos are not in the nightly backup because they sync, and after a restore they come back through iCloud Photos. If iCloud Photos was off, the backup may include them and they download in the background during the restore.
What to check afterwards
- On the new phone, open Settings, your name, iCloud, Photos and confirm that "Sync this iPhone" is on if that is what you want.
- Stay on Wi-Fi and plugged in until downloads finish. Apple says the time depends on backup size and network speed.
- Open Photos, go to Collections, then Hidden under Utilities, and unlock it. If you cannot find it, check Settings, Apps, Photos, "Show Hidden Album". See hidden photos disappeared on iPhone.
- Count a few photos you know were hidden. Do not erase the old phone until you have seen them.
What this does not cover
A StrongRoom Vault does not travel by any of these routes. Its data is excluded from iCloud and computer backups and is tied to the phone, so a copy of the app's files is useless elsewhere. To move a Vault you make an Export Package on the old phone and restore it on the new one with the 12-word Recovery Phrase. Read transfer a photo vault to a new iPhone.
| Route | Photos | A StrongRoom Vault |
|---|---|---|
| iCloud Photos on | Come back through iCloud | Not included |
| Quick Start or restored backup | Depends on iCloud Photos | Not included |
| Export Package + Recovery Phrase | Not relevant | Restores it |
Related: Hidden photos in iPhone backups and is the Hidden album secure.
Related reading
- Hidden photos disappeared on iPhone
- Transfer a photo vault to a new iPhone
- What StrongRoom does not protect against
- Hidden photos in iPhone backups
- Is the Hidden album secure
Frequently asked questions
Will my hidden photos show on my new iPhone?
With iCloud Photos on, Apple says photos hidden on one device are hidden on your others, so they should appear in the Hidden album. Check it after the move.
Does Quick Start move photos?
Apple says it sets up a new device from your old one; whether a given photo arrives depends on iCloud Photos.
Does a StrongRoom Vault transfer automatically?
No. Use an Export Package and the Recovery Phrase.
Sources
- Transfer data from your previous iOS or iPadOS device to your new iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- What does iCloud back up? (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- If you're missing information after you restore your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- Hide photos on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Vision Pro with the Hidden album (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.