Are hidden photos in an iPhone backup?
It depends on iCloud Photos. Apple says that with iCloud Photos on, your photos and videos sync to iCloud and are left out of the daily device backup. With iCloud Photos off, a device backup may include the photos and videos in your Photos or Camera Roll. Apple's pages do not single out the Hidden album, so this guide does not either.
Two ways iCloud protects photos
Apple distinguishes syncing from backing up. iCloud Photos syncs your library, so a change on one device shows up on the others. A device backup is a separate snapshot of the phone. Apple's page on what iCloud backs up says that with iCloud Photos, your photos, videos and face information "aren't included in your daily backup" because they sync. Without it, the backup "may include photos and videos in your Photos or Camera Roll".
So a hidden photo is not in a backup of its own. It is in the synced library if iCloud Photos is on, or it may be in the device backup if iCloud Photos is off.
How to check what you are storing
- Open Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, then tap Photos. If "Sync this iPhone" is on, your photos are stored in iCloud Photos.
- If it is off, assume your photos can be in the device backups you make, whether to iCloud or to a computer. Apple's page on computer backups covers encryption only and does not say what photos they hold, so do not assume.
- If a backup is stored on a computer, Apple offers an encryption option that locks and encodes the information. Use it if the computer is shared.
What this does not cover
Encrypting a backup does not hide a photo from someone who is already inside your unlocked library. And a hidden photo in a backup is hidden only after the restore puts it back.
| Situation | Where hidden photos are |
|---|---|
| iCloud Photos on | In iCloud Photos; not in the daily device backup |
| iCloud Photos off | May be in the device backup |
| Computer backup | Apple does not say; check your own backup's settings |
A vault and backups
A StrongRoom Vault is excluded from iCloud and computer backups, so nothing is copied off the phone unless you make an Export Package. That is deliberate and it has a cost: if you lose the phone and have no Export Package and no Recovery Phrase, nothing can bring the Vault back. See what happens if I lose my phone and transfer a photo vault to a new iPhone.
Back to is the Hidden album secure; see also do hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone.
Related reading
- What happens if I lose my phone
- Transfer a photo vault to a new iPhone
- What StrongRoom does not protect against
- Is the Hidden album secure
- Do hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone
Frequently asked questions
Are hidden photos included in an iPhone backup?
With iCloud Photos on, photos sync and are left out of the daily backup. With it off, the backup may include photos and videos in your Photos or Camera Roll.
How do I tell whether iCloud Photos is on?
Settings, your name, iCloud, Photos. If "Sync this iPhone" is on, your photos are stored in iCloud Photos.
Does Apple say anything specific about the Hidden album and backups?
Not on the pages we checked.
Is a StrongRoom Vault in my phone backup?
No. It is excluded, so keep an Export Package and your Recovery Phrase.
Sources
- 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.
- Back up your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch on your computer (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.