How to lock photos on iPhone
You can lock photos on iPhone in four ways: put them in the Hidden album, which Apple locks with Face ID or Touch ID; ask for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode before an app opens; keep images in a locked note; or store them in an encrypted vault with its own pattern or passphrase. Each stops a different person, and only the vault encrypts.
Lock versus hide
Locking puts a check in front of a photo. Hiding moves it out of sight. The Hidden album does both: Apple says hidden items do not appear in the Library or other albums, and that on iOS 16 and later the album "is locked by default and requires authentication". Neither one changes how the photo is stored. It is still an ordinary photo in your Photos library, with an ordinary copy in iCloud if iCloud Photos is on.
Lock the Hidden album
Open Photos, tap Hide on the photo (press and hold it first), then view the album from Collections > Hidden under Utilities. Apple names Face ID or Touch ID as the way in on iPhone. The page we checked describes no separate Photos password.
That answers two questions people search for.
- Lock photos with a different password. Not in Photos. The Hidden album uses your phone's own authentication, not a password of its own. A different credential means a locked note or a vault.
- Lock photos without Face ID. In Settings > Apps > Photos, Apple says turning off Use Face ID unlocks the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums by default, which removes the lock rather than replacing it. For a lock that does not rely on Face ID, use a note with a Notes password or a vault.
For the full picture of who can see this album, read the Hidden album security guide. Is the iPhone Hidden album secure?
Lock the Photos app
Apple lets you require Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode before an app opens: touch and hold the app icon until the Quick Actions menu opens and look for the Require option. Apple also says some built-in apps cannot be locked, including Calculator, Camera, Clock and Contacts. The lines we read do not say whether Photos is on that list, so check the menu on your own phone.
If it is available, it is a check at the front door. Apple notes that information from a locked app will not show in some places, such as notification previews and search. It does not encrypt photos, and your passcode is a fallback, so anyone who knows it can open the app.
If the aim is only to let someone look at one photo, Guided Access fits better. How to show one photo without letting someone swipe
Lock photos in a note
In Notes, open a note, tap the More button and tap Lock. You can use your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password; Face ID or Touch ID can be switched on as a shortcut. Apple says Apple cannot help you if you forget a Notes password, and that resetting it does not unlock earlier locked notes.
Limits from Apple's page: notes with PDFs, audio, video or Keynote, Pages or Numbers files cannot be locked, nor can shared notes or notes with tags. So this works for a handful of images, not for videos or documents. Locked notes versus a vault app, compared.
Lock photos in an encrypted vault
A vault app keeps photos in its own store, outside the Photos library. In StrongRoom the Vault opens with a pattern or a passphrase that you choose, which can differ from your phone's passcode, and each Item is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. There is no Face ID or Touch ID unlock, by design. By default the app locks as soon as you leave it (you can choose a 15 or 60 second grace), and after ten wrong tries in five minutes each further try has to wait longer.
To put photos in: tap Import, choose Photos and Videos, tick what you want and confirm. The app sees only the items you pick. It can then offer to delete the originals from your library, and it asks every time. Remember that Photos keeps deleted items for 30 days in Recently Deleted. How import and deleting originals work.
What StrongRoom cannot do here: it does not recover your pattern or passphrase for you, since it keeps no copy and nothing sits in the cloud; it is iPhone only; it will not disguise itself. Photos already uploaded to iCloud stay there until you delete them there. What it does not protect against.
What each method stops
| Method | Stops | Does not stop |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden album | Browsing the Library; a quick look | Anyone who can pass your phone's check; other devices on your Apple Account |
| App lock (where offered) | Opening the app | Anyone who knows your passcode; the photos' storage is unchanged |
| Locked note | Reading that note | Video and documents (cannot be locked); a forgotten Notes password |
| Encrypted vault | Reading the stored data without the credential | Photos already in iCloud; screenshots; losing every way in |
Where to start
If a curious friend is the worry, the Hidden album is enough. If someone who knows your passcode is the worry, or you want photos out of the library and out of iCloud, a vault is the only item above that fits. The wider guide to hiding photos covers the same ground with steps. How to hide photos on iPhone
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a password on the Photos app?
Apple lets you require Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode for an app, but says some built-in apps cannot be locked and the pages we read do not say about Photos. Check by touching and holding the Photos icon.
Is there a separate password for the Hidden album?
The Apple page we checked describes none. It uses Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone.
What is the safest place for locked photos?
An encrypted vault with its own credential protects the stored data itself. The built-in options only put a check in front of it.
Does locking a photo stop iCloud copying it?
No. With iCloud Photos on, Apple says hidden photos are hidden on your other devices too, which means they sync.
Sources
- Hide photos on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Vision Pro with the Hidden album (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- Delete photos on your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- How to lock or unlock notes on your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- Lock or hide apps on your iPhone (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.