How to See Hidden Photos on a Mac or a Windows PC
On a Mac, open Photos, click Library, choose View > Show Hidden Photo Album, then open Hidden under Utilities and unlock it. In a browser, including on a Windows PC, sign in at icloud.com/photos, select Hidden in the sidebar, then Show Hidden Photos. Apple's iCloud for Windows pages do not describe the Hidden album.
On a Mac
Apple's Photos guide gives these steps:
- In Photos, click Library in the sidebar.
- Choose View > Show Hidden Photo Album.
- Click Hidden below Utilities in the sidebar. If you do not see Utilities' contents, hover over it and click the disclosure arrow.
- If the album is locked, click View Album and follow the onscreen instructions.
Apple says the Hidden album is locked by default and that you unlock it with Touch ID or your login password. The album also stays out of the sidebar until you switch it on with the View menu. To unhide a photo, Control-click it and choose Unhide.
If a hidden photo seems to be missing, it is usually just not in the Library. Apple notes that hidden items appear only in the Hidden album, so the Library grid, other albums and the Photos widget will not show them.
In a web browser, including on Windows
Apple's iCloud guide for the web describes viewing hidden photos like this: go to icloud.com/photos and sign in if prompted, select Hidden in the sidebar, then select Show Hidden Photos. To make one visible again, select it, choose More, and then Unhide.
That page describes no extra lock or passcode for the Hidden album on the web beyond signing in to your Apple Account. If your Apple Account is open in a browser on someone else's computer, the Hidden album is a click away. Sign out when you finish on a shared PC.
On a Windows PC with iCloud for Windows
Apple documents iCloud for Windows as a way to turn on iCloud Photos and open your photos from iCloud Photos in File Explorer. The pages we checked do not mention the Hidden album, albums or how hidden items behave on Windows, so this guide does not claim to know. If you cannot find a hidden photo there, the browser steps above are the route Apple documents.
You can still say something useful about the risk. If iCloud Photos is on, Apple says photos hidden on one device are hidden on your other devices too, and the photos are stored in iCloud Photos. A Windows PC that is signed in to the same Apple Account and downloads your photos is a place where copies of your pictures can end up, so treat it like any other device that holds your library.
What this means for privacy
- Hiding moves a photo to a different album in the same library.
- Seeing it again takes your Mac login or Touch ID on a Mac, and your Apple Account sign-in on the web.
- The photos are not encrypted by the act of hiding.
For what the Hidden album does and does not protect on the iPhone, see is the iPhone Hidden album secure. To hide photos on the Mac in the first place, see how to hide photos on a Mac.
Related reading
- How to hide photos on a Mac
- Is the iPhone Hidden album secure
- What StrongRoom does not protect against
Frequently asked questions
How do I show the Hidden album on a Mac?
In Photos, click Library, then choose View > Show Hidden Photo Album. The album appears under Utilities in the sidebar.
Can I see hidden photos in a browser?
Yes. Apple's iCloud guide says to sign in at icloud.com/photos, select Hidden, then Show Hidden Photos.
Does iCloud for Windows show the Hidden album?
Apple's iCloud for Windows pages we checked do not describe it. Use icloud.com/photos in a browser for the documented route.
Why are my hidden photos not in my Library?
Apple says hidden items do not appear in the Library or other albums. They appear only in the Hidden album.
Sources
- Hide photos and videos from view on Mac (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- Hide your photos and videos on iPhone, iPad and Mac (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- Hide your photos and videos on iCloud.com (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- Use iCloud Photos on your PC (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- If you're missing photos or videos in the Photos app (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.