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What Is the Hidden Album on iPhone?
By Jack Smith — Updated March 8, 2026
The Hidden album is a private album in the iPhone Photos app where you can move photos out of your main library. Since iOS 16, it requires Face ID or Touch ID to open. Hidden photos still count against your storage — hiding doesn't delete or compress them.
How the Hidden Album Works
When you hide a photo, it is removed from your main Library grid, from Memories, from the People album, and from any shared views. It moves to a special album called Hidden found under Photos → Albums → Utilities → Hidden. The album still exists and is accessible — it's just locked behind biometric authentication. Since iOS 16, tapping the Hidden album prompts Face ID or Touch ID before showing the contents. Before iOS 16, the album was visible to anyone browsing your Photos library, making it effectively privacy theater.
How to Hide a Photo
- Open Photos and find the photo you want to hide.
- Tap and hold the photo thumbnail, or open it full-screen and tap the share icon.
- Tap Hide.
- Confirm by tapping "Hide Photo" in the confirmation dialog.
The photo immediately disappears from your main library. To unhide: go to Albums → Hidden (authenticate), tap the photo, then tap the share icon and choose Unhide.
Can You Hide the Hidden Album Entirely?
Yes. Go to Settings → Photos and toggle off Show Hidden Album. When this is off, the Hidden album does not appear in the Albums list at all — even when someone is scrolling through your Photos app. The photos are still there and still accessible if you re-enable the setting, but the album is invisible. This is the most discreet setting for maximum privacy.
Limitations of the Hidden Album
- Storage — Hidden photos still use iPhone storage and iCloud storage
- iCloud — Hidden photos sync to iCloud and are visible if someone accesses your iCloud account via the web
- Backups — Hidden photos are included in iCloud Backup and iTunes/Finder backups
- Not encrypted separately — Photos in the Hidden album are not encrypted any differently than other photos
- Metadata — Photo metadata (including location) is preserved
For stronger privacy, consider a dedicated vault app or stripping location metadata before storing. Read our full guide on hiding and locking photos on iPhone.
Related Articles
- How to Hide and Lock Photos on iPhone
- Can I Lock Individual Photos on iPhone?
- How to Make iPhone Photos Private
- Photo Privacy & Security Guide
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