Can you change the Hidden album password on iPhone?
Written for iPhone owners looking for a setting to put a different password on the Hidden album because a partner or family member knows their phone passcode
Short answer
You cannot set or change a separate password for the iPhone Hidden album alone. In iOS, the Hidden album inside Apple Photos is permanently tied to Face ID, Touch ID and your main iPhone screen-lock passcode. Changing your iPhone passcode in Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Change Passcode also changes the code that unlocks Hidden. If you need your private photos locked behind a code that is different from your iPhone unlock passcode, move them into a custom-password Apple Note or a dedicated on-device encrypted vault app.
On this page
Thousands of iPhone owners open Settings > Apps > Photos every month looking for a button labeled “Change Hidden Album Password”.
That button does not exist. According to Apple’s iPhone User Guide, the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums in Apple Photos have only an on/off switch (Use Face ID / Use Passcode), and they always use the same Face ID and passcode that unlocks your iPhone’s lock screen.
How the Hidden album lock actually works in iOS
How to change your iPhone passcode (and lock the Hidden album)
If someone learned your old iPhone passcode and you are happy to change the code for your entire phone, follow these four steps:
- Open Settings on your iPhone and tap Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on iPhone SE), then enter your current passcode.
- Scroll down and tap Change Passcode, enter your old passcode again, and tap Passcode Options before typing a new one so you can choose a Custom Numeric Code (8+ digits) or Custom Alphanumeric Code instead of a short 4-digit or 6-digit number.
- Return to the main Settings screen, scroll down and tap Apps, tap Photos, and verify that Use Face ID (or Use Touch ID) is switched on.
- Optionally switch Show Hidden Album off on that same screen so the Hidden album row does not appear under Utilities in the Photos app.
Why changing your iPhone passcode often isn’t practical
In many households, changing your main iPhone passcode only lasts until the next road trip, school run or sofa movie night when you ask a partner or child to unlock your phone to change a playlist or check a delivery map, and you read the new passcode out loud again.
Even if you keep your new iPhone passcode secret, watch out for two other doors into the Hidden album:
- A shared iPad or Mac: if your Apple Account is signed in on a household iPad or Mac with iCloud Photos enabled, the iPad’s or Mac’s login password unlocks the Hidden album on that device (Apple Support 104987), even after you changed your iPhone passcode!
- Passcode fallback at home: even with Stolen Device Protection turned on, iOS allows passcode fallback at familiar locations (like your home) unless you change Require Security Delay from Away from Familiar Locations to Always.
Two ways to get a truly separate password for photos on iPhone
If you want your iPhone lock screen to keep its convenient passcode while your private photos sit behind a different secret:
| Option | How to set a separate password | Limits to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Apple Notes (Custom Password) | Open Settings > Apps > Notes > Password, select your account, tap Use Custom Password (Lock your notes on iPhone), add a photo to a note, lock the note, and delete the photo from Apple Photos + Recently Deleted. | Works only for a handful of still images; Apple Notes refuses to lock notes that contain videos or PDFs, and has no album grid. |
| 2. Dedicated on-device encrypted vault app | Install an encrypted vault app, draw a 6+ dot pattern on the 5×5 grid (or set a separate PIN), import your photos and videos, confirm Remove from Photos, and empty Recently Deleted. | You can change the vault pattern or PIN inside the vault’s settings anytime without touching your iPhone’s screen-lock passcode. |
For a full step-by-step walkthrough of what to check when someone already knows your phone’s unlock code, read our scenario guide: someone knows your passcode, now what?.
Questions
Can I give the iPhone Hidden album a different password from my lock screen?
No. Apple does not provide a separate password setting for the Hidden album or for the Photos app. Whenever Face ID or Touch ID fails or is declined, iOS falls back to your main iPhone unlock passcode.
How do I change the password that opens my Hidden album on iPhone?
Because the Hidden album uses your device passcode, you change it by opening Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode), entering your current passcode, and tapping Change Passcode.
Why does my Hidden album open without asking for Face ID or a password at all?
Someone switched off the lock toggle in Settings. Open Settings > Apps > Photos and turn on Use Face ID (or Use Touch ID / Use Passcode) so the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums lock again.
Does 'Require Face ID' in iOS 18 let me set a separate password on Photos?
No. Long-pressing the Photos app and choosing Require Face ID still uses your iPhone’s Face ID and falls back to your regular iPhone passcode (unless Stolen Device Protection is active away from familiar locations or set to Always).
How do I lock photos on iPhone with a password that is NOT my iPhone passcode?
You have two options: for a few still photos, use a locked Apple Note configured with a Custom Password in Settings > Apps > Notes > Password; for full photo and video albums, use an on-device encrypted vault app with its own pattern or PIN.
Keep reading
Someone knows your passcode. Now what?
On an iPhone, the passcode opens the Hidden album and often locked apps too. Change it, and keep private photos behind a separate code.
GuideHidden photos on iPhone: where they go and who can see them
Where do hidden photos go on iPhone, how do you open them in iOS 18+, and who can still see them? The full breakdown.
GuideHow to lock photos on iPhone so nobody else can open them
Locking the Hidden album or the Photos app still falls back to your iPhone passcode. Here is how all four iPhone photo locks compare.
