How to lock photos on iPhone so nobody else can open them
Written for iPhone owners deciding between Apple's built-in Face ID locks, locked Notes and a separate encrypted photo vault
Short answer
Apple gives you three built-in ways to lock photos on an iPhone: the Hidden album (Face ID plus iPhone passcode fallback), Require Face ID on the entire Photos app (iOS 18 and later), and embedding a photo inside a custom-password Apple Note. The first two share your iPhone passcode, so anyone who knows your screen-lock code can open them. To lock a photo library behind a separate secret that your phone passcode cannot bypass, use a custom-password Note for a handful of images or a dedicated on-device encrypted vault app for full albums and videos.
On this page
“Hiding” a photo and “locking” a photo solve two different problems. Hiding keeps an image from popping up while you scroll your camera roll on the train or hand your unlocked phone to a friend for ten seconds. Locking stops someone who actively tries to open the folder, including someone who already knows your six-digit iPhone passcode.
On iPhone, four methods let you put a lock in front of photos. Two of them reuse your iPhone passcode, and two let you set an independent secret.
All 4 ways to lock photos on iPhone, side by side
| Method | Separate code from iPhone passcode? | Supports videos & album grids? | Stays out of iCloud? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Photos Hidden album (Apple Support 104987) | No | Yes (photos + videos) | No (syncs with iCloud Photos) | Hiding specific photos while letting someone look at your main gallery |
| 2. Require Face ID on Photos (iOS 18+) | Only with Stolen Device Protection set to Always | Locks the entire Photos app at once | No | Stopping a stranger who snatches your unlocked phone |
| 3. Locked Apple Note (Custom password) | Yes (if set to Custom Password) | Photos only (locked notes reject videos/PDFs in some views and lack album grids) | Syncs via iCloud Notes | Locking two or three ID scans without installing an app |
| 4. Dedicated encrypted vault app | Yes (pattern or PIN stretches into key) | Yes (organized albums, full photos & videos) | Yes (local on-device storage) | Real separation from your passcode, camera roll and iCloud |
How to lock photos with iPhone’s built-in tools
If nobody else knows your iPhone passcode and you simply want to lock photos using Apple’s built-in controls, combine the Hidden album with iOS app locking:
- Open Photos, touch and hold the photo or video you want to lock, tap Hide, and confirm Hide Photo.
- Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Photos, and check that Use Face ID (or Touch ID) is switched on; optionally switch Show Hidden Album off to hide the menu row.
- To lock the entire Photos app icon as well, go to your Home Screen, touch and hold the Photos icon, tap Require Face ID, and confirm Require Face ID.
- Open Settings, tap Face ID and Passcode, open Stolen Device Protection, switch it on, and set Require Security Delay to Always if you want Face ID without passcode fallback on locked apps even at home.
Why Apple’s built-in locks fail when someone knows your passcode
Apple’s security model assumes that one human knows the iPhone passcode. In real households and relationships, partners, children or ex-partners frequently know each other’s 6-digit phone passcode, whether from changing music in the car, checking directions or watching over a shoulder on the sofa.
Once someone knows that passcode:
- They can tap Enter Passcode when opening Utilities > Hidden inside Photos.
- They can go to Settings > Apps > Photos and switch Show Hidden Album back on.
- Unless Stolen Device Protection is both enabled and set to Always (not just Away from Familiar Locations), they can unlock any
Require Face IDapp at home using the passcode. See our guide on locking apps with Face ID on iPhone.
Using Apple Notes vs a dedicated encrypted vault app
If you need a lock that never accepts your iPhone passcode:
- For 1 to 5 static images (such as a Wi-Fi sticker or insurance card): Apple’s locked Notes feature lets you go to Settings > Apps > Notes > Password and choose Create Custom Password instead of Use iPhone Passcode. Be careful: Apple shifted the default in recent iOS versions toward Use iPhone Passcode, so double-check which mode Notes is actually using, and remember that Notes is a text pad rather than a photo gallery (it struggles with video playback and batch photo management).
- For real photo and video albums: a dedicated encrypted vault app stores photos and videos in albums outside Apple Photos, derives its encryption key from a separate pattern or PIN, and asks you to remove the originals from Apple Photos on import. Always finish by emptying Photos > Utilities > Recently Deleted so unencrypted copies do not linger for 30 days.
Questions
Can I put a separate password on the iPhone Photos app or Hidden album?
No. Neither Apple Photos nor the Hidden album lets you set a custom password different from your iPhone unlock passcode. Whenever Face ID or Touch ID fails, iOS accepts your regular iPhone passcode.
Does 'Require Face ID' on the Photos app block someone with my passcode?
At home or other familiar locations, no: failing Face ID offers Enter iPhone Passcode. Away from familiar locations, turning on Stolen Device Protection removes the passcode fallback for Face ID-locked apps, or everywhere if you set Require Security Delay to Always.
Can I lock photos inside Apple Notes with a separate password?
Yes, for small numbers of still photos. In Settings > Apps > Notes > Password, choose Use Custom Password instead of Use iPhone Passcode, add the photo to a note, lock the note, and then delete the original photo from Photos and Recently Deleted.
What is the difference between hiding photos and encrypting photos?
Hiding changes a visibility flag inside the Photos app so thumbnails stay out of your main camera roll. Encrypting scrambles every byte of the photo and its thumbnail with a cryptographic key derived from your secret, so the file is unreadable without that key.
If I delete Originals after locking photos in another app, are they gone immediately?
No. Deleted items stay inside Photos > Utilities > Recently Deleted for 30 days unless you open Recently Deleted, unlock it, and tap Delete All.
Keep reading
How to hide photos on iPhone
Touch and hold a photo, tap Hide and confirm. Anyone who knows your passcode can still open the Hidden album.
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.
GuideLocking apps with Face ID: what it hides
Since iOS 18 you can lock or hide apps behind Face ID. Your passcode still opens them, and hidden app names still show up.
