Short answer. iPhone hides photos in the Hidden album, Android in Google Photos’ Locked Folder, Samsung’s Secure Folder or Android’s Private Space. All of them keep photos out of your main gallery. None of them stops someone who knows your phone’s passcode, and every one of them announces that something is hidden. Below: how to use each, and what to do when that isn’t enough.
How to hide photos on iPhone
- Open Photos and select the photos or videos.
- Tap the More button (•••), then Hide.
- To find them again, scroll to Utilities and open Hidden.
Since iOS 18 the Hidden album always asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. You can also take the album out of sight: go to Settings › Apps › Photos and turn off Show Hidden Album.
What it doesn’t do: the album still opens with your phone passcode, so anyone who knows it can see everything. It is literally called “Hidden”. And with iCloud Photos on, hidden photos sync to every device signed in to your Apple Account.
Lock or hide an app on iPhone (iOS 18 and later)
Touch and hold an app, then choose Require Face ID. For most apps you can go further with Hide and Require Face ID: the icon leaves the Home Screen and moves to a Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library. A locked app still shows up by name in Search, and a hidden one stops sending notifications.
How to hide photos on Android
Google Photos: Locked Folder
In Google Photos, open Collections (called Library on older versions) and find Locked Folder. Move photos there and they disappear from your gallery, other apps and searches. It opens with your phone’s screen lock. Cloud backup is optional; turn it on and the folder opens on your other devices with the same screen lock.
Samsung: Secure Folder
Galaxy phones have Secure Folder, a separate, encrypted space with its own lock. Search for “Secure Folder” in Settings to set it up. You can hide its icon, but anyone who knows Samsung phones knows where to look.
Android 15 and later: Private Space
Private Space is a separate profile for apps (a second gallery, for example). When it is locked, its apps vanish from the app list, recents and notifications. It can have its own lock, and you can hide the fact that it exists.
Files by Google: Safe folder
The Files app has a Safe folder protected by a PIN or pattern, handy for documents and photos you move there by hand.
What built-in hiding can and can’t do
| Option | Says something is hidden | Separate lock | Opens with your phone passcode | Decoy if someone insists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Hidden album | Yes (“Hidden”) | No | Yes | No |
| Google Photos Locked Folder | Yes (“Locked Folder”) | No | Yes | No |
| Samsung Secure Folder | Yes, unless you hide the icon | Yes | No | No |
| Android Private Space | Can be hidden | Optional | Only if you choose that | No |
| VaultSec | No: looks like an ordinary app | Yes, your own PIN | No | Yes |
When you need more than hiding
Built-in hiding is fine for keeping a surprise gift off the camera roll. It falls short when:
- someone knows your passcode (a partner, a parent, a friend who watched you type it);
- someone checks your phone and a folder called “Hidden” or “Locked” is itself the giveaway;
- someone might insist you open it, and refusing is not safe;
- you don’t want the photos in a cloud at all.
That is what a real vault app is for: files encrypted on the phone, a lock that is not your phone passcode, no account, and nothing that says “vault”. Before you trust one, read our seven checks for photo vault apps.
If someone may be monitoring your phone, start with our safety page: it explains how to cover your tracks and where to find free, confidential help.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone see my hidden photos?
Anyone who can unlock your phone can open the Hidden album or the Locked Folder, because both accept the phone’s passcode. They also show plainly that hidden photos exist.
Do hidden photos upload to iCloud or Google Photos?
On iPhone, yes, if iCloud Photos is on: they sync but stay in Hidden. In Google Photos, Locked Folder backup is off unless you turn it on.
How do I hide photos without an app?
Use the built-in options above: the Hidden album on iPhone, Locked Folder, Secure Folder or Private Space on Android.
Can I put a separate password on my photos?
Not on iPhone: the Hidden album uses Face ID, Touch ID or the phone passcode. On Android, Secure Folder and Private Space can have their own lock. For a PIN that is never your phone passcode, use a vault app.
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