Every built-in way to hide photos on iPhone unlocks with your device passcode. That includes the Hidden album, the locked Photos app and locked notes that use your iPhone passcode. If someone already knows it, you have two real choices: change your iPhone passcode, or move the photos somewhere protected by a passcode only you know.
Option 1: Change your iPhone passcode
The simplest fix, if it's realistic for you:
- Go to Settings → Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your current passcode.
- Tap Change Passcode and choose a new one. Passcode Options lets you pick a longer code or an alphanumeric password.
Then make sure nobody watches you type it. Use Face ID in public, and be aware that a passcode typed in front of someone is easy to remember.
Why this often isn't enough: people who share a home often share passcodes for practical reasons, and suddenly changing yours can raise questions you'd rather not answer. You might also need to hand over your unlocked phone sometimes.
Option 2: A locked note with a separate password
The Notes app lets you lock notes with a password different from your iPhone passcode:
- Go to Settings → Apps → Notes → Password and choose to use a custom password rather than your iPhone passcode.
- Create a note, add photos with the paperclip or camera icon, then tap ••• → Lock.
- Delete the originals from Photos and empty Recently Deleted.
It works for a handful of images, but it's clumsy for many photos or videos, and the lock icon on a note in your list signals there's something there.
Option 3: A vault with its own passcode and a decoy
This is the situation Vult was made for.
- A passcode that has nothing to do with your iPhone's. Knowing how to unlock the phone gets someone nowhere in Vult.
- A decoy vault. Set a second passcode that opens a separate vault filled with ordinary photos. If you're ever pressured to open the app, enter the decoy passcode. The real vault has its own random 256-bit key and leaves no sign that it exists.
- Strict Face ID. If someone adds their face or fingerprint to your phone, Vult's biometric unlock switches off. There's no fallback to the iPhone passcode.
- Break-in selfies. A wrong passcode quietly takes a photo of whoever is holding the phone.
- Encrypted on the device. Photos are sealed with AES-256-GCM, using a key derived from your passcode plus a secret in your iPhone's Secure Enclave. The passcode itself is never stored.
Setting it up
- Install Vult and create your vault passcode. Don't reuse your iPhone passcode, or any code they might guess.
- Import the photos and videos you want to protect.
- Delete the originals from Photos, then Recently Deleted → Delete All.
- If iCloud Photos is on, check that the deleted photos have also gone from your other devices.
- Optionally, set up a decoy vault with a few harmless photos.
A note on safety
If the person who knows your passcode is someone you're afraid of, privacy apps are only one piece. Anyone checking your phone can see which apps are installed. If you're in the U.S., the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788) can help you plan safely, including around phones and tech.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone see hidden photos if they know my passcode?
Yes. The iPhone Hidden album and locked Photos app both accept your device passcode. Only storage with a different password, such as a separately locked note or a vault app, keeps them out.
Will they know I'm hiding photos?
They can see that a vault app is installed. With a decoy vault, opening the app under pressure shows ordinary content, and there's no visible sign a second vault exists.
What if they add their face to my Face ID?
iOS lets anyone with your passcode add an alternate appearance. Vult's strict Face ID mode detects new biometric enrollments and turns off biometric unlock, so only your vault passcode works.
