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How to Hide Photos on iPhone

Do you have photos on your phone you'd prefer to keep private? Apple provides an easy way to conceal them, whether they're selfies, snapshots of your loved ones, or screenshots of sensitive documents. We will walk you through effective ways to keep your images away from prying eyes. For additional security, consider Clario Anti Spy's Unlock catcher, which will secretly photograph anyone trying to snoop on your device without your permission.

Table of contents

Why does someone want to hide photos on iPhone

Hiding photos on your iPhone can come in handy for many reasons. Here’s why you might want to consider it:

  • You have sensitive work documents saved as images. These may include financial documents and private work-related files that could be exploited.
  • When showing pics to friends or family, you don’t want to accidentally reveal something private.
  • You’re worried about the potential vulnerability of cloud services. While iCloud offers robust storage, many users wonder if iCloud can be hacked. You don’t have to stress about it if you hide photos directly on your device.
  • If you have kids, you might want to hide sensitive images to keep their viewing experience safe.
  • If you have a jealous partner, hiding photos can help avoid misunderstandings that could come from them unexpectedly seeing sensitive images.

Concealing sensitive images gives you peace of mind, knowing that your personal space is safe. What’s more, with Clario Anti Spy, you can stay ahead of intruders and reclaim control over what you choose to share. Clario Anti Spy's Unlock catcher feature takes secret shots of anyone attempting to snoop through your device. It documents each unauthorized attempt to unlock your phone and securely stores it in a report for you to review.

 

Here’s how to use it:

  1. Download Clario Anti Spy on your phone and set up an account.
  2. Choose Unlock catcher on the dashboard.
  3. Tap the toggle to enable the Unlock catcher.
Clario Anti Spy's mobile app dashboard with the Unlock catcher feature highlighted. Hide photos on iPhone to keep your privacy intact.
Steps 1-3. Download Clario Anti Spy>Choose Unlock catcher >Tap the toggle to enable the Unlock catcher.

Ways to hide pictures on iPhone

The most straightforward way to hide photos on iPhone is to use the Photos app. You can also try the Notes app or other third-party apps to lock photos or hide pictures in Google Photos.

 

Let’s dive into each of the methods to keep your images private.

1. Use Photo app

Apple provides a built-in feature to make a picture invisible on an iPhone. This method works well for keeping photos out of sight, but they will still be accessible to anyone who knows where to look.

 

To hide your pictures using the Photos app, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. Open the photo you wish to hide.
  3. Tap the More button (…) and select Hide.
  4. Tap Hide Photo.
Photo open in iPhone Photo app with a three-dot menu open and Hide feature highlighted. Hide photos on iPhone to keep your privacy intact.
Steps 1-4. Photos app > Open the photo > More button (…) > Hide.

There you go—you’ve now moved the photo to the Hidden album, which you can access from the Albums tab. But what if you have a folder of secret snapshots that must remain private? If you want to lock folders on iPhone, we have bad news. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t provide this feature. Instead, you will have to go for alternative ways, such as creating hidden photo folders or using Google Drive and locking it.

 

Also, keep in mind that the Hidden photo album isn't as private as you might think. Anyone with access to your iPhone can view it. This is because the photos aren't deleted or protected completely —they're just tucked away from your main albums.

 

Do you want to make the Hidden album disappear from your Photos app? Here's how:

  1. Go to Settings on your iPhone's home screen.
  2. Scroll down and tap Photos.
  3. Toggle off the Show Hidden Album option to remove it from view until you decide to switch it back on again.
iPhone Settings page with Photos feature highlighted. Show hidden album highlighted. Hide photos on iPhone to keep your privacy intact.
Steps 1-3: Settings > Photos > Show Hidden Album.

Now, the Hidden album won't be visible to anyone browsing your iPhone.

2. Try Notes app

Looking for an alternative way to hide pictures on your iPhone? Here’s a handy trick involving the Notes app that lets you password-protect your images. It allows you to keep personal or sensitive content out of sight, so there's less chance of it being accidentally seen.

 

Here’s how to hide pictures on iPhone using the Notes app:

  1. Open the Notes app and create a new note.
  2. Tap the camera icon, then tap Choose Photo or Video.
  3. Once the photo is added, tap the More (…) icon and select Lock.
  4. Tap on Use iPhone Passcode or create a new one.
  5. After you’ve entered the password, you will be prompted to Enable Face ID.
  6. You’ll notice the lock icon at the top when you pass the Face ID check. When you tap on it, it will lock the note.
  7. To view your now hidden note, tap on View Note.
Notes app on iPhone with Choose Photo or Video feature highlighted. Lock notes with Your iPhone Passcode page open. Hide photos on iPhone to keep your privacy intact.
Step 1-4. Notes > Choose Photo or Video > More (…) > Use iPhone Passcode.
Enable Face ID feature in iPhone Notes to lock and view note. Hide photos on iPhone to keep your privacy intact.
Steps 5-7. Enable Face ID > the lock icon > View Note.

Now your photos are safely locked away thanks to your trusty iPhone's Notes app. Moreover, knowing how to hide apps on iPhone can further boost this privacy. If the note containing the photo is locked and the Note app itself is locked, it creates an extra layer of protection.

3. Hide iPhone photos in Google Photos

Since online privacy has become such a paramount concern, many iPhone users seek ways to protect their personal content, mainly photos. Google Photos also offers a way to hide your images. You can archive photos, which removes them from the main view but keeps them accessible within the app. This feature helps organize your pictures and keep private ones out of the main gallery.

 

Here’s how to hide pictures on iPhone using Google Photos:

  1. Open Google Photos and select the photos you want to hide.
  2. Tap Archive.
Google Photos app on iPhone with Archive feature highlighted. Hide pictures on iPhone to keep your privacy intact.
Step 1-2. Google Photos > Archive.

This method keeps your pictures within Google Photos but away from the main library view.

4. Use third-party apps to lock photos

Some great third-party apps help you lock and hide your pictures. Many of these apps come with handy features like password protection and encryption, so you have full control over your personal images.

 

Check out apps like Vault, KeepSafe, and Secure Photo Gallery. They offer free versions with basic features, plus premium options if you want extra security.

 

And for peace of mind, try Clario Anti Spy. Our Unlock catcher feature snaps a secret photo of anyone trying to sneak a peek at your device. Every attempt to unlock your device without your permission is logged with a timestamp in a secure report. So, you always know who and when went snooping around your phone.

How to find your hidden photos on iPhone

Got some hidden photos on iPhone and now you don’t know where to look?

 

Here’s how you can find them:

  1. Go to the Photos app and tap Albums.
  2. Scroll down to find Hidden. Tap it, and you’ll see all your hidden images.
  3. To unhide them, tap the (...) icon and choose Unhide. This will return the photo to its original location in your library.
Hidden album open in iPhone Photo app with a three-dot menu open and Unhide feature highlighted. Hide photos on iPhone to keep your privacy intact.
Steps 1-3. Photos app > Albums > Hidden > Unhide.

For those using the Notes app, simply unlock the note containing your hidden photos with your password or Face ID to view them.

Conclusion

Hiding photos on your iPhone is a simple yet effective way to preserve privacy. Whether you're using the Photos app, Notes app, or other third-party solutions, there are plenty of options available to suit your needs.

 

Remember, privacy doesn’t have to stop at hiding photos. Clario Anti Spy’s Unlock catcher takes things further by capturing images of anyone who tries to unlock your phone without permission. Give it a try now to get some additional piece of mind.

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