Cryptile vs Apple's Hidden Album
Your iPhone can already hide photos without any app. The Hidden album in Photos is free and locks with Face ID or Touch ID. Cryptile adds its own pattern, separate encryption and decoy vaults.
Try Cryptile free: join the beta on TestFlight
How do Cryptile and the Hidden album compare?
| Question | Cryptile | Apple's Hidden album |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Plus: $19.99 a year (7-day free trial), $39.99 once | Free, built into Photos |
| Free tier | Up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos in total. Files, notes and folders unlimited | Everything is free |
| Unlock method | A pattern drawn on a grid. Use 8 or more cells | Face ID or Touch ID. Locked by default in iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1 and later |
| Decoy or fake vault | A different pattern opens a different vault. No vault list | None described |
| Encryption as published | AES-256-GCM on every file, thumbnail and index. Core published for audit | Apple does not describe separate encryption for hidden photos. iCloud Photos are end-to-end encrypted only with Advanced Data Protection |
| Cloud backup | Encrypted iCloud backup. 9-word recovery phrase, no reset | No separate backup. With iCloud Photos on, photos you hide are hidden on your other devices too |
| In-app camera | Yes | Not stated |
| Notes and files | Photos, videos, files, folders and secure notes | Photos and videos |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro |
| Search inside the vault | Yes, in Plus. Text is read from photos and PDFs on the device | Not stated |
| Sharing | Shared vaults are coming, not available yet | In an iCloud Shared Library, a hidden photo moves to the Hidden album for every participant |
Checked 2026-10-26. Hidden album facts come from Apple's Hidden album page, its iCloud data security overview and its iCloud.com guide.
How do I hide a photo without an app?
On iOS 18 and later:
- Open Photos, then touch and hold the photo.
- Tap Hide, then confirm.
- To find it, tap Collections, then Hidden under Utilities.
To take the album out of view, go to Settings → Apps → Photos and turn off Show Hidden Album.
When should I choose the Hidden album?
- You want screenshots or gift ideas out of the main grid, at no cost.
- You want hidden photos on your Mac and iPad through iCloud Photos.
- Nobody else can unlock your iPhone.
When should I choose Cryptile?
- Someone who can unlock your iPhone must not see the photos.
- You want a decoy: a second pattern that opens a different, harmless vault.
- You want ID scans, notes and files kept outside the Photos library.
Our guide to the Hidden album versus a vault app covers mixed use. Our page on whether the Hidden album is encrypted covers iCloud in detail.
What are the limits of Cryptile?
These apply to any pattern-based vault, ours included.
- Short patterns are weak. A pattern is weaker than a passphrase. Use 8 or more cells.
- Screenshots win. View-once cannot stop a screenshot.
- No reset. Lose the pattern and the recovery phrase, and the vault is gone.
Read the full security page and the Plus page.