How to Hide Photos on iPad (and Who Can Still See Them)
iPadOS can hide a photo without an app. Open it in Photos, tap the More button, then Hide. It moves to a locked Hidden collection, but anyone who knows the iPad's passcode can open it.
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What do I need to know?
- iPads are often shared. Whoever knows the passcode can open Hidden.
- iCloud Photos links your devices. A photo hidden on your iPhone is hidden, not removed, on your iPad.
- Hiding is not encryption. The photo stays in the library and in backups.
How do I hide a photo on iPad?
These steps are from Apple's iPad User Guide for iPadOS 27.
- Open Photos.
- Open the photo or video.
- Tap the More button, then Hide.
For several at once, tap Select, tap each one, then the More button and Hide.
How do I find or unhide hidden photos on iPad?
- In Photos, tap Collections.
- Tap Hidden under Utilities, then View Album, and unlock.
- Open a photo, tap the More button, then Unhide.
How do I make the Hidden album harder to find?
Go to Settings → Apps → Photos and turn off Show Hidden Album. Leave Use Face ID (or Touch ID, or Passcode) on in the same place. It is on by default.
Who can still see hidden photos on my iPad?
- Anyone who knows the iPad passcode. That is often the whole household.
- Anyone using your Apple Account on another device. With iCloud Photos, hidden photos are in every library.
- Apps with full access to your photos.
If the iPad belongs to someone else, or a child uses it, do not keep private photos in its library at all.
Can I keep my photos off a shared iPad?
Yes, in two ways:
- Keep your Apple Account off it. Don't sign a shared iPad in to your account with iCloud Photos on.
- Keep private photos in a vault. It opens with its own key, not the iPad's passcode.
Can I lock an app on iPad?
iPadOS 27 can lock an app behind Face ID, Touch ID or the passcode. Touch and hold the app, then tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID, or Passcode). Apple's steps: lock or hide an app on iPad. See also how to hide apps on iPhone.
What this doesn't protect against
Every iPadOS option falls back to the passcode. A vault protects files at rest, not from someone who watches you unlock it. Use 8 or more cells in a pattern. If you lose the pattern and the recovery phrase, the vault is gone.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile runs on iPhone and iPad. Photos in it are encrypted with AES-256-GCM under a key from a pattern only you know. The iPad passcode does not open it. Sync between devices is coming and is not available yet, so each device keeps its own vaults.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once, for one person. The price is the same every day.