How to Hide Photos on Mac: Hidden Album and Encryption
macOS can do this without an app. In Photos, select the photos and choose Image → Hide Photos. For files that must stay closed, make an encrypted disk image with Disk Utility. Cryptile has no Mac app yet; a Mac version is coming.
Try Cryptile free: join the beta on TestFlight
What do I need to know?
- Hidden photos stay in your library. Apple says they "remain in your library" and are not deleted.
- The Hidden album is locked by default. It opens with your login password or Touch ID.
- An encrypted disk image is real encryption. It needs its own password to open.
How do I hide photos in Photos on Mac?
These steps are from Apple's Photos User Guide for macOS 27.
- Open Photos and click Library in the sidebar.
- Select the photos you want to hide.
- Choose Image → Hide [number] Photos, then click Hide.
How do I see or unhide them?
- Click Library, then choose View → Show Hidden Photo Album.
- Click Hidden under Utilities in the sidebar, then View Album, and unlock.
- Control-click the photos, then click Unhide.
To take the album out of the sidebar again, choose View → Hide Hidden Photo Album.
Is the Hidden album locked on Mac?
Yes, by default. Check it in Photos → Settings → General. Under Privacy, Use Touch ID or password should be on. Apple's page: Photos settings on Mac.
Do photos I hide on iPhone hide on my Mac?
Yes, if both use iCloud Photos. Apple says photos hidden on one device are hidden on your other devices too. They are still in every library.
How do I encrypt photos on a Mac?
Make an encrypted disk image. It is a file that opens like a drive after you enter its password. From Apple's Disk Utility guide:
- Open Disk Utility.
- Choose File → New Image → Blank Image.
- Name it, choose where to save it, and enter a size.
- Choose APFS as the format.
- In the Encryption menu, choose an encryption option. You set the password that opens it.
- Click Save, then Done.
- Drag your photos onto the new disk, then eject it.
Then delete the originals from Photos, and from Recently Deleted.
Is my Mac's disk already encrypted?
Apple says Macs with Apple silicon or a T2 chip encrypt data automatically. Turning on FileVault adds the need for your login password to decrypt it. See protect data on your Mac with FileVault. It guards the disk, not photos on a Mac someone uses while you are logged in.
What this doesn't protect against
Anyone at your logged-in Mac who knows your password can open the Hidden album. A disk image is only as strong as its password. Forget it and the photos are gone. Apple holds the keys to iCloud Photos unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile is for iPhone and iPad today. A Mac app is coming and is not available yet. On your iPhone, it encrypts photos with AES-256-GCM under a key from a pattern only you know. There is no account and no server.
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. The price is the same every day.