How to Put a Password on a Single Photo on iPhone
The Photos app in iOS 27 cannot put a password on one photo. You can hide it behind Face ID, lock it in a note with its own password, or move it into an encrypted vault.
Try Cryptile free: join the beta on TestFlight
What do I need to know?
- Hidden is not a separate password. It opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode.
- A locked note can have its own password. It is the only built-in way to give one photo a different secret.
- Delete the original. A locked copy does nothing if the photo is still in your library.
Can I lock one photo in the Photos app?
Not with its own password. In iOS 27 you can hide it. Open the photo, tap the menu button, then tap Hide. Apple says hidden photos move to the Hidden collection: "You can't view them anywhere else" (Apple: delete or hide photos).
Hidden is locked by default with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. So anyone who knows your passcode can open it. See can someone see my photos if they know my passcode?
How do I lock a photo in Notes with a password? (iOS 27)
- Open Settings → Apps → Notes → Password. Tap Use Custom Password and set one you do not use for your phone.
- Open Notes and start a new note in the iCloud or On My iPhone account.
- Tap the attachment button and add the photo.
- Tap the menu button, then tap Lock.
- Go back to Photos and delete the original. Then empty it from Recently Deleted.
Apple's limits matter here. You cannot lock notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments, notes with tags, or notes shared in iCloud. When a note is locked, its title stays visible in the list. If you forget a custom password and cannot use Face ID, "Apple can't help you regain access" (Apple: lock notes).
Two more catches. If you turn on Face ID for locked notes, your face opens them too. And opening one locked note opens all locked notes in that account for several minutes.
Should I lock the whole Photos app instead?
You can. Touch and hold the Photos icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm (Apple: lock or hide an app). It is still your face or passcode. It locks every photo, not one.
How do I protect one photo with a vault app?
A vault app gives a photo its own secret, separate from your phone. In Cryptile:
- Open Cryptile and draw a pattern of 8 or more dots. It creates a new vault.
- Write the 9-word recovery phrase on paper. There is no reset.
- Tap Add → Photos & videos and pick the photo.
- Let Cryptile delete the original, then clear Recently Deleted in Photos.
The photo is encrypted with AES-256-GCM before it is saved. The key comes from your pattern on the device. You can make a folder for a handful of photos, or keep a vault for just one.
Which option should I pick?
- Hiding from a glance: Hidden is enough.
- One photo, separate password, no app: a locked note with a custom password.
- Photos someone with your passcode must not see: an encrypted vault with its own pattern.
What this doesn't protect against
Anyone who sees you type the password or draw the pattern can open the photo. A photo you already sent, shared or backed up elsewhere stays there. Malware on an unlocked phone can read whatever is open on screen.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile keeps each photo encrypted under a key made from your pattern on your device. There is no account and no server, and the developer never holds keys.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos, with encrypted iCloud backup included. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once.