What Happens to My Photos When I Hide Them on iPhone?
The photo moves to the Hidden album and disappears from your main library. It is not deleted and not encrypted. It stays on your phone, and with iCloud Photos it stays in iCloud too.
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What do I need to know?
- Hiding is a label. The photo is still an ordinary photo in your library, just out of the main view.
- It syncs. Apple says that with iCloud Photos, photos you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too.
- A lock guards the album. Recently Deleted and Hidden need Face ID or Touch ID by default on iOS 16 or later.
Where does a hidden photo go?
It moves to the Hidden album and leaves your main library view. Apple says that with iOS 14 or later you can also hide the Hidden album itself, so it does not appear anywhere in the Photos app.
Is a hidden photo deleted or encrypted?
Neither. Apple describes the Hidden album as a place that needs Face ID or Touch ID to open. Apple does not describe separate encryption for it.
Our guide on whether the Hidden album is encrypted goes into the detail.
Does a hidden photo go to iCloud?
Yes, if iCloud Photos is on. Apple's missing photos page says: "If you use iCloud Photos, the photos that you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too." So the photo exists on each of your devices and in iCloud.
Our page on hidden photos and iCloud covers who can see them there.
What happens if I delete a hidden photo?
It goes to Recently Deleted for 30 days. Apple's Recently Deleted page says the photo is then permanently deleted. With iCloud Photos on, the delete applies on your other devices too.
Why can't I find my hidden photos?
The album may be hidden from view, or you may be looking in the wrong place. Our guide on hidden photos that disappeared walks through it.
What this doesn't protect against
The Hidden album stops a casual look at your photos. It does not stop someone who knows your passcode, and it does not hide the photos from anyone who can sign in to your Apple Account. Standard iCloud protection also leaves Apple holding the keys to your photos. Apple's iCloud security page says so.
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