Hidden Album Password on iPhone: Where to Change It
There is no separate Hidden album password to change. On iOS 27, the Hidden collection opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. Changing your passcode is the only way to change its lock.
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What do I need to know?
- One passcode opens everything. Whoever knows your iPhone passcode can open Hidden.
- The lock can be switched off. It is on by default, but anyone in Settings can turn it off.
- A separate lock needs a separate app. iOS does not offer a second code just for Hidden.
How do I change the code that opens Hidden?
You change the iPhone passcode itself. These steps are from Apple's iOS 27 guide.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode).
- Enter your current passcode.
- Tap Change Passcode and follow the prompts.
- Tap Passcode Options for a longer code. Apple calls the custom alphanumeric and custom numeric codes the most secure.
Source: Apple, Set a passcode on iPhone.
How do I make sure Hidden is locked?
Apple says Hidden and Recently Deleted are locked by default. To check on iOS 27:
- Open Settings → Apps → Photos.
- Make sure Use Face ID (or Use Touch ID, or Use Passcode) is on.
- Turn off Show Hidden Album if you want it gone from the Photos app.
Source: Apple, Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone.
Why does a new passcode not fully fix it?
Hidden photos are still ordinary photos in your library. With iCloud Photos, Apple says photos you hide are hidden on your other devices too. Each of those devices opens Hidden with its own passcode.
Apps you gave Full Access to your library can also read it. See does Full Access include hidden photos?
What lock actually works on its own?
A lock that does not share your iPhone passcode. Two options:
- Lock the whole Photos app. Touch and hold its icon. If Require Face ID appears, tap it. It still accepts your passcode.
- Move the photos into a vault with its own secret. The photos leave the library, and the key comes from something other than your passcode.
Only the vault route means your passcode alone is not enough. Our guide to locking photos with a pattern has the steps. Apple's lock or hide an app page covers app locks.
What this doesn't protect against
A new passcode does not help if someone watches you type it. A vault does not help if someone watches you draw its pattern. Photos you already sent or backed up elsewhere stay where they are. If you lose both a Cryptile pattern and its 9-word recovery phrase, that vault is gone.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile opens with a drawn pattern, not your iPhone passcode. Files are encrypted with AES-256-GCM under a key made on your device, and a different pattern opens a different vault.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos in total. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once.