Your iPhone is your personal vault, holding countless memories captured in photos and videos. But what if some of these moments are meant for your eyes only? Whether it’s for privacy, decluttering your main photo library, or simply keeping certain images discreet, knowing how to effectively hide photos on your iPhone is crucial. Apple’s Photos app offers a built-in “Hidden” album feature designed to give you control over what you see and what remains concealed. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about leveraging this feature across your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even Apple Vision Pro, ensuring your private photos stay private.
How to Hide Photos on Your iPhone and iPad: Step-by-Step
Keeping your personal photos discreet on your iPhone or iPad is straightforward using the built-in hide feature. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Photos App: Launch the Photos app directly from your home screen.
- Select Your Photo or Video: Navigate through your library and tap to select the specific photo or video you wish to hide. For multiple items, you can use the “Select” button and choose all the media you want to conceal.
- Access the Hide Option: Tap and hold on your selected photo or video to bring up a quick actions menu. Alternatively, for multiple selections or if you prefer using the share sheet, tap the “Share” button (the square with an upward arrow) located at the bottom left of the screen.
- Choose “Hide”: From the options presented in the quick actions menu or the share sheet, scroll down and tap “Hide”.
- Confirm Your Choice: A confirmation prompt will appear at the bottom of your screen asking “Hide Photo?”. Tap “Hide Photo” to confirm and move the selected item(s) to the Hidden album.
Dropdown menu highlighting the Hide feature feature for a photo.
Image: A screenshot showing the steps to hide a photo on an iPhone, with the ‘Hide’ option highlighted in the share sheet menu.
How to Unhide Photos on Your iPhone and iPad
If you decide to bring your hidden photos back into the main library, the process is just as simple:
- Open Photos and Navigate to Albums: Open the Photos app. On an iPad, you might first need to tap the sidebar icon in the top-left corner to reveal your albums list.
- Find the “Hidden” Album: Scroll down the albums list until you reach the “Utilities” section. Here, you will find the “Hidden” album.
- Unlock the Hidden Album: Tap “Hidden”. Since iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, and later, this album is locked by default for enhanced privacy. You’ll need to use Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to unlock and view its contents.
- Select the Photo or Video to Unhide: Once inside the Hidden album, tap and hold the photo or video you want to unhide.
- Choose “Unhide”: From the quick actions menu that appears, tap “Unhide”. The photo or video will be immediately moved back to your main Library and will reappear in albums based on date and location.
Locating the Hidden Album on iPhone and iPad
By default, the Hidden album is visible within the Photos app. Here’s how to find it:
- Open the Photos App: Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll to Utilities: In the Albums view, scroll down past your main albums like “Recents,” “People & Places,” and “Imports” until you find the “Utilities” section.
- Access the Hidden Album: The “Hidden” album will be listed under Utilities. Tap it to view your hidden photos and videos (you may need to authenticate to view the contents if you have iOS 16 or later).
Hidden album highlighted under Utilities.
Image: A screenshot showing the location of the ‘Hidden’ album within the Utilities section of the Photos app on an iPhone.
Turning Off the Visibility of the Hidden Album on iPhone and iPad
For an extra layer of privacy, you can make the Hidden album itself invisible. When you turn off its visibility, the album will not appear in the Utilities section of your albums list, effectively making your hidden photos even harder to find for anyone else using your device. Here’s how to toggle the visibility:
- Open Settings App: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad home screen.
- Navigate to Photos Settings: Scroll down and tap on “Photos”.
- Toggle “Show Hidden Album”: Under the “Albums” section, find the “Show Hidden Album” toggle. By default, it is turned on (green). To hide the Hidden album from view, toggle this switch to the off position (grey).
When “Show Hidden Album” is turned off, the Hidden album and its contents remain intact but are not visible in the Photos app. To see them again, you’ll need to return to Settings and toggle “Show Hidden Album” back on.
How to Hide Photos on Your Mac
Managing hidden photos on your Mac follows a similar logic to iOS and iPadOS. Here’s how to hide and unhide photos and find the Hidden album on macOS:
Hiding Photos on Mac
- Open the Photos App: Launch the Photos application on your Mac.
- Select Photos or Videos: Choose the photo or video you wish to hide. You can select multiple items by holding down the Command key while clicking on each item.
- Use the Hide Option: Control-click (right-click) on your selected photo(s) or video(s). In the context menu that appears, select “Hide Photo”. Alternatively, you can navigate to the menu bar at the top of your screen, click on “Image,” and choose “Hide Photo.” You can also use the keyboard shortcut
Command + L. - Confirm Your Choice: A dialog box will pop up asking “Are you sure you want to hide the selected photo?”. Click “Hide” to confirm.
Unhiding Photos on Mac
- Show the Hidden Photo Album: In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click on “View.” From the dropdown menu, select “Show Hidden Photo Album.” This will make the Hidden album visible in the sidebar.
- Access the Hidden Album: In the Photos app sidebar, under the “Albums” section, you will now see “Hidden.” Select it. You might be prompted to use Touch ID or enter your login password to unlock the album.
- Select Photos to Unhide: Inside the Hidden album, select the photo or video you wish to unhide.
- Use the Unhide Option: Control-click (right-click) on the selected item(s). In the context menu, choose “Unhide Photo.” You can also use the menu bar by going to “Image” and selecting “Unhide Photo,” or use the shortcut
Command + L.
Finding the Hidden Album on Mac
On macOS, the Hidden album is hidden by default. Here’s how to find it:
- Open Photos App: Launch the Photos application on your Mac.
- Show Hidden Photo Album: In the menu bar, click on “View” and then select “Show Hidden Photo Album.”
- Locate in Sidebar: The “Hidden” album will now appear in the sidebar under the “Albums” section.
Hidden album highlighted in MacOS Photos app.
Image: A screenshot showing the ‘Hidden’ album location in the sidebar of the Photos app on macOS.
How to Hide Photos on Apple Vision Pro
If you are using Apple Vision Pro, you can also manage your photo privacy directly on your headset. The process is designed to be intuitive within the visionOS environment:
Hiding Photos on Apple Vision Pro
- Open the Photos App: Open the Photos app within visionOS.
- Select and Hide: Select and hold the photo or video that you want to hide. A menu will appear. Tap “Hide”.
- Confirm Hide: Confirm that you want to hide the photo or video when prompted.
Unhiding Photos on Apple Vision Pro
- Open Photos and Access Collections: Open the Photos app. In the sidebar, tap “Collections.”
- Navigate to Hidden Album: Scroll down in the sidebar to the “Utilities” section and tap “Hidden.”
- Unhide Photos: Tap and hold the photo or video you wish to unhide, then tap “Unhide” from the menu.
Finding the Hidden Album on Apple Vision Pro
- Open Photos App: Open the Photos app in visionOS.
- Go to Collections: Tap “Collections” in the sidebar.
- Locate Hidden Album: Scroll down in the sidebar under “Utilities” to find the “Hidden” album.
Turning Off Hidden Album Visibility on Apple Vision Pro
Similar to iPhone and iPad, you can also turn off the visibility of the Hidden album in Apple Vision Pro settings:
- Open Settings: Go to the Settings app in visionOS.
- Navigate to Photos Settings: Tap “Apps,” then tap “Photos.”
- Toggle “Show Hidden Album”: Scroll down and turn off the “Show Hidden Album” toggle.
Conclusion: Take Control of Your Photo Privacy
The “Hidden” album feature on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro provides a simple yet effective way to manage your photo privacy. Whether you’re looking to declutter your main photo library or keep sensitive images away from prying eyes, understanding how to use this feature is essential. By following these steps, you can confidently control which photos are visible and ensure your private moments remain just that – private. Remember to keep your devices updated to ensure you have the latest security and privacy features available, including the locked Hidden album introduced in recent updates.
