How to hide photos or other images on iPhone and iPad and how to password protect your private gallery to prevent it from being seen by others
If we have photos in the iPhone gallery to hide from prying eyes, we can use both the tools provided by the operating system and use convenient apps to create a secret folder where you can hide photosaccessible only after entering a PIN or via biometric unlocking (Face ID or Touch ID).In this guide we will show you how to hide photos on iPhone with password, thus protecting the shots and shared photos that no one should ever find on the phone, keeping them out even when viewing the gallery and in the iPhone backup; the latter be checked periodically to prevent any compromising photos from being uploaded to the cloud).
READ ALSO: How to Hide Apps on iPhone and iPad
1) iPhone usage time
A very effective method to hide photos and protect them with a PIN involves using Usage timethe special control mode integrated into the system that blocks the apps indicated with a personal PIN.
To activate it we open the app Settingslet’s tap on Usage time then we immediately set the security PIN by pressing on Use code “Screen Time”. After choosing our PIN, we press on App limitationswe select Add usage restrictionenter the code chosen previously and place the check mark on Creativitymaking sure the app Photo and among the active ones.
We press on the top right Avanti and, on the next screen, we set 1 minute as a time limit, making sure to tick the item too Block at end of limit. To confirm the addition of the limitation, tap on the item at the top right add; from now on, after using the Photos app for at least one minute (just do it immediately every time you turn it on and start up) it will be blocked with a warning screen, which we can bypass only by pressing on the item Request more time and entering the chosen PIN.
In this way we will be able to hide photos on iPhone and iPad with an effective PIN that is difficult to guess and unlock the Photos app from time to time only when we use it ourselves; we can also change the time limit by tapping on Enter the code for “Screen Time”so as to make it more consistent with our activity, just remember to let the time necessary to activate the block pass.
This procedure can be used to block and protect access to any other app on the iPhone or iPad, just select the right category when configuring the app limitation.
2) Google Photo
The app of Google Photo It’s perfect for hiding personal photos that no one should see on your iPhone, using the Secure Folder feature built into the app.
After adding the app on the iPhone, open it, choose the Google account to use, press on the bottom right Collectionlet’s press up Utility and finally press on Protected folder.
Now let’s use the immediately Face ID where he Touch ID to create the protected folder and choose whether or not to back up the protected folder; given the purpose for which we use it, we strongly recommend not making a backup, thus leaving the compromising photos only on the iPhone in use (unless you want to take the photos to other phones too).
It must be said that the backup is still protected and not visible unless you know the PIN or use the same biometric unlock system.
Now that the protected folder is ready, press on Move items and choose which photos to hide in the secret folder. Alternatively we can take ourselves to the section Photo o Collectionopen the photo to hide, press on the three dots at the top right and finally select the item Move to Secure Folderscrolling through the various items at the top of the options window.
To learn more we can read our guide on how to use Google Photos on your phone.
3) Private Photo Vault
If we want to hide private photos in an iPhone we can password protect them with a free app like Private Photo Vault.
With this app we will be able to hide all the photos on the smartphone using a PIN as an access method or, alternatively, one of the biometric tools compatible with Apple (Face ID o Touch ID).
Among the advanced features offered by the app we find sending intrusion reports (with photos + GPS), password diversion (allows you to access an empty section of the gallery by typing a fake password) and allows you to send hidden photos wirelessly to another Apple device or an Android smartphone. To unlock the full potential of the app, we can consider purchasing the paid version.
4) Other apps to hide photos
Other apps to create a secret folder for photos on iPhone can be found in the list below:
- Secret Vault Hide Photos Photo
- Hide Secret Photos Keepsafe
- Best Secret Folder
- Hide Photos: Secret Album
We download and try all the apps until we find the right one to hide the photos we take or receive on our iPhone.
Conclusions
Hiding photos on our iPhone has become really simple and “spy” proofespecially if we use the Screen Time function or rely on a safe and free app like Google Photos (the best app for hiding photos on iPhone).
In addition to Google Photos, we can also use other “gallery and secret photo apps” such as those reported in this guide, so as to be able to protect photos from prying eyes or from relatives who are too “nosy” for our tastes.
If we only wanted to hide the photos and videos shared in WhatsApp chats, just read our article on how Hide Whatsapp photos and videos from the Gallery.
For further information we can also read our guide on app to encrypt files on your phone (images, videos, documents).