Every iPhone features a “Hidden” album within the Photos app, designed to keep sensitive images (like screenshots of bank statements or private family photos) out of your main camera roll. However, prior to iOS 16, this album was not actually secure. Anyone who unlocked your phone could simply scroll down the Albums tab, tap “Hidden,” and instantly view the contents.
Apple finally fixed this vulnerability by allowing users to physically lock both the “Hidden” and “Recently Deleted” albums behind Face ID (or Touch ID on older models).
How to Lock the Hidden Album
Before you begin, ensure your iPhone is updated to at least iOS 16, as this feature does not exist on older firmware.
- Open the main Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down significantly until you find the Photos app settings (it will be listed among the other default Apple apps). Tap it.
- Scroll down to the section labeled “Albums.”
- Locate the toggle switch labeled Use Face ID (or Use Touch ID).
- Toggle this switch to the On (green) position.
(Note: While you are on this screen, you can also toggle the “Show Hidden Album” switch to Off. This removes the album entirely from the Photos app interface, making it invisible until you return to Settings and toggle it back on).
How to Access Your Locked Photos
Now that the security layer is active, the behavior of the Photos app has changed.
- Open the Photos app.
- Tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll all the way to the bottom to the “Utilities” section.
- You will now notice a small padlock icon next to both “Hidden” and “Recently Deleted.”
- Tap the Hidden album.
Instead of opening the gallery, the screen will remain blank, and the Face ID scanner will instantly activate. Only after it successfully recognizes your face will the photos be decrypted and displayed on the screen.
If you hand your unlocked phone to a friend and they attempt to tap the Hidden album, Face ID will fail, and they will be completely blocked from viewing your private media.