The built-in way to protect private pictures on an iPhone is to move them to the Hidden collection in Photos. On current iOS versions, the Hidden collection is locked by default and can require Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode to open.
Hide a photo or video
- Open the Photos app.
- Press and hold the photo or video you want to protect.
- Tap Hide.
- Confirm that you want to hide the item.
Open your hidden photos
- Open Photos and tap or scroll to Collections.
- Find Hidden under Utilities.
- Tap View Album and authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or the passcode.
If you do not even want the Hidden collection to appear in Photos, open Settings > Apps > Photos and turn off Show Hidden Album.
What to know
Hiding a photo is not the same as encrypting it with a separate password of your choosing. The built-in protection uses the iPhone’s authentication. If iCloud Photos is enabled, hiding an item also affects your other devices using iCloud Photos.
What happens after you hide a picture
The item disappears from the main library views where you would normally browse it and moves to Hidden. You can later open Hidden, authenticate, select the item, and choose to unhide it. If other people know your iPhone passcode, the built-in Hidden collection should not be treated as protection from those people, because the device passcode can be used as an authentication method in appropriate circumstances. Protect the passcode itself as carefully as the photos.