"How do I lock my photos on iPhone?" sounds like one question. It is really three, and iOS answers each one with a different setting:
- Hide some photos so they do not show up when someone scrolls.
- Lock the Photos app so it asks for Face ID before it opens.
- Put a password on one folder of files.
People mix these up all the time, and the settings do not make it easy. Here is what each one does, where to find it on iOS 27 and earlier, and what it keeps private.
1. The Hidden album: out of sight
Hiding a photo moves it out of your Library, your other albums, and the Photos widget. It goes into one album called Hidden.
To find it: open Photos, tap Collections, scroll to Utilities, and tap Hidden. Then tap View Album and use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
If Hidden is missing, someone turned the album off in Settings. The photos are still on your phone. Where the switch lives depends on your iOS version:
- iOS 27: Settings → Apps → Photos → Albums → Hidden Album
- iOS 18 to iOS 26: Settings → Apps → Photos → Show Hidden Album
Right above that switch is the lock: Use Face ID, Use Touch ID or Use Passcode, depending on how your iPhone unlocks. Keep it on.
What it keeps private: a stranger scrolling through your phone will not see those photos, and cannot open the album without your face or fingerprint. But when Face ID or Touch ID fails, the album offers your passcode instead. So anyone who knows your passcode can open it.
There is a full walkthrough with screenshots for iOS 27 and iOS 26 in this guide on how to find hidden photos on iPhone.
2. Locking the Photos app: an extra check at the door
Since iOS 18, you can lock almost any app, including Photos.
To turn it on: touch and hold the Photos icon on your Home Screen, tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID or Require Passcode), then tap it again on the next screen to confirm.
From then on, Photos asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. When you close the app, it locks again.
What it keeps private: the whole app, not just some photos. A friend you hand your phone to cannot open Photos without passing that check. The lock stays on this iPhone only. It does not follow you to your iPad or Mac.
Two details that surprise people: Apple does not let you hide built-in apps like Photos, only lock them. And like the Hidden album, the lock opens with your passcode too.
More detail, including how the app lock and the Hidden album work together, is in this guide on how to lock photos on iPhone.
3. A password on one folder: not built in
The honest answer surprises most people: the Files app cannot put a password on a single folder.
What you can do instead:
- Lock the whole Files app, the same way as Photos: touch and hold its icon and tap Require Face ID.
- Lock a note in the Notes app. Notes can use your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password.
- Use a vault app that encrypts the files and supports folders.
Home Screen folders, the ones that group your apps, cannot be locked at all.
This guide explains each option and when it makes sense: how to lock a folder on iPhone.
The one thing all three have in common
Put the three side by side and a pattern shows up:
| Setting | Hides from a scroll | Asks before opening | Opens with your passcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden album | Yes | Yes, when the lock is on | Yes |
| Photos app lock | No | Yes | Yes |
| Files app lock | No | Yes | Yes |
Every built-in option ends in the same place: your iPhone's own Face ID, Touch ID or passcode. For a stranger, that is plenty. For someone who knows your passcode, such as a partner, a child, or anyone who has watched you type it, none of these settings is a separate lock.
That is a design choice, not a bug. Apple built these features to keep things out of sight and add a quick check. They were never meant to give some files a key of their own.
Now try the same test with ArkWarden
Hand your unlocked iPhone to someone who knows your passcode. The Hidden album opens. Photos opens. Files opens.
ArkWarden does not.
- Your passcode does not open it. The vault opens with a pattern you draw on a 5×5 grid. Every file is encrypted on your iPhone with AES-256-GCM.
- Copying the files does not help. Part of the key lives in your iPhone's Secure Enclave, so copied vault files cannot be attacked on another computer.
- If someone insists you open it, open Wing. Wing is a second, fully working vault with its own pattern and its own files.
- You can see who tried. Turn on Intruder Detection, and ArkWarden takes an encrypted front-camera photo after 3, 5 or 10 wrong patterns.
- You can add a physical key. Tap a YubiKey after your pattern. ArkWarden passed Yubico's technical review for the Works with YubiKey catalog.
- There is no account and no server. Nobody else holds a copy of your files or your key, and folders work inside the vault just like in Files.
The built-in settings keep your photos out of sight. ArkWarden keeps them private, even from people who know your passcode.
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