Prive › Prive vs Hidden album
Prive vs the iPhone Hidden album
Short answer: The Hidden album is free and built in, and since iOS 16 it is locked with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. But anyone who knows your passcode can open it, the photos stay in your Photos library and iCloud Photos, and they get no extra encryption. Prive moves photos into a separate vault with its own PIN and encrypts each file with AES-256-GCM. The Hidden album is fine for casual privacy; use a vault if people around you know your passcode.
Side by side
| iPhone Hidden album | Prive | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, built into Photos | Free for up to 20 photos and videos; Premium (monthly or yearly) for unlimited |
| What opens it | Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode (iOS 16 and later) | Prive's own 6-digit PIN, with optional Face ID / Touch ID |
| Someone who knows your iPhone passcode | Can open it | Still needs your Prive PIN |
| Photos stay in your Photos library | Yes, hidden from most views | No. Imported into the vault; originals can be deleted |
| Extra encryption | No, standard iOS data protection | AES-256-GCM per file, key only on your devices |
| In iCloud | Synced with iCloud Photos; end-to-end encrypted only with Advanced Data Protection | Optional backup to your own iCloud, encrypted before upload |
| Separate album passwords | No | Yes |
| Break-in alerts | No | Optional photo of whoever enters a wrong PIN |
How the Hidden album works
In Photos, touch and hold a photo, tap Hide and confirm. Hidden photos disappear from your library, Memories and widgets and move to the Hidden album under Utilities. From iOS 16 the album is locked by default and opens with Face ID or Touch ID, with your iPhone passcode as the fallback. You can also remove the album from view in Settings → Photos (Settings → Apps → Photos on iOS 18 and later) by turning off Show Hidden Album. If you use iCloud Photos, hidden photos are hidden on all your devices.
Where it falls short
- Your passcode opens it. Partners, children and friends often know an iPhone passcode. Anyone who does can open the Hidden album.
- The photos are still in your library. They are hidden from views, not removed, and they sync with iCloud Photos like any other photo.
- No separate encryption. Hidden photos get the same protection as the rest of your library. In iCloud, Apple holds the keys for Photos unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection.
- One album, one lock. There are no per-album passwords and no alert when someone tries to get in.
Since iOS 18 you can also lock the whole Photos app with Face ID, but that lock also accepts your iPhone passcode.
When the Hidden album is enough
If you simply want a few photos out of your main grid and nobody else knows your passcode, the Hidden album is a good, free choice.
When to use a vault instead
- Someone else knows or might learn your iPhone passcode.
- You want the photos out of your Photos library and iCloud Photos entirely.
- You want each file encrypted with a key the vault controls, separate albums with their own passwords, or a record of failed attempts.
Move photos from the Hidden album into Prive
- Install Prive, create your PIN and write down your Recovery Key.
- Tap + → Import from Photos and select the photos. If you can't find them in the picker, unhide them in Photos first.
- Let Prive delete the originals after import (Settings → Delete from Photos After Import), then empty Recently Deleted in Photos.
For the technical details, see how Prive encrypts your photos.
Frequently asked questions
Is the iPhone Hidden album secure?
It keeps photos out of your main library and, from iOS 16, requires Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode to open. It does not encrypt hidden photos separately, and anyone who knows your passcode can open it.
Can someone see my hidden photos if they know my passcode?
Yes. The Hidden album accepts your iPhone passcode. A vault such as Prive uses its own PIN, so knowing the iPhone passcode is not enough.
Does the Hidden album sync to iCloud?
Yes. With iCloud Photos on, hidden photos sync like the rest of your library and are hidden on all your devices. They are end-to-end encrypted in iCloud only if Advanced Data Protection is turned on.
Can I hide the Hidden album itself?
Yes. Turn off Show Hidden Album in Settings → Photos (Settings → Apps → Photos on iOS 18 and later).
Are photos in Prive also in iCloud Photos?
No. Prive keeps its own encrypted copy. If you turn on Prive's iCloud Backup, the encrypted files go to your private iCloud database, not to iCloud Photos.
