--- title: "Photo Vault vs Locked Notes on iPhone: Which Is Better?" description: "Compare locked Notes with a photo vault app on iPhone: file types, encryption, passwords, export limits and iCloud, with scenarios showing which one fits." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/photo-vault-vs-locked-notes lang: en published: 2026-10-30 updated: 2026-10-30 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # Photo vault vs locked notes on iPhone: which is better for private files? > Locked notes are a good free answer for a few photos and some private text. They stop being the right tool the moment you need videos, PDFs or a lot of files. Published 2026-10-30 - Updated 2026-10-30 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team ## Quick answer Use locked Notes for private text and a handful of photos: it's free, built in and can use a custom password. Use a photo vault app for videos, PDFs, many files or a separate lock. Locked notes can't hold videos, audio, PDFs or other file attachments. - **Locked notes:** Text, checklists, tables and photos. Title stays visible. - **Not supported:** Notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments can't be locked. - **Password:** Custom Notes password or your iPhone passcode, your choice. - **Vault app:** Any file type the app supports, behind its own lock. We make VaultForYou, a vault app, so weigh our view accordingly. The Notes facts below come from Apple's help pages. We did not lab-test other vendors' apps. ## The short comparison | | Locked notes | Photo vault app | |---|---|---| | Cost | Free, built in | Varies | | What it holds | Text, checklists, tables, photos | Photos, videos and documents, depending on the app | | Videos, audio, PDFs, files | **No**, notes with these can't be locked | Yes, if the app supports them | | Own password | Yes, a custom Notes password (or use your iPhone passcode) | Yes, its own code in the better apps | | Encryption | End-to-end for iCloud accounts, per Apple | App-dependent; look for on-device encryption | | Title or name visible | **Title stays visible** in the list | Depends on the app; VaultForYou shows no names or previews on the lock screen | | Organizing many files | One note at a time | Folders or vaults, depending on the app | | Syncs to other Apple devices | Yes, with iCloud Notes | Only if the app offers it | | Forgot the password | A reset only affects new locks; old notes keep the old password | Often unrecoverable | | Export | Photo by photo, from each note | App-dependent; VaultForYou exports every original free | ## What each one is for Locked notes are designed for private writing: a list of passwords you shouldn't have, a diary entry, a few photos of a gift. Our guide on [locking notes on iPhone](/blog/lock-notes-iphone) covers the setup and the catches. They work well because they are already on your phone, encrypted, and carry their own password if you want one. A photo vault is designed to hold files. It keeps them outside the Photos library, behind a lock that isn't your iPhone passcode, and lets you add many items at once. VaultForYou, for instance, stores photos, videos and documents you choose, lets you select many items at once and see how many were saved, and lets you export every original for free at any time. ## Practical scenarios | You want to protect | Better fit | Why | |---|---|---| | A private paragraph or checklist | Locked note | Text is what Notes does best | | Three photos for a surprise | Locked note | Small and simple | | A passport scan | Vault app | A scan is a file; see [where to store ID scans](/blog/store-passport-id-scans-iphone) | | A folder of videos | Vault app | Notes can't lock video | | Bank statements as PDFs | Vault app or a password-protected PDF | Notes can't lock PDF attachments | | Hundreds of private photos | Vault app | Adding items one note at a time doesn't scale | | Something you must be able to hand over later | Either; test export first | Check how you get the originals out | ## The catches they share Neither tool protects the original you left behind. Adding a photo to a note copies it, and moving a photo into a vault copies it too, so the original stays in Photos. Delete it, then empty **Recently Deleted**. Both also use a password that, if forgotten, may not be recoverable, so write down where you keep it. Our guides on [locking photos on iPhone](/blog/lock-photos-on-iphone) and [locking a folder](/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone) compare the other options. > **Photos and videos a locked note can't hold.** A vault on your iPhone that opens only with your pattern. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) ## Frequently asked questions ### Are locked notes safe for photos? They're a reasonable option for a few photos. Apple says locked notes are end-to-end encrypted for iCloud accounts and that Apple doesn't have access. The catch is that adding a photo from your library copies it, so the original stays in Photos until you delete it and empty Recently Deleted. ### Can I lock a video or PDF in Notes? No. Apple says notes containing video, audio, PDF or file attachments can't be locked. If you need to protect those, use a vault app or password-protect the PDF itself. ### Is a custom Notes password the same as a vault password? It plays a similar role: a password that isn't your iPhone passcode. Both can be unrecoverable if you forget them. The difference is scope, since Notes handles text and photos while a vault handles whatever files the app supports. ### Can I export photos from a locked note? Yes, you can open the note and save or share its photos one note at a time. Check how any vault app handles export before you commit: VaultForYou lets you export every original at any time, free, even after cancelling Premium. ## Bottom line For a small amount of private text and a few photos, locked Notes is a good free choice. The moment you need videos, documents, many files or a lock that is wholly separate from Notes, a vault app is the better tool. Many people sensibly use both: notes for words, a vault for files. ## Sources - [Apple Support: Lock notes on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-notes-iphf177bb154/ios) - [Apple Support: Use a password to protect your notes](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102537) - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) ## Keep reading - [How to Lock Notes on iPhone, and What Locked Notes Can't Do](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-notes-iphone): Lock notes on iPhone with your passcode or a separate password, fix notes that won't lock (tags, PDFs, video) and see who can still open your locked notes. - [How to Lock Photos on iPhone: 4 Ways That Actually Work (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-photos-on-iphone): Lock photos on iPhone with the Hidden album, a Face ID lock on the Photos app, a locked note or an encrypted vault, and see who can still open each one. - [How to Lock a Folder on iPhone (Secure Folder Alternatives)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone): iPhone can't lock a folder or match Samsung's Secure Folder. Here are 5 workarounds, from locked Notes and Face ID app lock to vaults, ranked by protection. - [iPhone Hidden Album vs Photo Vault App: Which Do You Need?](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/hidden-album-vs-photo-vault): Compare the iPhone Hidden album with a photo vault app on lock, encryption, iCloud syncing and recovery, and decide if the built-in option is enough. --- Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000