--- title: "How to Hide Photos in Google Photos on iPhone: 4 Ways" description: "How to hide photos in Google Photos on iPhone with move to Locked Folder, and keep Google Photos pictures out of your camera roll. Checked on iOS 27." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/google-photos lang: en published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to hide photos in Google Photos on iPhone > Google Photos can hide photos inside the app. Photos you saved from it are a separate problem. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - Oct 31, 2026 ## Quick answer In Google Photos, go to Select a photo or video -> Add to -> Move to Locked Folder. Items in the Locked Folder don't show in the Photos grid, memories, search, or albums, and other apps on your iPhone can't see them. Needs iOS 15 or later. Photos you already saved from Google Photos sit in your camera roll, so hide or move those separately. - **Fastest way:** Move to Locked Folder. - **Saved copies:** Hide them in Photos, or move them to a vault. - **Encrypted?:** Hidden album: no. A vault: yes. - **iCloud:** Hidden-album photos still sync with iCloud Photos. - **iOS version:** Any recent iOS - **Time needed:** About 1 minute - **Difficulty:** Easy - **Needs an app?:** No (vault optional) - **Reversible?:** Yes - **Shows in backup?:** Yes, unless moved to a vault Google Photos can hide photos inside the app, but copies you saved to your camera roll are a separate problem. Below: 4 ways to deal with both. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Google Photos' settings against its official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Google Photos' own options ### Move to Locked Folder Go to **Select a photo or video -> Add to -> Move to Locked Folder**. Items in the Locked Folder don't show in the Photos grid, memories, search, or albums, and other apps on your iPhone can't see them. Needs iOS 15 or later. ### Back up Locked Folder Go to **Profile picture -> Google Photos settings -> Backup -> Back up Locked Folder**. Locked Folder items are not backed up unless you turn this on (photo backup must be on first). Without it, they live only on this iPhone and are deleted if you delete the app. ## Method 2: Hide Google Photos photos already in your camera roll Pictures you saved from Google Photos are ordinary photos in the Photos app. Hide them there: 1. **Open Photos** Find the Google Photos photos you saved. 2. **Select them** Touch and hold a photo, or tap Select and choose several. 3. **Hide** Tap Hide (in the More menu when several are selected) and confirm. Hidden photos move to **Collections -> Utilities -> Hidden**, which opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. **What this does not do:** the Hidden album isn't separately encrypted, and it syncs with iCloud Photos. ## Method 3: Move them into a vault A vault takes photos out of the Photos library altogether, so they don't show in Photos, search or widgets. Move them in, then delete the originals from Photos and empty Recently Deleted. > **Lock this in VaultForYou.** Keep Google Photos photos in an encrypted vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) ## Who can see photos you hide this way? | Method | Someone who knows your passcode | Your other Apple devices | Photos search and widgets | |---|---|---|---| | Move to Locked Folder | Usually yes, inside the app | Depends on the app | Not affected | | Back up Locked Folder | Usually yes, inside the app | Depends on the app | Not affected | | Hidden album | Yes | Yes, with iCloud Photos on | Hidden | | VaultForYou vault | No, it needs your pattern | Only with encrypted backup on | Not shown | ## Lock Google Photos too Hidden photos are only as private as the app. Lock Google Photos with **Require Face ID**: see [how to lock Google Photos](/lock-apps/google-photos). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you hide photos in Google Photos? Yes. Google Photos has move to Locked Folder and back up Locked Folder. Items in the Locked Folder don't show in the Photos grid, memories, search, or albums, and other apps on your iPhone can't see them. These options only work inside Google Photos; photos you saved to your camera roll need hiding separately. ### Do Google Photos photos save to my camera roll? Only photos you save, or that Google Photos saves automatically if that setting is on. Check Google Photos' settings for a save or media visibility option. Anything already saved is a normal photo in the Photos app. ### Where do hidden photos go on iPhone? Photos you hide in the Photos app go to the Hidden album under Collections -> Utilities -> Hidden. It opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Photos you hide inside Google Photos stay inside Google Photos. ### Can someone find my hidden Google Photos photos? Anyone who can unlock your iPhone and open Google Photos can usually reach them. Hidden-album photos open with your iPhone passcode too. A vault with its own pattern, separate from your passcode, keeps them away from someone who knows it. ### What's the safest way to hide Google Photos photos? Move them out of Photos and out of Google Photos into an encrypted vault with its own lock. Then delete the originals from Photos and empty Recently Deleted. That way they don't show in Photos, search, widgets or iCloud Photos. ## Bottom line Move to Locked Folder. is the quickest way to hide photos inside Google Photos. For photos that should not be anywhere in Photos or iCloud Photos, a vault is the only built-for-it option. ## Sources - [Apple Support: Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/delete-or-hide-photos-and-videos-iphb4defbde9/ios) - [Apple Support: Hide photos with the Hidden album](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104987) - [Google Photos Help: Hide sensitive photos & videos in Locked Folders (iPhone & iPad)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/10694388?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Move photos to archive (iPhone & iPad)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7362432?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Find & manage your featured memories (iPhone & iPad)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9454489?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) ## More Google Photos privacy guides - [How to hide Google Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-apps/google-photos) - [How to lock Google Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/google-photos) - [Google Photos privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/google-photos) ## Hide photos for other apps - [How to hide photos in Dropbox](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/dropbox) - [How to hide photos in Instagram](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/instagram) - [How to hide photos in Messages](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/messages) - [How to hide photos in the Photos app](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/photos) - [How to hide photos in Snapchat](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/snapchat) - [How to hide photos in TikTok](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/tiktok) - [All hide-photo guides](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos) ## The full guide - [How to hide photos on iPhone, and who can still see them](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/hide-photos-on-iphone) --- 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