--- title: "How to Hide Photos in Messages on iPhone: 3 Ways" description: "Hide photos in Messages on iPhone: keep Messages photos out of the Photos app and how to keep Messages pictures out of your camera roll. Checked on iOS 27." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/messages lang: en published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to hide photos in Messages on iPhone > Messages 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 Messages, go to Settings -> Apps -> Messages -> Shared with You. Turn off Photos so pictures people send you in Messages don't show up in the Photos app. You can also turn off Show in Shared with You for one conversation from its info screen. Photos you already saved from Messages sit in your camera roll, so hide or move those separately. - **Fastest way:** Keep Messages photos out of the Photos app. - **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 Messages can hide photos inside the app, but copies you saved to your camera roll are a separate problem. Below: 3 ways to deal with both. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Messages' settings against Apple's official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Messages' own options ### Keep Messages photos out of the Photos app Go to **Settings -> Apps -> Messages -> Shared with You**. Turn off Photos so pictures people send you in Messages don't show up in the Photos app. You can also turn off Show in Shared with You for one conversation from its info screen. ## Method 2: Hide Messages photos already in your camera roll Pictures you saved from Messages are ordinary photos in the Photos app. Hide them there: 1. **Open Photos** Find the Messages 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 Messages 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 | |---|---|---|---| | Keep Messages photos out of the Photos app | 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 Messages too Hidden photos are only as private as the app. Lock Messages with **Require Face ID**: see [all Messages' privacy settings](/apps/messages). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you hide photos in Messages? Yes. Messages has keep Messages photos out of the Photos app. Turn off Photos so pictures people send you in Messages don't show up in the Photos app. These options only work inside Messages; photos you saved to your camera roll need hiding separately. ### Do Messages photos save to my camera roll? Only photos you save, or that Messages saves automatically if that setting is on. Check Messages' 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 Messages stay inside Messages. ### Can someone find my hidden Messages photos? Anyone who can unlock your iPhone and open Messages 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 Messages photos? Move them out of Photos and out of Messages 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 Keep Messages photos out of the Photos app. is the quickest way to hide photos inside Messages. 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) - [Apple Support: Lock or hide apps on your iPhone (Personal Safety User Guide)](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/lock-or-hide-apps-on-your-iphone-ipsd0be4c185/web) - [Apple Support: View conversations from unknown senders in Messages on your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/125068) - [Apple Support: Use Messages on your iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104982) - [Apple Support: Use Shared with You on your iPhone and iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102197) ## More Messages privacy guides - [How to hide Messages on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-apps/messages) - [Messages privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/messages) ## Hide photos for other apps - [How to hide photos in WhatsApp](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/whatsapp) - [How to hide photos in Facebook Messenger](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/messenger) - [How to hide photos in Signal](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/signal) - [How to hide photos in Telegram](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/telegram) - [How to hide photos in Viber](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/viber) - [How to hide photos in Instagram](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/instagram) - [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