--- title: "How to Hide Photos in Notes on iPhone: 3 Ways" description: "Hide photos in Notes on iPhone: don't save Notes photos to Photos and how to keep Notes pictures out of your camera roll. Checked on iOS 27." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/notes lang: en published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to hide photos in Notes on iPhone > Notes 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 Notes, go to Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Save to Photos. This setting saves photos and videos taken in Notes to the Photos app. Turn it off to keep them only in Notes. Photos you already saved from Notes sit in your camera roll, so hide or move those separately. - **Fastest way:** Don't save Notes photos to Photos. - **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 Notes 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 Notes' settings against Apple's official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Notes' own options ### Don't save Notes photos to Photos Go to **Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Save to Photos**. This setting saves photos and videos taken in Notes to the Photos app. Turn it off to keep them only in Notes. ## Method 2: Hide Notes photos already in your camera roll Pictures you saved from Notes are ordinary photos in the Photos app. Hide them there: 1. **Open Photos** Find the Notes 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 Notes 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 | |---|---|---|---| | Don't save Notes photos to Photos | 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 Notes too Hidden photos are only as private as the app. Lock Notes with **Require Face ID**: see [how to lock Notes](/lock-apps/notes). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you hide photos in Notes? Yes. Notes has don't save Notes photos to Photos. This setting saves photos and videos taken in Notes to the Photos app. These options only work inside Notes; photos you saved to your camera roll need hiding separately. ### Do Notes photos save to my camera roll? Only photos you save, or that Notes saves automatically if that setting is on. Check Notes' 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 Notes stay inside Notes. ### Can someone find my hidden Notes photos? Anyone who can unlock your iPhone and open Notes 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 Notes photos? Move them out of Photos and out of Notes 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 Don't save Notes photos to Photos. is the quickest way to hide photos inside Notes. 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 your notes on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-notes-iphf177bb154/ios) - [Apple Support: Change your Notes settings on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-notes-settings-iph92579feda/ios) - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) ## More Notes privacy guides - [How to hide Notes on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-apps/notes) - [How to lock Notes on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/notes) - [Notes privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/notes) ## Hide photos for other apps - [How to hide photos in the Photos app](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/photos) - [How to hide photos in Files](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/files) - [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 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