--- title: "How to Hide Photos on iPhone in the Photos App (iOS 27)" description: "Hide photos in Photos on iPhone: deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days and how to keep Photos pictures out of your camera roll. Checked on iOS 27." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/photos lang: en published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to hide photos in the Photos app on iPhone > The Hidden album takes a photo out of your library view in seconds. It doesn't encrypt it. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - Oct 31, 2026 ## Quick answer In Photos, go to Photos -> Collections -> Recently Deleted (below Utilities) -> View Album. Deleted items are kept for 30 days before being permanently removed from all devices. You can delete them permanently sooner: Select -> More button -> Delete. - **Fastest way:** Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days. - **Saved copies:** Hidden album: Collections -> Utilities -> Hidden. - **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 The Photos app can hide a picture in seconds, but hiding isn't encryption. Below: 2 ways, from the Hidden album to a vault. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Photos' settings against Apple's official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Photos' own options ### Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days Go to **Photos -> Collections -> Recently Deleted (below Utilities) -> View Album**. Deleted items are kept for 30 days before being permanently removed from all devices. You can delete them permanently sooner: Select -> More button -> Delete. ## Method 2: 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 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 | |---|---|---|---| | Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days | Usually yes, inside the app | Depends on the app | Not affected | | VaultForYou vault | No, it needs your pattern | Only with encrypted backup on | Not shown | ## Lock Photos too Hidden photos are only as private as the app. Lock Photos with **Require Face ID**: see [how to lock Photos](/lock-apps/photos). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you hide photos in Photos? Yes. Photos has deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days. Deleted items are kept for 30 days before being permanently removed from all devices. These options only work inside Photos; photos you saved to your camera roll need hiding separately. ### Do Photos photos save to my camera roll? Photos is the camera roll. Everything you take or save appears there unless you hide it or move it out of the library. Hidden photos go to the Hidden album, which syncs with iCloud Photos if that is on. ### 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 Photos stay inside Photos. ### Can someone find my hidden Photos photos? Anyone who can unlock your iPhone and open 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 Photos photos? Move them out of Photos and out of 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 Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days. is the quickest way to hide photos inside 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) - [Apple Support: Hide people, memories, and holidays in Photos on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/hide-people-memories-and-holidays-iph10a9dd2a1/ios) - [Apple Support: Hide photos and videos on Apple devices (Personal Safety User Guide)](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/hide-photos-and-videos-ipsb4de8251c/web) - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) ## More Photos privacy guides - [How to hide Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-apps/photos) - [How to lock Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/lock-apps/photos) - [Photos privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/apps/photos) ## Hide photos for other apps - [How to hide photos in Notes](https://www.vaultforyou.app/hide-photos/notes) - [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