vs iPhone Hidden Album
iPhone's Hidden album vs a real photo vault.
iPhone has a built-in Hidden album, it's free, and since iOS 16 it locks with Face ID. For hiding a few photos from someone casually scrolling your camera roll, it's enough. Secure Folder: Privacy Vault covers what the Hidden album does not. The album is a documented feature in a fixed location that opens with the same Face ID as your phone and syncs through iCloud. Secure Folder is a separate app with its own PIN (not your device passcode), a disguised icon, and no iCloud sync; it also has a decoy vault and intruder alerts.
The short version
Use the Hidden album if you just want to hide photos from casual scrolling — it's free and built in. Use Secure Folder if you want a separate PIN, a disguised icon, a decoy, intruder alerts, or photos kept out of iCloud Photos.
Secure Folder vs iPhone's Hidden album, side by side
| Secure Folder | iPhone's Hidden album | |
|---|---|---|
| Separate lock | Its own PIN | Same Face ID as your phone |
| Findability | Icon can be disguised | Known, fixed location in Photos |
| Syncs to iCloud | No | Yes, with your library |
| Decoy vault (fake PIN) | Yes | No |
| Intruder alerts (photo) | Yes | No |
| Separate vault storage | Yes — delete originals when you import | No — stays in Photos |
Competitor details verified against public sources, July 2026. Apps change — see sources below.
Choose Secure Folder if…
- You want the photos out of the Photos app entirely, behind a PIN that isn't your iPhone passcode.
- You want a decoy vault, intruder alerts, or a disguised app icon.
- You don't want your private photos syncing to iCloud alongside the rest of your library.
Choose iPhone's Hidden album if…
- You only need to hide photos from someone casually scrolling, and you're the only one who can unlock your phone.
Common questions
Is iPhone's Hidden album secure enough?
For casual hiding, yes. Since iOS 16 it locks with Face ID. But it's a known feature in a fixed spot, it opens with the same Face ID as your phone, and it syncs to iCloud. If someone has your passcode, it doesn't stop them. A vault app adds a separate PIN and no iCloud sync, and Secure Folder adds a decoy.
Do I need a photo vault app if I have the Hidden album?
Only if you need what the Hidden album lacks: a lock independent of your device passcode, a decoy vault for forced-unlock situations, intruder alerts, a disguised app icon, or photos kept out of iCloud Photos.
Does Secure Folder keep photos out of iCloud?
The vault copy stays outside iCloud Photos. Secure Folder can delete the original from Photos when you import; if you keep it, that original still follows your iCloud Photos settings. The Hidden album stays in your Photos library and syncs with iCloud Photos.
See for yourself.
Free to download, with no account and no cloud sync.