How to password protect photos on iPhone

To password protect photos on iPhone with a password that is different from your phone passcode, you have two options: put them in a locked note with a separate Notes password, or use a vault app with its own PIN. The built-in Hidden album cannot have an extra password; it always uses your iPhone passcode or Face ID.

Can you set an extra password for the Hidden album?

No. In current iOS versions the Hidden album is locked, but with the same Face ID, Touch ID or passcode that unlocks your phone. There is no setting for a second password. If you only need the photos out of sight and locked, that is often enough; see how to lock photos on iPhone.

If someone else knows your iPhone passcode, though, the Hidden album is open to them. That is the case for a separate password.

Option 1: a locked note with its own password

The Notes app can lock individual notes, and you can choose a Notes password that differs from your passcode.

1. Open Notes and create a new note.
2. Tap the camera or attachment button and choose Choose Photo or Video (or Photo Library).
3. Add the photos.
4. Tap More (•••) and tap Lock.
5. When asked, choose Use Custom Password (rather than your iPhone passcode) and set it. You can still allow Face ID.

Then delete the originals from Photos and from Recently Deleted, or they stay in your library.

Limits: it is clumsy for more than a handful of photos, there is no gallery view, and some attachment types cannot be locked. If you forget the Notes password, Apple cannot recover it for you.

Option 2: a vault app with its own PIN

A vault app keeps photos in its own storage, behind a code that has nothing to do with your phone passcode. Before you trust one with private photos, check:

• Its own passcode, separate from the device lock.
• Encryption on the device, described specifically, not with vague security slogans.
• Where files go. Ideally they stay on your phone unless you choose a backup.
• A recovery option if you forget the PIN.
• No account required, if you do not want to hand over an email address.

Our option: Stash

Stash is our app. It looks and works like a calculator; your secret PIN opens the vault. Imported photos and videos are encrypted on the device with AES-256, and the key stays in the iOS Keychain. Stash has no server for your files. Backup to your own iCloud Drive or Google Drive is optional and encrypted.

Premium adds a guest PIN that opens a separate vault and intruder photos taken after wrong PIN entries. During setup, Stash shows a recovery key; keep it safe, because without the PIN or that key nobody can open the vault.

Comparing the options

Method	Separate password	Good for many photos	Built in
Hidden album	No (uses passcode)	Yes	Yes
Locked note	Yes	No	Yes
Vault app	Yes	Yes	No

FAQ

Can I put a password on a photo album on iPhone?

Not on normal albums. Only the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums lock, with your device passcode or Face ID.

Is a separate password safer than Face ID?

It protects against a different risk: someone who knows your phone passcode. Face ID is still convenient for unlocking the phone itself.

Does password protecting photos replace a passcode?

No. Keep a strong device passcode. It protects everything else on the phone.