Yes, if the person knows your iPhone passcode. Apple says the Hidden album needs Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode to open. The passcode is one of the accepted ways in. The lock decides who sees the album in Photos. It does not give the photos a key of their own.
Three people who get in
- Someone who knows your passcode. They type it, and the album opens.
- Someone whose face or finger is set up on the phone. Face ID and Touch ID open the album for them.
- Someone signed in to your Apple Account on a Mac. With iCloud Photos on, a hidden photo is hidden on your other devices too. On a Mac the album opens with Touch ID or the login password.
What to check today
- If someone knows your passcode, change it. Changing the Hidden album password has the steps.
- Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Photos, and look at Show Hidden Album. Turning it off removes the album from view, which hides it from a casual look. It is not a second lock.
- Look at the list of devices signed in to your Apple Account, and think about who uses them.
Apple says the album is locked by default on iOS 16 and later. That lock suits a quick moment, such as showing a friend one photo while you hand over the phone. A partner or a child who knows your passcode is a different case.
Moving a photo into Vault9
The vault opens with your pattern or passphrase and the Secret Key, or Face ID if you turn it on. Your phone passcode does not open it. So do not reuse your phone passcode as your passphrase.
To move a photo, unhide it first, because the photo picker does not show the Hidden album. Import it, delete the original in Photos yourself, and then delete it in Recently Deleted too. Apple keeps deleted photos there for 30 days.
Two limits. Vault9 does not protect a vault that is open on an unlocked phone. And Face ID is off until you turn it on. Once it is on, the app still asks for your pattern or passphrase after 3 days without it. Someone who guesses wrong 5 times in a row has to wait, 1 minute at first and up to 60.
Sources
- Apple Support: Hide photos on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro with the Hidden album (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: Hide photos and videos on Apple devices (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: Delete photos on your iPhone or iPad (checked 2026-11-06)
