The short answer
Hide the photos. In iOS 16 and later the Hidden album is locked by default. Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode opens it (Apple: Delete or hide photos and videos).
That lock is your phone lock. If you need a lock of its own, you need a vault app.
Lock them with the Hidden album
- Open Photos and touch and hold the photo or video.
- Tap Hide, then confirm.
To open the album later, tap Collections, scroll to Utilities and tap Hidden. Tap View Album and unlock it.
Two more facts from Apple. You can take the album out of the Photos view: go to Settings, Apps, Photos and turn off Show Hidden Album. And with iCloud Photos on, a photo you hide is hidden on your other devices too.
Who this keeps out
It keeps out a person who picks up your phone and does not know your passcode. A partner who knows the passcode opens the album as easily as you do. If that person is the one you worry about, the Hidden album does not help. The lock is the same for a single photo, as this guide on one photo shows.
Set up a vault
- Create a vault and choose a pattern or a passphrase.
- Import your photos from the Photos app.
- Delete the originals in Photos yourself. Vault9 never deletes them.
- Open Recently Deleted in Photos and delete them there too.
- When the banner on the Gallery asks, save or print your Emergency Kit and write your pattern or passphrase on it.
The vault locks when you leave the app, when you lock it, and after the time you set. The app switcher shows a plain cover with the logo, not your photos.
What a vault does not do for you
We cannot reset a forgotten pattern or passphrase. Vault9 has no account. If yours is not written on your Emergency Kit, the vault is lost for good. There is no support back door.
The vault also does not protect itself on an unlocked phone, or on a phone with malware. If someone holds your phone while the vault is open, they see the photos.
Common questions
Can I take my photos out of the vault again?
Yes. Export them to the iOS share sheet whenever you like.
Sources
- Apple Support: Hide photos with the Hidden album (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: Delete photos on your iPhone or iPad (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone (checked 2026-11-06)
