Receipts and label photos do not need strong secrecy. They need to be out of the way. Apple’s Hide command does that, but every time you want a receipt back, you unlock the Hidden album first.
What Hide does, and what it costs
Hide moves a photo to the Hidden album. Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode opens that album. You can also remove it from view: open Settings, tap Apps, tap Photos, and turn off Show Hidden Album.
For 5 photos, that is fine. For a steady stream of receipts, it is a chore. And a hidden photo leaves Recents but stays in Photos.
Sort them into Vault9 albums
Vault9 holds photos, videos and documents, encrypted on your iPhone. You group them in albums, and one item can sit in several albums. A receipt can be in Receipts and in Work at once.
Start small. Do not move your whole library on day one.
- Create your vault.
- Pick the one category that annoys you most. Receipts, for example.
- Import those photos from the Photos app.
- Add them to an album, such as Receipts.
- Open a few to check them.
- Delete the originals in Photos yourself.
- Open Recently Deleted in Photos and delete the items there. Apple keeps deleted photos for 30 days.
Do the next category only if the first one was worth it. A PDF works the same way: import it from the Files app.
The price is one unlock
Vault9 locks when you leave the app, when you lock it, and after a time you set. To open it again, you draw your pattern or type your passphrase. That is slower than scrolling Recents.
So keep what you show often in Photos. Move only what you want out of sight.
Two more limits. Vault9 does not protect a vault that is open on an unlocked phone. Copies in Photos or Messages stay as they are. If you forget your pattern or passphrase and did not write it on your Emergency Kit, you cannot open the vault. We cannot open it for you.
A scan of a passport needs more care. See how to scan an ID and keep it private.
Sources
- Apple Support: Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone (checked 2026-11-06)
