How to lock photos on iPhone
You have three locks. Face ID on the Hidden album locks a few photos inside Photos. Require Face ID on the Photos app locks everything in it. A vault with its own passcode locks only the photos you choose, and keeps them out of Photos and iCloud. The first two open with your iPhone passcode; the third doesn't.
Lock the Hidden album
- Hide the photos: touch and hold, then Hide.
- In Settings → Photos (Settings → Apps → Photos on iOS 18 and later), turn on Use Face ID (or Use Touch ID, or Use Passcode).
- The Hidden and Recently Deleted albums now need Face ID to open.
Lock the whole Photos app
- Touch and hold the Photos icon.
- Tap Require Face ID, then confirm.
Every visit to Photos now needs Face ID. Photos is built in, so it can be locked but not hidden, and the lock only applies to that iPhone.
Lock photos in a vault
Import them into Mavaul and delete the originals. They're encrypted with AES-256 on the iPhone and open only with Mavaul's own 4-digit passcode or your Face ID. Five wrong tries locks the vault for 15 minutes, then longer.
Which lock to use
- A few photos you don't want in your scroll: the Hidden album.
- You don't want anyone in Photos at all: lock the app.
- Photos that must stay private even from someone who knows your phone passcode: a vault.
Questions
Can you put a password on a photo album on iPhone?
Not on a normal album. Only the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums can be locked, with Face ID or your phone passcode. A vault app gives you a separate passcode.
Does locking the Photos app stop iCloud syncing?
No. It only locks the app on that iPhone.
Can someone open locked photos with my phone passcode?
The Hidden album and a locked Photos app, yes. Mavaul, no: it has its own passcode.