How to make a secret folder on iPhone
iPhone doesn't have a password-protected folder, in Photos or in Files. People get close in four ways: the Hidden album, a locked note, a hidden app, or a vault app with folders. Only the last gives you folders behind their own passcode, with the photos encrypted.
The four ways
- The Hidden album. One folder, locked with Face ID or your phone passcode, still in Photos and iCloud.
- A locked note. Fine for a screenshot or two. Awkward for many photos and no good for video.
- A hidden app. On iOS 18 and later, apps you downloaded can be hidden in a Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library.
- A vault app with folders. Mavaul lets you make as many folders as you like inside an encrypted vault.
Make secret folders in Mavaul
- Import photos into Mavaul and let it delete the originals. Empty Recently Deleted.
- Make folders for them: trips, documents, anything.
- Everything is encrypted with AES-256 and opens only with Mavaul's passcode or your Face ID.
- To hide the app too, turn on decoy mode, so it opens as a working calculator, or hide it in the App Library.
Questions
Can I lock a folder in the Files app?
No. Files has no per-folder password.
Is the Hidden album a secret folder?
It's a locked folder inside Photos, opened by your phone passcode or Face ID, and it syncs with iCloud Photos.
Can I hide the vault app itself?
Yes. Hide it in the App Library, or turn on Mavaul's decoy mode so it looks like a calculator.