Can someone see my hidden photos?
Yes, more people than you'd think. The Hidden album opens with Face ID, but it falls back to your iPhone passcode. So anyone who knows that code can open it, and so can anyone using another device on your Apple Account. A vault with its own passcode is the way to make that list just you.
Who can open the Hidden album
- Anyone who knows your iPhone passcode. Face ID falls back to it.
- Anyone using an iPhone, iPad or Mac signed in to your Apple Account, if iCloud Photos is on.
- Anyone you've added to an iCloud Shared Photo Library, if the photo is in the shared library.
- You, at iCloud.com.
Check these settings
- In Settings → Photos (Settings → Apps → Photos on iOS 18 and later), make sure Use Face ID (or Use Passcode) is on, so Hidden and Recently Deleted are locked.
- Turn off Show Hidden Album if you don't want the album listed at all.
- Check that a shared iPad or Mac isn't signed in to your Apple Account.
A lock only you can open
Mavaul has its own 4-digit passcode, separate from the phone's, plus Face ID. Five wrong tries locks it for 15 minutes, then longer. The photos are encrypted with AES-256 on the iPhone and aren't in iCloud Photos, so another device on your account can't show them.
Questions
Can my partner see my hidden photos?
If they know your phone passcode, or use a device on your Apple Account, yes.
Can Apple see my hidden photos?
Hidden photos are stored in iCloud Photos like any other photo. Unless you've turned on Advanced Data Protection, Apple holds the keys for iCloud Photos.
Is the Hidden album encrypted?
It's protected like the rest of your iPhone and iCloud Photos, but it isn't a separate encrypted store with its own key or passcode.