What Apple's Hidden album already does well
In iOS 16 and later, the Hidden album is locked by default and requires authentication in Photos. You can also hide the album itself from view. If you use iCloud Photos, hiding a photo on one device also hides it on your other synced devices. For many people, that is all the privacy they need.
Apple's current instructions are available in its Hidden album support guide. Menu names vary by iOS version.
Why would someone use a separate vault?
The main difference is not simply “Face ID versus no Face ID.” It's where the files live and how you manage access. An independent vault can store imported copies in the app's protected area, encrypt them there and use a separate PIN. Some apps also offer a private camera, a decoy vault, or an encrypted export that you manage yourself.
Hide Photos: Secret Album, for example, stores its vault media with on-device AES-GCM encryption and uses a six-digit vault PIN with optional Face ID. It doesn't require an account or upload vault photos and videos to the developer's server. It is free to download; some features require Pro.
A simple comparison
| Question | Apple Hidden album | Separate encrypted vault |
|---|---|---|
| Where are the photos? | Inside the Photos library | Imported copies can live inside the vault app |
| How is access controlled? | iOS Photos authentication on supported versions | App-specific PIN or other methods, depending on the app |
| Does iCloud Photos sync apply? | Yes, if enabled | Not automatically to separately stored vault copies; backup differs by app |
| How do I move to a new phone? | Depends on your Photos sync and backup setup | Check the app's encrypted backup and restore process |
Important: importing doesn't erase the original
Importing photos into a vault generally creates another copy. Originals may still exist in Apple Photos, iCloud Photos, Recently Deleted or other backups. Verify the vault import succeeded, then decide whether you want to remove those original copies. Do not delete irreplaceable files until you've tested a backup.
Which one should you choose?
Use Apple's Hidden album when you want a convenient built-in solution without managing a second library. Consider a separate vault when you specifically need independent storage, an extra PIN, a private camera, or portable encrypted backups. More software brings more settings and another recovery responsibility; it isn't automatically safer for every threat.
Disclosure: Published by Yuege Apps, the developer of Hide Photos: Secret Album. This guide is educational and includes our product as one option; features vary by app and version.