Photo Vault vs Hidden Folder

Choose a different passcode from your phone

A partner, family member or friend may know your phone’s passcode or have their face enrolled in Face ID. You may be comfortable letting them use your phone while still wanting some photos and videos to stay private.

Choose a vault PIN, password or pattern that is different from your phone’s code and keep it to yourself. On supported Apple devices, enable the option to require Face ID AND your vault PIN. Both are then needed; Face ID access alone is not enough.

Albums

The Hidden album keeps hidden photos and videos in one collection. It does not support separate albums or sub-albums within that collection, and it does not offer a decoy password to open an alternate collection.

Choose a different vault code, even when someone knows your phone’s code. Add password-protected albums and, on supported devices, require Face ID and your vault PIN together.

What does the decoy vault do?

A decoy password opens an alternate vault instead of your main collection. For example, you can show someone everyday photos in that alternate collection without opening your main private photos. It changes the collection shown; it is not a guarantee that another vault’s existence cannot be discovered.

Is Apple’s Hidden album encrypted?

It is protected by Apple’s device security. Hiding an image is not the same as setting a separate vault password. For iCloud Photos, Apple’s standard protection encrypts files in transit and at rest with Apple-held keys; optional Advanced Data Protection provides end-to-end encryption for Photos where available. We do not describe Apple’s photos as unencrypted.

Your files already use AES encryption in the app. Cloud Vault adds another AES-256 encryption layer locally, before the files leave the device. A key derived from your Cloud Vault password protects this additional layer; the password is not sent to our servers.

Cloud Vault backs up and syncs between iPhone and Android. Enable it, let the backup finish and keep your Cloud Vault password safe. Our team cannot recover that password.

Alternative: Apple’s Hidden album

If you only want to remove items from the main Photos view and do not need an independent vault code, Apple’s Hidden album is a built-in alternative. It is locked by default on current iOS versions, but uses device authentication rather than a separately chosen album password. This provides less separation from someone who can already authenticate on your phone.