Hideroom vs Apple’s Hidden album

Which one is right for you

Most people who want to keep a photo private on iPhone start with Apple’s Hidden album, and for a lot of them it’s enough. It’s free, it’s built in, and on iOS 16 and later it’s locked by default. Hideroom does a different job: it keeps photos, videos and papers in a separate vault, encrypted on your phone before anything is backed up. This page sets out fairly where each one wins.

What the Hidden album does well

It’s free and already there. Touch and hold a photo, tap Hide, and it moves out of your library into the Hidden album, under Collections and then Utilities. There’s nothing to install and nothing to pay. Our guide on how to hide photos on iPhone walks through it step by step.

It’s locked by default. Since iOS 16, the album opens only with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, so someone scrolling your library won’t stumble on it.

It follows you across Apple devices. With iCloud Photos on, a photo you hide on your iPhone is hidden on your iPad and Mac too, and it’s stored in iCloud with the rest of your library.

You can hide the album itself. In Settings, then Apps, Photos and Albums, turning off the Hidden Album switch removes it from the Photos app until you turn it back on.

Where it falls short

Your passcode opens it. The Hidden album uses the same lock as your phone. A partner, a child or anyone who has seen you type your passcode can open it.

It isn’t a separate encrypted vault. Apple doesn’t describe any extra encryption for hidden photos; they’re part of your photo library. In iCloud, Photos uses standard data protection unless Advanced Data Protection is on, and Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection to new users in the UK. Without it, Apple holds the keys.

There’s one album and one lock. If someone makes you open it, everything in it is visible. There’s no way to keep a decoy.

It’s built for photos. Passport scans and photos of recovery words sit in the same library as your holiday pictures.

Where Hideroom fits

Hideroom is built for the things that would really hurt to have seen. At launch, each room will open with a pattern you draw, combined with a secret held only by your phone, and everything inside will be encrypted on the phone with AES-256-GCM before it’s backed up to your own iCloud. A different pattern opens a different room, so any room can be the one you show. Each room gets a nine-word recovery phrase, which is how you get back in on a new phone. The security page explains it all, including the weak parts.

How we compared

We read Apple’s own support pages on 23 October 2026, listed under Sources, and compared what they say with what Hideroom’s version 1 is planned to ship with. Where Apple doesn’t say something, the table says “Not stated” rather than guessing. Prices are in GBP. We re-check every fact at least every 90 days and after each major iOS release. Spotted something out of date? Email support@hideroom.app.