# Photos app vs Locked note

> Photos app vs Locked note: Locked note has its own lock, Photos app uses your passcode. 8 differences in one table, and which one to pick for your situation.

Source: https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/photos-app-vs-locked-note/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou

![Photos app compared with Locked note on iPhone](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/img/compare--photos-app-vs-locked-note.png)

- Stronger: Locked note
- 8 differences

Photos app: Require Face ID. Locked note: Notes › ••• › Lock. 8 of 11 things differ.

- **Photos app level:** 2/4
- **Locked note level:** 3/4

**Quick answer:** **Photos app** is best for keeping people out of your whole library when they borrow your phone. **Locked note** is best for a handful of photos behind a password your partner or family doesn't know. Locked note keeps out more people, because your iPhone passcode doesn't open it.

Side by side

## Photos app vs Locked note: 11 things compared

**We make VaultForYou, so weigh it accordingly.**

|  | [Photos app](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/photos-app/) | [Locked note](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Opens with | Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode | A custom notes password (or your passcode, iOS 16+) |
| Separate from your passcode | No | Yes |
| Holds video | Yes | No |
| Several private spaces | No | Yes |
| Decoy for pressure | No | No |
| Protects stored photos | Yes | Yes |
| What others can see | The Photos icon stays on your Home Screen | The note title, with a lock icon |
| If you forget it | Reset your iPhone passcode | Apple can't recover a custom notes password |
| Needs | iOS 18+ | iOS 14+ |
| Setup time | 10 sec | 1 min |
| Cost | Built in, free | Built in, free |

Pick one

## Which should you use?

Photos appChoose it if…

- You need to lock videos too
- You never want a second password to forget

[How to set it up ›](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/photos-app/)

Locked noteChoose it if…

- Someone else knows your iPhone passcode
- You want more than one private space
- Your iPhone runs iOS 14–17

[How to set it up ›](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/)

Differences

## Where Photos app and Locked note differ

|  | Photos app | Locked note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Opens with | Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode | A custom notes password (or your passcode, iOS 16+) |
| Separate from your passcode | No | Yes |
| Holds video | Yes | No |
| Several private spaces | No | Yes |
| What others can see | The Photos icon stays on your Home Screen | The note title, with a lock icon |
| If you forget it | Reset your iPhone passcode | Apple can't recover a custom notes password |
| Needs | iOS 18+ | iOS 14+ |
| Setup time | 10 sec | 1 min |

> A lock that isn't your iPhone passcodeVaultForYou keeps the photos, videos and documents you choose in a private vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. [Get VaultForYou](https://www.vaultforyou.app/)Free to download · iPhone, iOS 16 or later

Questions

## Photos app vs Locked note: questions

### Is the photos app or the locked note more secure?

Locked note keeps out more people: it has its own lock, so your iPhone passcode doesn't open it. Photos app is quicker to set up and built in.

### Can I use the photos app and the locked note together?

Yes. They don't conflict. For example, keep everyday private photos in the photos app and the most sensitive ones in the locked note.

### Which works on older iPhones?

Locked note works from iOS 14; Photos app needs iOS 18. Check yours in Settings › General › About.

## Other matchups

- [Hidden album vs Photos app](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/hidden-album-vs-photos-app/)
- [Hidden album vs Locked note](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/hidden-album-vs-locked-note/)
- [Photos app vs Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/photos-app-vs-guided-access/)
- [Photos app vs Vault](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/photos-app-vs-vault/)
- [Locked note vs Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/locked-note-vs-guided-access/)
- [Locked note vs Vault](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/locked-note-vs-vault/)