# How to lock photos on iPad mini 4 > Lock photos on iPad mini 4: iPadOS 15 can't lock Hidden, so use a locked note. 2 of 5 locks compared. Guided Access uses the Home button. Source: https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-mini-4/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou ![Photo lock on iPad mini 4 with iPadOS 15](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/img/ipad--ipad-mini-4.png) - No Hidden album lock - No app lock - iPadOS 15 iPad mini 4 (2015) unlocks with **Touch ID in the Home button** and runs up to **iPadOS 15**. 2 of the 5 photo locks on this site work on it. - **Locks:** 2/5 - **Newest iPadOS:** 15 - **Unlock:** Touch ID - **Guided Access:** Home ×3 **Quick answer:** iPad mini 4 stops at iPadOS 15, so the Hidden album can't lock. Lock photos in a **note** instead: Notes › ••• › Lock, with a notes password from Settings › Notes › Password. - **Model:** iPad mini 4 - **Unlock:** Touch ID in the Home button - **iPadOS here:** iPadOS 14–15 - **Lock switch:** None - **Notes password:** Settings › Notes › Password - **Guided Access:** Triple-click the Home button 2 locks ## Photo locks on iPad mini 4 - **Hidden album lock**Needs iPadOS 16 - **Photos app lock**Needs iPadOS 18 - **Locked note**Notes › ••• › Lock - **Guided Access**Triple-click - **Vault (VaultForYou)**iPhone only Side by side ## What opens each lock on iPad mini 4 **From Apple's iPad User Guide. We make VaultForYou, which has no iPad version.** | Lock | Opens with | Separate from passcode | Holds video | Across your devices | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Hidden album lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/hidden-album/) | Needs iPadOS 16 | – | – | Not on iPadOS 15 | | [Photos app lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/photos-app/) | Needs iPadOS 18 | – | – | Not on iPadOS 15 | | [Locked note](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/) | A custom notes password | Yes | No | The same notes password on every device | | [Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/) | A separate Guided Access passcode | Yes | Yes | Started on this iPad with the Home button | | [Vault (VaultForYou)](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/vault/) | iPhone only | – | – | No iPad version | Best built-in ## Lock photos on iPad mini 4: locked note 1. **Put the photos in a note.** Open **Notes**, start a note and add the photos. Notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments can't be locked. 2. **Tap ••• then Lock.** Tap the **•••** button at the top right, then **Lock**. Set a notes password in Settings › Notes › Password. 3. **Delete the originals.** Delete the photos from Photos, then delete them again in **Recently Deleted**. No app lock on this model Require Face ID and Require Touch ID need iPadOS 18. iPad mini 4 stops at iPadOS 15, so the Photos app itself can't be locked. Handover ## Guided Access on iPad mini 4 iPad mini 4 has a Home button, so you triple-click the Home button. 1. **Turn on Guided Access.** Go to **Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access**, switch it on and set a Guided Access passcode. 2. **Triple-click the Home button.** Open the app or photo you want to show, triple-click the **Home button**, then tap **Start**. 3. **End it with your code.** Triple-click the Home button again and enter the Guided Access passcode. Compare ## Lock vs lock on iPad mini 4 Only the comparisons between locks this iPad actually has. - [Locked note vs Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/locked-note-vs-guided-access/) Our app is iPhone-only VaultForYou, the app we make, runs on iPhone only and has no iPad version. If you also keep private photos on an iPhone, see [the vault lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/vault/). On this iPad, use the built-in locks above. Did that lock your photos on iPad mini 4? Good. People usually do this next: - [Hidden album or a note?Compare them](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/hidden-album-vs-locked-note/) - [Lock notesPasscode or custom password](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/guides/lock-notes-iphone/) - [A real passwordNot your passcode](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/guides/password-protect-photos-iphone/) Find your fix: - [Forgot the notes passwordWhat still works](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/guides/forgot-notes-password/) - [Open a locked noteOr remove the lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/guides/unlock-notes-iphone/) - [Not this iPad?Every iPad model](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/) Questions ## iPad mini 4: questions ### How do I lock photos on iPad mini 4? Put them in a locked note: open Notes, add the photos, tap the ••• button and Lock, using a notes password set in Settings › Notes › Password. iPad mini 4 stops at iPadOS 15, which has no Hidden album lock, so hiding alone leaves the photos open to anyone. ### Can I lock the Photos app on iPad mini 4? No. Require Face ID and Require Touch ID arrived in iPadOS 18, and iPad mini 4 stops at iPadOS 15. A locked note with its own notes password is the closest built-in option, plus Guided Access when you lend the iPad to someone. ### Should I lock notes with my iPad passcode or a custom password? On iPad mini 4 with iPadOS 15, notes lock with a custom notes password only; locking with the device passcode needs iPadOS 16. That password is separate from your iPad passcode, so it keeps out people who know the passcode. Apple can't recover it if you forget it. ### How do I start Guided Access on iPad mini 4? Turn it on in Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access and set its passcode. Open the photo or app, triple-click the Home button and tap Start. To end it, triple-click the Home button again and enter the Guided Access passcode. It limits the screen; it doesn't lock stored photos. ### Does VaultForYou work on iPad mini 4? No. VaultForYou is an iPhone app for iOS 16 or later and has no iPad version, so it isn't one of the locks for this iPad. On iPad mini 4, the lock that your iPad passcode can't open is a note locked with a custom notes password, which holds photos but not video. ## Same locks as iPad mini 4 - [iPad Air 22014 · Touch ID in the Home button](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-air-2/) ## Other iPad mini models - [iPad mini (5th generation)2019 · iPadOS 26](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-mini-5th-generation/) - [iPad mini (6th generation)2021 · iPadOS 26](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-mini-6th-generation/) - [iPad mini (A17 Pro)2024 · iPadOS 26](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-mini-a17-pro/) ## Lock types - [Locked noteNotes › ••• › Lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/) - [Guided AccessTriple-click](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/)