# How to lock photos on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)

> Lock photos on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation): the Hidden album locks with Face ID. 4 of 5 locks compared, with Require Face ID.

Source: https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-12-9-inch-4th-generation/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou

![Photo lock on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) with iPadOS 26](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/img/ipad--ipad-pro-12-9-inch-4th-generation.png)

- Hidden locks with Face ID
- Photos app lock
- iPadOS 26

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) (2020) unlocks with **Face ID** and runs up to **iPadOS 26**. 4 of the 5 photo locks on this site work on it.

- **Locks:** 4/5
- **Newest iPadOS:** 26
- **Unlock:** Face ID
- **Guided Access:** Top ×3

**Quick answer:** To lock photos on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation), hide them with **••• › Hide**. On iPadOS 26 the Hidden album opens only with **Face ID** or your passcode. You can also lock all of Photos with **Require Face ID**. For a lock your passcode can't open, use a **locked note** with a custom password.

- **Model:** iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
- **Unlock:** Face ID
- **iPadOS here:** iPadOS 14–26
- **Lock switch:** Settings › Apps › Photos › Use Face ID
- **Notes password:** Settings › Apps › Notes › Password
- **Guided Access:** Triple-click the top button

4 locks

## Photo locks on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)

- **Hidden album lock**Utilities › Hidden
- **Photos app lock**Require Face ID
- **Locked note**Notes › ••• › Lock
- **Guided Access**Triple-click
- **Vault (VaultForYou)**iPhone only

Side by side

## What opens each lock on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen)

**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/) | Face ID or your iPad passcode | No | Yes | Hidden photos sync with iCloud Photos; each device unlocks its own album |
| [Photos app lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/photos-app/) | Face ID or your iPad passcode | No | Yes | This iPad only; Apple doesn't sync app locks |
| [Locked note](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/) | Your iPad passcode, or a custom notes password | Yes | No | Custom password: the same on every device. Device passcode: each device's own |
| [Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/) | A separate Guided Access passcode | Yes | Yes | Started on this iPad with the top button |
| [Vault (VaultForYou)](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/vault/) | iPhone only | – | – | No iPad version |

Best built-in

## Lock photos on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation): hidden album lock

1. **Open the photo.** Open **Photos** and tap the photo or video you want to hide. You can also touch and hold it in the grid.
2. **Tap •••, then Hide.** Tap the **•••** button, then tap **Hide** and confirm.
3. **Turn on Use Face ID.** Switch **Use Face ID** on. It locks Hidden and Recently Deleted. An iPad without Face ID set up shows **Use Passcode**.
4. **Test it.** Open Photos, tap **Hidden** under Utilities. It should ask you to unlock first.

Whole app

## Lock the Photos app on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen)

iPadOS 26 can lock any app with **Require Face ID**. Content from a locked app stays out of notification previews and search.

1. **Touch and hold Photos.** On the Home Screen, touch and hold the **Photos** icon until the Quick Actions menu opens.
2. **Tap Require Face ID.** Tap **Require Face ID**, then tap **Require Face ID** again to confirm.
3. **Open it with Face ID.** Photos now asks for Face ID or your passcode every time it opens, and locks again when you leave it.

Own password

## Add a lock your passcode can't open

On iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen), choose **Use Custom Password** in Settings › Apps › Notes › Password for notes that your iPad passcode can't open. Photos only: notes with video can't be locked.

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**. Use your iPad passcode or a custom notes password in Settings › Apps › Notes › Password.
3. **Delete the originals.** Delete the photos from Photos, then delete them again in **Recently Deleted**.

Handover

## Guided Access on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen) has no Home button, so you triple-click the top 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 top button.** Open the app or photo you want to show, triple-click the **top button**, then tap **Start**.
3. **End it with your code.** Triple-click the top button again and enter the Guided Access passcode.

Compare

## Lock vs lock on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen)

Only the comparisons between locks this iPad actually has.

- [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/)
- [Hidden album vs Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/hidden-album-vs-guided-access/)
- [Photos app vs Locked note](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/photos-app-vs-locked-note/)
- [Photos app vs Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/compare/photos-app-vs-guided-access/)
- [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 Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen)?

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 Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation): questions

### How do I lock photos on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)?

Hide them: open the photo, tap the ••• button, then Hide. On iPadOS 26 the Hidden album opens only with Face ID or your passcode. Check that Use Face ID is on in Settings › Apps › Photos. For a lock that your passcode can't open, use a locked note with a custom password.

### Can I lock the Photos app on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)?

Yes. Touch and hold the Photos icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. Photos asks for Face ID or your passcode every time it opens and locks again when you leave. The lock stays on this iPad; Apple doesn't sync app locks to your other devices.

### Should I lock notes with my iPad passcode or a custom password?

On iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) you can choose either in Settings › Apps › Notes › Password. The iPad passcode is easier and can't be forgotten separately, but anyone who knows it gets in. A custom password keeps out people who know your passcode, and Apple can't recover it if you forget it.

### How do I start Guided Access on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)?

Turn it on in Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access and set its passcode. Open the photo or app, triple-click the top button and tap Start. To end it, triple-click the top button again and enter the Guided Access passcode. It limits the screen; it doesn't lock stored photos.

### Does VaultForYou work on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)?

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 Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation), 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 Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen)

- [iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)2018 · Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-11-inch-1st-generation/)
- [iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)2018 · Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-12-9-inch-3rd-generation/)
- [iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)2020 · Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-11-inch-2nd-generation/)
- [iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)2021 · Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-11-inch-3rd-generation/)
- [iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)2021 · Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-12-9-inch-5th-generation/)
- [iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)2022 · Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-11-inch-4th-generation/)

## Other iPad Pro models

- [iPad Pro (10.5-inch)2017 · iPadOS 17](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-10-5-inch/)
- [iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)2017 · iPadOS 17](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-12-9-inch-2nd-generation/)
- [iPad Pro (9.7-inch)2016 · iPadOS 16](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-9-7-inch/)
- [iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)2015 · iPadOS 16](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/ipad/ipad-pro-12-9-inch-1st-generation/)

## Lock types

- [Hidden album lockUtilities › Hidden](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/hidden-album/)
- [Photos app lockRequire Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/photos-app/)
- [Locked noteNotes › ••• › Lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/)
- [Guided AccessTriple-click](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/)