# How to lock Photos on iPhone > Lock Photos on iPhone: touch and hold its icon and tap Require Face ID (iOS 18+). It can be locked but not hidden. Or use Photos' Hidden album lock. Source: https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/photos/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou ![Photos quick actions menu with Require Face ID on iPhone](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/img/lock-app--photos.png) - Require Face ID - Can't hide - In-app: Hidden album lock Built-in Apple app. Your whole photo library opens with one tap, and people often borrow your phone to look at one picture. - **Lock:** Yes - **Hide:** No - **Needs:** iOS 18+ - **In-app lock:** Yes **Quick answer:** To lock Photos, touch and hold its icon on the Home Screen and tap **Require Face ID** (Require Touch ID or Passcode on some iPhones). Needs **iOS 18 or later**. Photos came with your iPhone, so it **can be locked but not hidden**. Photos also has its own **Hidden album lock**. What it covers ## What locking Photos covers - **Require Face ID**Whole app, iOS 18+ - **Hide in App Library**Built-in apps can't hide - **Photos' own lock**Hidden album lock - **Notification previews**Content kept out when locked - **Search and Siri suggestions**Content kept out when locked - **Other devices**Lock doesn't sync via iCloud - **Someone with your passcode**Passcode still opens it Good to know about Photos - Locking the app covers your whole library, while the Hidden album lock only covers hidden photos. You can use both. - Photos came with your iPhone, so it can be locked but not hidden. - Hide a photo with **••• › Hide** and it moves to the Hidden album, which is locked by default on iOS 16 and later. - Turn off **Show Hidden Album** to remove the album from Photos entirely. 3 steps ## Lock Photos with Face ID Apple's Require Face ID, iOS 18 and later. **Tap:** Hold icon › Require Face ID › Confirm 1. **Touch and hold the Photos icon.** On the Home Screen, touch and hold the app icon until the quick actions menu opens. 2. **Tap Require Face ID.** Tap **Require Face ID**. iOS 18 or later. 3. **Confirm with Face ID.** Confirm with Face ID or your passcode. From now on the app asks before it opens. Built into Photos ## Photos' own lock: Hidden album lock **Tap:** Settings › Apps › Photos › Use Face ID Settings › Apps › Photos › **Use Face ID**. - **Opens with:** Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode - **Covers:** Only the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums - **Own code:** No, uses your passcode Compare ## Ways to lock Photos, side by side | Method | Opens with | What it covers | Code separate from passcode | Needs | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Require Face ID](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/glossary/require-face-id/) | Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode | The whole Photos app | No | iOS 18 or later | | Hidden album lock (in Photos) | Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode | Only the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums | No | iOS 16 | | [Guided Access](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/) | A separate Guided Access passcode | Keeps your iPhone in one app while someone holds it | Yes | Any iOS version | Older iPhones ## Photos on iOS 17 and earlier Require Face ID and hidden apps arrived in iOS 18. Before that: - **Hidden album lock:** Settings › Apps › Photos › **Use Face ID**. iOS 16. - **Guided Access:** Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access. Keeps your iPhone in one app; [steps](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/guided-access/). - **Screen Time:** Settings › Screen Time › App Limits. Built for time limits, not privacy. - **Photos you want locked:** The [Hidden album](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/hidden-album/) locks on iOS 16+, or a [locked note](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/locked-note/). > Photos and videos behind a lock your passcode can't openVaultForYou 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 ## Locking Photos: questions ### How do I lock Photos on iPhone? Touch and hold the Photos icon on your Home Screen, tap Require Face ID, then confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. iPhones with Touch ID say Require Touch ID instead. You need iOS 18 or later. From then on Photos asks before it opens, and relocks after you quit it. ### Can I hide Photos on iPhone? No. Photos came with your iPhone, and Apple only lets you hide apps you download from the App Store. You can still lock it with Require Face ID, so it asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode before it opens. The icon stays where it is. ### Should I use Hidden album lock or Require Face ID? Hidden album lock, built into Photos, covers only the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums. It opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. Require Face ID locks the whole app instead, with Face ID or your passcode. Both accept your iPhone passcode, so neither stops someone who knows it. ### Does locking Photos hide its notifications? Apple says information inside a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search, Siri suggestions or CarPlay. The lock applies only to the iPhone where you set it; the locked status doesn't sync to your other devices through iCloud, so lock it on each one. ### How do I lock Photos on iOS 17 or earlier? Require Face ID needs iOS 18. On older versions, use Hidden album lock inside Photos. Guided Access keeps your iPhone in one app while someone holds it. Updating to iOS 18 or later, if your iPhone supports it, adds Require Face ID. Sources ## Where these facts come from - [Apple iPhone User Guide: Lock or hide an app](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) - [Apple Support: Hide photos with the Hidden album](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104987) iPhone and Apple app names are trademarks of Apple Inc. This site isn't affiliated with Apple. ## Related - [Photos app lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/photos-app/) - [Hidden album lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/locks/hidden-album/) - [Lock the Photos app guide](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/guides/lock-photos-app-iphone/) - [Lock Google Photos](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/google-photos/) - [What is App Library](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/glossary/app-library/) - [Every app you can lock](https://lockphotosoniphone.com/lock-app/)