From the most vulnerable moments to respectful memories, photo applications are often the most private application on iPhone. Naturally, you may want to maintain your privacy by locking the entire application or hiding specific photos. Apple makes it easy to do both.
How to lock the photo application
Previously, you need to go through trouble when creating custom shortcuts or using Screen Time to lock the photo application on your iPhone. Fortunately, with the iOS 18 release, there is an integrated feature that allows you to lock the application with a password, Touch ID or Face ID, keeping your application safely and away from curious eyes.
So, if your iPhone is compatible with iOS 18 and above, make sure the application has been updated. After the setup is complete, this is what you need to do:
- Locate the image application on the iPhone's main screen, press and hold the application icon.
- A fast action menu with some options will appear. Just choose Request Face ID/Touch ID/Code.
- A prompt will appear asking you to confirm if you want to lock the photo application with Face ID, Touch ID or password. Confirm by clicking Request Face ID/Touch ID/Code.
- Authenticated by Face ID, Touch ID or by entering the iPhone's password.
- A prompt may appear to display applications that have access to your photo application. For these applications, your photos can be accessed without using Face ID. Click Finished In the prompt to continue.
If you want to customize any applications that can access your photo application after security, go to Settings> Privacy & Security> Photosthen click any application you want to modify and select one of the following options: No, access to the limit or Full access.
From now on, every time you try to open the photo application, you will need to be authenticated with password or face/touch id. Even when trying to access the content of the application through other applications (unless they have limited or complete access), you will still be asked to verify your identity.
In addition, the application content will not appear in the preview of the notice, search of spotlight or Siri's proposal.
If you want to remove the application lock, just follow the steps above and choose No required Face ID/Touch ID/Code From fast action menu.

How to hide specific images on iPhone
You may not necessarily want to lock the entire photo application. Or there may be cases when someone is rolling through the photo library on your iPhone and you want to keep some private photos.
In these cases, hidden images on iPhone can be a better choice. Here is what you need to do:
- Access the photo application and press to hold any image you want to hide.
- Then select Hidden From the menu appears.
- Confirm you want to hide the image by clicking Hide.


The photo will disappear from your main image and be placed in the album Hidden. To find the album, roll down the bottom via the main image and position the part Utilities.
Here, you will find the album Hidden. To access photos, just open the album and click View album Then use Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone's password to verify.
Although this may be sufficient for most users, but your technical, your photos are not completely hidden. Someone knows your password and familiar to the iPhone can still access the folder.
Fortunately, you can take another step and hide the hidden album. To do it, go in Settings> Application> Photo and turn off the side switch Showing hidden albums in the part Album.
Whenever you want to access hidden photos, just follow the steps above and turn on the switch. The hidden album will reappear in the utility. Just make sure that the switch is turned off when you're done!
The only remaining ability is a really curious person who can find a way to “remove” the hidden folder by going to the settings application. But in most cases, this is more than enough!
Fortunately, you don't need to rely on third -party application blocking to lock the photo application on your iPhone. By following the above steps, you can lock the application for a few seconds or just hide the image.