How to Hide Videos on iPhone (and Lock Them)

To hide a video on iPhone, open it in Photos, tap and hold it, then tap Hide and confirm. The video moves to the Hidden album and disappears from your Library, your other albums and the Photos widget. Since iOS 16 the Hidden album is locked with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.

Videos are hidden the same way as photos, so this guide covers what is different for video: hiding several at once, where they end up, what iCloud does with them, and why storage does not change. For the general steps and the photo side, see how to hide photos on iPhone.

Hide a single video

Apple’s Hidden album page gives the steps for iPhone and iPad:

1. Open the Photos app and find the video.
2. Tap and hold the video.
3. Tap Hide, then confirm that you want to hide it.

Hide many videos at once

If you have a stack of clips to move, selecting them one by one is slow. Apple’s iPhone guide says to tap Select, tap the photos and videos you want, then tap the more button and choose Hide.

Where hidden videos go

Apple says hidden items move to the Hidden album, so they do not appear anywhere else in Photos. To find them again:

1. Open Photos and tap Collections.
2. Scroll down and tap Hidden under Utilities.
3. Tap View Album and unlock it with Face ID or Touch ID.

To bring a video back, tap and hold it inside the Hidden album and tap Unhide.

Screen recordings and Live Photos are stored in Photos, so you hide them from the same place. We found no Apple page that treats them differently, so I am not claiming any special behavior for them. If a Live Photo is the thing you want to hide, hide it from its own entry in the Library like any other item.

Lock the Hidden album with Face ID

Starting with iOS 16, Apple says the Hidden album is locked by default and requires authentication to open in Photos. You unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The same goes for Recently Deleted.

That lock is a setting, and it can be turned off. Check it in Settings > Apps > Photos and keep it on. In the same place you can turn off Show Hidden Album, which removes the album from view altogether, as the iPhone guide describes. Nothing is deleted when you do that.

The lock also means anyone who knows your passcode can open the album. For the full picture of who can see what, read is the iPhone Hidden album private?

What iCloud Photos does with hidden videos

Apple’s page says that with iCloud Photos on, photos and videos you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too. So a hidden video is still in your iCloud library and it appears in the Hidden album of every iPad or Mac signed in to your Apple Account. Those devices have their own lock, but a video you hid from a partner who shares an iPad is not hidden from that iPad in any way that matters if they can unlock it.

If you delete a hidden video, it goes to Recently Deleted. Apple keeps items there for 30 days before removing them from all devices.

Hiding does not free up storage

Apple describes hiding as moving an item to the Hidden album, and says hidden items stay in your library. The video file is not removed or compressed. We found no Apple page that talks about storage and the Hidden album directly, but since the item remains in your library, hiding is not the tool for a full phone. To free space you have to delete the video or move it out of Photos. Apple’s own storage tools are covered in the iPhone user guide under Manage storage on iPhone.

If you delete to save space, remember the 30 days in Recently Deleted, and that with iCloud Photos on the deletion happens on every device.

When a vault app fits videos better

The Hidden album works for keeping videos out of casual view. Videos are where it gets awkward, though.

• The videos still sit inside your Photos library, next to everything else that syncs.
• Anyone with your passcode can open the album.
• A long clip may be one of a few things you want kept apart for good, not just tucked away.

A vault app stores the file outside your Photos library with its own lock, so removing the original from Photos can be a choice you make on purpose. If you want the lock without a vault, a locked note works for photos but does not take video. For ways to organise what you keep private, see private photo album on iPhone.

Forevault is our vault app for iPhone. Files are encrypted on the device with AES-256-GCM. You open it with a pattern on a 5×5 grid, a passcode or a password, and Face ID is optional. Separate vaults can use separate patterns, and the lock screen does not list them. It has a 12-word recovery phrase, an encrypted backup to your own iCloud with “Test a restore”, and export to Photos or Files is always free. There is no account and nothing is collected. The free tier covers 100 photos, 10 videos and 3 vaults, so a handful of clips fits for free. It protects against someone holding your phone, not forensic analysis. A vault you lock yourself is one you can lose, so read the recovery guide first. Download Forevault on the App Store.

Frequently asked questions

How do I hide a video on iPhone?

Open Photos, tap and hold the video, tap Hide and confirm. It moves to the Hidden album under Collections > Utilities.

Can I hide several videos at once?

Yes. In Photos tap Select, tap the videos, then the more button and Hide, per Apple’s iPhone guide.

How do I lock hidden videos on iPhone?

Since iOS 16 the Hidden album is locked by default with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Check that the lock is still on in Settings > Apps > Photos.

Do hidden videos still show up on my other devices?

With iCloud Photos on, they stay hidden on your other devices, according to Apple. They remain in your iCloud library.

Does hiding a video save storage space?

No. The video stays in your library. Delete it, or move it out of Photos, to free space.

Can someone see hidden videos without my passcode?

Not through Photos on a locked iPhone. Anyone who knows your passcode can open the Hidden album.