Hidden album vs a photo vault app: what is actually different
Both put photos out of sight, so they look alike from the outside. Underneath they are built differently, and the differences decide which one suits you.
Where the photos live
The Hidden album is part of your Photos library. Hiding a photo changes how it is shown, but it is still one of your library items, managed by the same system as everything else, including iCloud Photos if you have that switched on.
A vault app keeps photos in its own private storage. In Vaultumi each photo or video is encrypted on the iPhone before it is stored, with its own random key, and the metadata (names, dates, albums) and thumbnails are sealed too. The vault is not visible in the Files app or through file sharing, and the pictures are no longer in your Photos library.
How each one is locked
The Hidden album is locked with the same Face ID, Touch ID or passcode that opens your phone on recent versions of iOS. That is convenient, and it also means anyone who knows your device passcode can open it.
Vaultumi uses a separate 6-digit PIN, plus Face ID if you turn it on. A limiter slows down guessing: after 5 wrong PINs you wait 30 seconds, then 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes and finally an hour per attempt. Nothing is ever deleted because of wrong PINs. The app locks when you leave it, and the app switcher shows a cover instead of your pictures.
Syncing and the cloud
A Hidden photo follows your Photos settings, so with iCloud Photos on it syncs to your other devices. That can be what you want, or it can be a surprise.
Vaultumi has no account, no server and no analytics. It makes no network requests of its own; the only traffic is Apple’s App Store for purchases. One honest detail: your normal iPhone backup (iCloud or computer) includes the encrypted vault files so that a restored phone still has them. The device-bound part of the PIN protection is not in any backup, which is why a restored phone needs the recovery code. The security page explains this in full.
Side by side
| Hidden album | Vault app (Vaultumi) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included with iOS | Free plan up to 20 items and 2 albums; Premium for more |
| Where photos are | In your Photos library | In the app’s encrypted private storage |
| Lock | Device passcode, Face ID or Touch ID | Its own 6-digit PIN, optional Face ID |
| Cloud and account | Follows your iCloud Photos settings | No account, no cloud of its own |
| If you forget the lock | Apple’s account and passcode recovery | Recovery code, or a backup file and its passphrase |
| Getting photos out | Unhide with one tap | Export any item, any time, free |
| Independent review | A feature of Apple’s own software | Not independently reviewed or audited at present |
When a vault app is the better fit
- You want a lock that is not your phone passcode, for example because family members know that code.
- You want the photos out of your Photos library and out of iCloud Photos.
- You want no account at all, and a developer who has no server holding your data.
- You want extras such as encrypted PDFs with searchable text, or an encrypted backup file you can restore on any iPhone.
When the Hidden album is enough
- You only want a few photos out of the main grid.
- You are happy to rely on your phone passcode and iCloud account.
- You do not want a second set of secrets to look after.
That last point matters. A vault trades convenience for responsibility.
Three questions that settle it
- Who am I keeping the photos from? A curious friend holding your phone is a different problem from someone who knows your passcode or has your phone for a week. The more serious the person, the more a separate lock matters.
- How many photos are we talking about? A handful fits the free plan of Vaultumi, which holds up to 20 items and 2 albums. A large library needs Premium, or a different plan.
- Will I look after a recovery code? If writing one down and keeping it safe sounds like a chore you will skip, the Hidden album and Apple’s account recovery are the safer choice for you.
The trade-offs of a vault, said plainly
Because there is no server, nobody can reset your PIN for you. If you lose your PIN and your recovery code and have no backup you can open, the vault cannot be opened by anyone, including us. See how to back up a private photo vault before you move your only copies in.
A vault app is also third-party software. Vaultumi uses standard Apple encryption and includes hand-written scrypt and secret-sharing code that has not had an external review, so the review status says so openly. And a vault does not help against a compromised phone or someone watching you type your PIN; neither does the Hidden album.
You can use both: leave low-risk pictures in Hidden, and keep the ones that matter in a vault with its own lock.
More guides
Hide photos on iPhone
The Hidden album, a locked app and an encrypted vault, compared.
How Face ID protects a vault
What Face ID does and does not do for a private photo vault.
Back up a photo vault
Encrypted backup files, iPhone backups and a recovery code that works.