iPhone privacy guides

How to hide and lock photos, apps, notes and messages on iPhone. Every iOS step links to the Apple Support page it comes from.

Start hereiPhone Privacy Settings Guide: What to Turn On and WhyThe iPhone privacy settings that matter: photos, apps, Messages, Safari, location, Safety Check, and switching or erasing an iPhone without losing files.

Hide and lock photos

Keep photos and videos out of sight: the Hidden album, locking, private albums and what each one protects.

How to Hide Photos on iPhone (Photos, Videos, Hidden Album)→How to hide photos and videos on iPhone with the Hidden album, how to find and unhide them, lock the album with Face ID, and what hiding does not do.Hidden Album on iPhone: Where It Is and How to Show It→Where the Hidden album is on iPhone, iPad and Mac, how to show or hide it, how to unlock it, and why it might be missing from Photos.Is the iPhone Hidden Album Private? Who Can See Your Hidden Photos→Is the iPhone Hidden album private? What it hides, what Face ID protects against, how iCloud Photos affects it, and what someone with your passcode can do.How to Lock Photos on iPhone With Face ID or a Password→How to lock photos on iPhone: the Hidden album, locked Notes and app locking in iOS 18, what each protects, and when a vault app fits better.How to Make a Private Photo Album on iPhone→How to make a private photo album on iPhone with the Hidden album: hide and unhide photos, lock it, remove it from view, and where it falls short.How to Hide Videos on iPhone (and Lock Them)→How to hide videos on iPhone with the Hidden album, hide many at once, lock them with Face ID, and what iCloud Photos and storage do to hidden videos.How to Hide Files on iPhone: Lock a Folder or the Files App→How to hide files on iPhone: Files has no password for a single folder, but you can lock the Files app with Face ID, use locked Notes, or use a vault.

Hide and lock apps

Hide an app from the Home Screen, find apps someone hid, and lock apps behind Face ID.

How to Hide Apps on iPhone (iOS 18 and Later)→How to hide apps on iPhone with Face ID in iOS 18, remove them from the Home Screen, hide whole pages, and what hiding still leaves visible.How to Find and Unhide Apps on iPhone (iOS 18)→How to find hidden apps on iPhone and unhide them: the Hidden folder in App Library, hidden Home Screen pages, App Store history and Screen Time.How to Lock Apps on iPhone With Face ID or Passcode→How to lock apps on iPhone in iOS 18 and later: the Face ID steps, what a locked app hides, which apps can't be locked, and the older Screen Time options.

Notes, messages and browsing

Lock notes, keep texts off your Lock Screen, and browse without leaving history.

How to Hide Text Messages on iPhone (What Works)→How to hide text messages on iPhone: Lock Screen previews, Hide Alerts, Unknown Senders, auto-delete and app locking, and what each leaves visible.How to Turn Off Read Receipts on iPhone→How to turn off read receipts on iPhone for everyone or one conversation, what the sender sees, and where read receipts do not apply.How to Lock Notes on iPhone (and Hide Them)→How to lock notes on iPhone with a password, Face ID or your passcode, what can't be locked, what happens if you forget it, and how to hide notes.How to Clear Search History on iPhone (Safari and More)→How to clear search history on iPhone: Safari history, one site at a time, hiding recent searches, what clearing leaves behind, and Private Browsing.How to Turn Off Private Browsing on iPhone→Turn Private Browsing off (or on) in Safari on iPhone, lock it with Face ID, close private tabs, and see what it does and does not hide.

New iPhone, storage and recovery

Move everything to a new iPhone, prepare the old one for sale, free up storage, and get back photos and messages you deleted.

How to Transfer Everything From One iPhone to Another→Three ways to move everything to a new iPhone: Quick Start, an iCloud backup or a computer backup. Steps, what you need and what to check after.Transfer a Photo Vault to a New iPhone Safely→How to move private photos to a new iPhone: what the Hidden album, iCloud backup and Quick Start carry over, and what to check first.How to Turn Off Find My iPhone (Before You Sell or Repair)→How to turn off Find My iPhone on the phone or remotely from iCloud.com, how Activation Lock fits in, and the right order before you sell.How to Erase an iPhone Before You Sell or Reset It→How to erase an iPhone with Erase All Content and Settings: what to do first, the steps, what gets removed, and how to erase a lost iPhone remotely.How to Recover Deleted Photos From an iPhone→Recover deleted photos on iPhone from the Recently Deleted album, iCloud.com or a backup, and learn what is gone for good after 30 days.How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on iPhone→Recover deleted text messages on iPhone from Recently Deleted or a backup, what Messages in iCloud changes, and why restoring a backup has a cost.Private Photo Vault Recovery: What You Can Get Back→Locked out of a photo vault app? How private photo vault recovery works, what to try first on your iPhone, and what no app can recover.How to Transfer Photos From iPhone to Computer→How to transfer photos from iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC with a cable or iCloud.com, plus how to pick the file format and move vault photos too.How to Free Up Storage on iPhone Without Losing Photos→How to free up storage on iPhone: check what uses space, offload apps, optimize photos, empty Recently Deleted and clear message attachments.

Privacy settings

Turn on Stolen Device Protection, control location sharing and find the passwords your iPhone has saved.

Stolen Device Protection on iPhone: What It Does→What Stolen Device Protection does on iPhone, how to turn it on or off, which actions get the security delay, and what it leaves unprotected.How to Turn Off Location on iPhone (Apps, Sharing, Photos)→How to turn off location on iPhone: all Location Services, one app, Precise Location, Find My sharing and the location saved inside your photos.How to Find Saved Passwords on iPhone→Find saved passwords and Wi-Fi passwords on iPhone with the Passwords app or Settings, copy them, check security alerts and share with a group.

Photo vault apps

How to pick a vault app and what a calculator disguise does and does not hide.

How to Choose an App to Hide Photos: 9 Things to Check→Picking an app to hide photos on iPhone? Nine checks you can run yourself: encryption, recovery, backup, export, privacy label, price and more.Calculator Vault Apps: What the Disguise Does and Doesn't Hide→How a calculator vault app works, what the fake calculator protects against, and what to check before trusting any photo vault with your files.