York Vault vs the iPhone Hidden album: which keeps photos more private?

Side by side

Which one suits you

Keep the Hidden album if the people you want to keep out do not know your iPhone passcode, and you want nothing more to install or trust. Pick York Vault if someone close to you knows the passcode. It also fits if you want a cover code, an erase code, a wrong-code photo and encryption that does not depend on an iCloud setting.

Our full review of Hidden album on its own: Is the iPhone Hidden album safe? A review of Apple's built-in option

Who can open it

This is the biggest difference between the two.

The Hidden album opens with the same lock as the iPhone. Apple’s iPhone User Guide says hidden photos are saved in the Hidden collection, “which you unlock using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.” The passcode always works as the fallback. So a partner, parent or child who knows the iPhone passcode can open the album.

Stolen Device Protection does not change this. Apple’s list of the actions it protects includes “Open a locked app”, but not the Hidden album.

York Vault has its own code. At setup you pick a pattern, a PIN or a passcode with letters. Face ID or Touch ID is an optional fast way in, and the fallback is always your York Vault code, never the iPhone passcode. See lock options.

Who holds the keys

Apple’s iCloud data security overview lists Photos under standard data protection as encrypted “In transit & on server”, with the key held by Apple. Photos become end-to-end encrypted only when you turn on Advanced Data Protection. Even then, Apple keeps a key to “Whether an item has been marked as a favorite, hidden, or marked as deleted.”

York Vault gives each item its own random key and seals it with AES-256-GCM on your phone, before it is stored or backed up. File names, dates and thumbnails are encrypted too. This does not depend on an iCloud setting. We cannot reset a code or open a file. Read how the encryption works and what we can and cannot see.

Forgotten code

The Hidden album has no code of its own to forget. If you forget the iPhone passcode, Apple’s support page says “you must reset your device. This process erases the data currently on your iPhone.”

York Vault shows a 12-word recovery key at setup and asks you to type 3 of the words back. If you want a softer fallback, you can turn on a 72-hour reset through your Apple Account or Google account. During the wait, every device with York Vault shows a banner, and the right code cancels the reset.

Sync and backup

Apple says that with iCloud Photos on, “the photos that you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too.” Every Mac, iPad and iCloud.com session on the account can reach the same album.

York Vault backs up every item for free to your own iCloud, or your own Google Drive on Android. The backup is encrypted before upload, and a restore check confirms that every file is back on a new phone. It uses your own cloud space. Sync between your devices is in Plus, and sync between iPhone and Android is in Pro. See encrypted backup and sync across devices.

Decoy codes, break-in photos and disguise

Apple’s Photos pages describe no second code, no decoy and no photo on a wrong attempt. You can take the Hidden collection out of view: in Settings > Apps > Photos, turn off Show Hidden Album. The Photos app itself stays on the Home Screen.

York Vault puts these on the free plan:

• A cover code that opens a separate library, and an erase code that also removes the keys to the rest.
• A wrong-code photo and a log of attempts.
• Codes on single albums.
• A working calculator front, 12 or more neutral icons and a face-down exit.

Cost and ads

The Hidden album costs nothing beyond your iCloud plan. iCloud includes 5 GB, and in the US iCloud+ starts at $0.99 a month for 50 GB (checked October 8, 2026). Photos shows no ads.

York Vault shows no ads on any plan. It does measure its own ad campaigns, so its label lists identifiers and usage data for that. The measurement code never sees your files, names or codes. York Vault has Free, Plus, Pro and Family plans. Viewing, export, Trash recovery and restore of your own items stay free on every plan. See pricing and what stays free.

What the Hidden album does better

The Hidden album is already on your iPhone, so there is nothing to install and no new company to trust. Your photos never leave Photos, so Live Photos, edits and full-quality originals stay as they are. It is locked by default since iOS 16. With Advanced Data Protection on, Photos is end-to-end encrypted in iCloud. York Vault also cannot hide its own name in Settings. If the only person you want to keep out does not know your passcode, the Hidden album may be enough. Our Hidden album guide covers it step by step.

Moving from the Hidden album

Unhide the items in Photos first, when nobody is around. Import them into York Vault, then check the count. York Vault can delete the originals from Photos after each encrypted copy passes a check. Then empty Recently Deleted. The Hidden album alternative page has every step, and our Hidden album review covers how safe the album is on its own.

Download York Vault on the App Store or Google Play.