Are Hidden Photos Saved to iCloud? (And Do They Transfer to a New iPhone?)
Yes. If iCloud Photos is on, hidden photos are saved to iCloud along with the rest of your library, and they show up in the Hidden album on every iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to your Apple Account. Hiding a photo only changes where it appears, not where it’s stored. Here’s what that means for your privacy, and how to keep certain photos out of iCloud.
How hidden photos sync
When you hide a photo, it moves from your library to the Hidden album. With iCloud Photos on:
- The photo stays in iCloud, exactly as before, and counts toward your iCloud storage.
- It appears in the Hidden album on your other devices. On each one, the album is locked with that device’s Face ID, Touch ID or password.
- Hiding or unhiding syncs. Unhide a photo on your iPad and it reappears in your iPhone’s library too.
- Deleting syncs. Delete a hidden photo on one device and it goes to Recently Deleted everywhere.
If iCloud Photos is off, hidden photos stay on your iPhone and are included in your iCloud Backup, if you use one.
Do hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone?
Yes, whichever way you move:
- iCloud Photos: your whole library, including hidden photos, downloads to the new iPhone.
- iCloud Backup or a computer backup: the photo library is restored with the Hidden album intact.
- Quick Start (phone to phone): your photos transfer directly, hidden ones included.
They arrive in the Hidden album, not your main library.
Who can see hidden photos in iCloud?
- Anyone who can unlock one of your devices and knows its passcode can open the Hidden album there.
- iCloud.com: signing in to Photos on the web shows your Hidden album too, after you confirm it’s you.
- Apple: with standard iCloud security, your photos are encrypted, but Apple holds the keys. With Advanced Data Protection turned on (Settings → your name → iCloud → Advanced Data Protection), iCloud Photos is end-to-end encrypted, so only your devices can read them.
How to keep certain photos out of iCloud
Option 1: turn off iCloud Photos. This stops syncing your entire library. Download your originals first. See how to turn off iCloud Photos without losing your photos.
Option 2: move just the private photos out of Photos. Put them in an app that stores them separately, then delete them from Photos, including Recently Deleted. That way your everyday photos keep syncing and the private ones don’t.
If you go with option 2, check how the app backs things up. A good one either keeps photos only on your phone or backs them up encrypted, so they can’t be viewed in iCloud.
Easy Vault works like this: photos and videos you move in are encrypted on your iPhone or iPad behind their own pattern or password, and it can delete the originals from Photos for you. Its optional iCloud backup is encrypted before it leaves your device, so it’s useless to anyone without your recovery key, including Apple and us. See how to keep private photos private.
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Frequently asked questions
Are hidden photos saved to iCloud?
Yes, if iCloud Photos is on. Hidden photos are stored in iCloud with the rest of your library and appear in the Hidden album on your other devices signed in to the same Apple Account. If iCloud Photos is off, they're included in your iCloud Backup instead.
Do hidden photos sync to my iPad and Mac?
Yes. With iCloud Photos on, the Hidden album syncs to every device using the same Apple Account. On each device, the album is locked with that device's Face ID, Touch ID or password.
Do hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone?
Yes. Whether you set up the new iPhone from iCloud Photos, an iCloud Backup or Quick Start, your hidden photos come along and stay in the Hidden album.
How do I keep photos out of iCloud?
Either turn off iCloud Photos, which affects your whole library, or move those photos out of Photos into an app that stores them separately. Photos in a vault app aren't part of iCloud Photos; check whether the app's own backup is encrypted.