How to Delete Hidden Photos on iPhone

Managing your photo library on an iPhone can be challenging, especially when hidden photos take up limited space. Whether you want to clean up your device or ensure your private images remain secure, learning how to delete hidden photos on iPhone is important. In this article we will walk you through removing hidden pictures and managing the Hidden album, helping you keep your photo library organized and storage free for new pictures.

Briefly About Hidden Photos on iPhone

Hidden photos on an iPhone are images that users have deliberately set to be hidden from the main photo library. This feature allows users to keep certain photos private, away from the easily accessible “Photos” tab. Instead, these photos are moved to a special “Hidden” album within the Photos app. This feature was first introduced with iOS 8 and has been available since the iPhone 4s.

The Hidden album is a secluded place where users can store photos they don’t want visible in their main photo feed. This can include personal images, screenshots, or any other pictures you prefer to keep separate from the rest of your photos. This special album is not password-protected by default, but it keeps your hidden photos out of the main view. To further protect these photos, you can use the iPhone’s built-in privacy features, such as Face ID or Touch ID, to secure your entire Photos app.

While this feature is useful for privacy, it can also lead to hidden photos taking up storage space on your device. Therefore, knowing how to delete hidden photos on iPhone or even remove hidden photos from iPhone entirely can help you manage your storage better.

Now, let’s take a look at how to delete these hidden photos and how to manage the Hidden album to keep your iPhone’s photo library organized.

How to Delete Hidden Photos on iPhone

Deleting hidden photos on your iPhone is a simple process. Whether you want to free up space or just organize your photo library, following these steps will help you delete hidden pictures on iPhone.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone, tap on the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen, scroll down to the Utilities section, and select the Hidden album.go to hidden album
  2. In the Hidden album, tap Select in the top-right corner. Tap on the photos you want to delete. Selected photos will show a checkmark.Select hidden photos for deletion
  3. Once you’ve selected the photos, tap the Trash icon at the bottom-right corner.tap on trash to delete hidden photos on iPhone
  4. Confirm the deletion by tapping Delete # Photos in the pop-up window.confirm deletion of hidden photos
  5. Deleted photos move to the Recently Deleted folder and stay there for 30 days before being permanently deleted. To permanently delete these photos, go back to the Albums tab, find the Recently Deleted folder under Utilities, tap Select, and then Delete All to permanently remove these photos from your iPhone.don't forget to clean recently deleted album

By following these steps, you can easily delete hidden album on iPhone so that unnecessary photos do not take up limited storage space. This process helps keep your photo library organized and your device running smoothly.

Next, we’ll discuss how to remove the Hidden album feature entirely if you no longer wish to use it.

Remove Hidden Album from iPhone

If you no longer wish to see the Hidden album in your Photos app, you can hide it through the Settings. This will ensure that the Hidden album is not visible in your Albums tab, though the photos will remain hidden and accessible if the setting is re-enabled. Follow these steps to hide the Hidden album:

  1. Go to Settings: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Access Photos Settings: Scroll down and tap on Photos to open the Photos settings.photos app settings
  3. Hide the Hidden Album: In the Photos settings, locate the Hidden Album option. Toggle the switch to the off position. This will hide the Hidden album from your Albums tab.hide Hidden album

By following these steps, you can hide the Hidden album on iPhone and prevent it from appearing in your Photos app.

Note that this does not delete the hidden photos; they remain in the Hidden album, which can be made visible again by toggling the switch back on.

Conclusion

Deleting and managing hidden photos on your iPhone is essential for keeping privacy and saving storage space. By following the steps above, you can easily delete hidden photos on iPhone and control the visibility of the Hidden album. Regularly managing your photo library will help keep your iPhone running smoothly and make sure your personal photos are organized and safe.

FAQ

Yes, you can recover deleted hidden photos from the Recently Deleted folder within 30 days. Go to the Albums tab in the Photos app, scroll down to Utilities, and select Recently Deleted. Tap Select, choose the photos you want to recover, and then tap Recover to restore them.
To make the Hidden album visible again, go to the Settings app on your iPhone, scroll down and tap on Photos. Find the Hidden Album option and toggle the switch to the on position. The Hidden album will reappear in the Albums tab under Utilities.
No, the Hidden album itself is not password-protected by default. However, you can use your iPhone’s built-in privacy features, such as Face ID or Touch ID, to secure access to the Photos app and keep your hidden photos private.
Yes, you can hide both photos and videos in the Hidden album. The process for hiding videos is the same as for photos. Select the video, tap the share button, and then choose Hide from the options.
Hiding a photo on your iPhone does not remove it from iCloud. The hidden photo remains in your iCloud storage and is still backed up if you have iCloud Photos enabled. It simply moves the photo to the Hidden album on your device.
While you cannot directly lock the Hidden album with a password, you can secure the entire Photos app using your iPhone’s built-in security features like Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, which helps keep your hidden photos protected.
To unhide photos, open the Hidden album in the Photos app, select the photos you want to unhide, tap the share button, and then select Unhide. The photos will return to their original locations in your photo library.
Yurii Kulynych
Yurii Kulynych is a skilled professional who continues to work in Quality Assurance (QA) for InsanelyMac while also starting to write articles. He has a strong eye for detail and extensive experience in ensuring content quality, especially in areas like data recovery, understanding macOS/iOS, and storage solutions for Apple devices. Yurii excels in writing easy-to-follow guides and putting together helpful toolkits.
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