Best Hidden Folder App for iPhone: Built-in Options and Apps Compared

Short answer: iPhone has no hidden folder for files, so the best option depends on what you’re hiding. For photos, use the built-in Hidden album. For documents, a locked note or a vault app with its own code works. Before you pick an app, check whether its listing says files are encrypted, whether it has ads and tracking, and how backup works.

This guide is for anyone who wants a private place on an iPhone for files, scans and documents, not just photos. It starts with what iOS can already do, then compares popular hidden folder apps using facts from their US App Store pages. Steps checked against Apple’s documentation for iOS 26 and later.

What iOS gives you before you install anything

iOS has three “hidden” places, and each holds only one kind of thing.

• The Hidden album holds photos and videos. Touch and hold a photo, then tap Hide. Find it later in Photos > Collections > Utilities > Hidden, which asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Full steps: how to hide photos on iPhone.
• The Hidden folder in the App Library holds apps you downloaded. Touch and hold an app, tap Require Face ID, then Hide and Require Face ID.
• Locked notes hold text and document scans. In a note, tap the attachment button, then Scan Documents, and lock the note from its More menu. Notes can use a separate Notes password instead of your passcode.

For files in the Files app, iOS has no hidden or locked folder. You can touch and hold the Files icon and tap Require Face ID, and you can lock a single PDF with Lock PDF. Files itself can’t be hidden, because apps that come with iOS 18 or later can only be locked. More on each of these in how to hide files on iPhone.

Good enough if: you only worry about someone scrolling through your photos, or you can keep documents as scans in a locked note. Not enough if: someone who uses your phone knows your passcode, or you need to keep PDFs, Word files or other documents together in one locked place.

What a hidden folder app adds

A hidden folder app (often called a vault) keeps files inside its own space, behind its own PIN or password. Most also offer extras: a disguise such as a calculator icon, a decoy code that opens a fake folder, or a photo of whoever types the wrong code.

The extras are the easy part to compare. The parts that matter more are harder to see:

1. Is encryption described? Look for a listing that says files are encrypted on the device. “Password protected” alone can mean the files sit unencrypted behind a lock screen. Research on older vault apps, such as IOActive’s 2015 review and a 2022 Purdue study in the Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law, found photos recoverable from vaults that relied on hiding rather than encryption. Those findings are about apps tested years ago, not the apps below.
2. Ads and tracking. Scroll to App Privacy on the App Store page. “Data Used to Track You” means data is shared with other companies, often for ads. Developers fill these labels in themselves.
3. Backup and recovery. Find out where backups go and what happens if you forget the code or lose the phone.
4. File types. Some “folder” apps only take photos and videos. If you need PDFs or Office files, check the listing names them.
5. When it was last updated. An app that hasn’t been updated in a year may lag behind new iOS versions.

Popular hidden folder apps compared

From each app’s US App Store page, checked 4 Nov 2026. Prices change; check the listing before you pay.

App	Holds documents	Encryption on the listing	Price	Ads	Data used to track you	Backup	Requires	Rating
Folder Lock	Yes: doc, pdf, xls, ppt, txt and more	“Encrypt Files and Folders”	Free; $3.99 feature pack or $39.99 subscription listed	Yes	Usage data	Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox	iOS 15	4.2 (about 1,800 ratings)
Calculator# Hide Photos Videos	Yes: “documents and other files”	Not described	Free with ads and limits; $4.99/year to remove ads	Yes	Contact info	iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive	iOS 15	4.4 (about 29,000 ratings)
Best Secret Folder	Photos and videos; documents not listed	Not described (“password protected”)	Free; from $0.99 to remove ads, $14.99/year for VIP	Yes, removable for $0.99	Identifiers	Not described	iOS 15	4.7 (about 12,900 ratings)
Secret Photo Vault: Keepsafe	Photos, videos and ID copies	Yes	Free; Premium $9.99/month or $23.99/year	Yes, in the free version	Usage data	Private Cloud is premium	iOS 17	4.7 (about 385,000 ratings)

A few notes on the table:

• Folder Lock has the widest file support and a Wi-Fi transfer to a computer. It also takes photos of failed login attempts.
• Calculator# comes from the same developer as Folder Lock and looks like a working calculator. It can also show a fake error or crash message to whoever opens it.
• Best Secret Folder focuses on photos and videos. It can show fake videos when someone types the wrong code, and it can record a photo and location after failed logins. Its last update on the App Store was in September 2025.
• Keepsafe is mainly a photo vault. If photos are all you need, the photo vault app guide compares more options.

If you want files encrypted before they reach a cloud, rather than a vault on the phone, see secure file storage apps.

Cubbylock is a secure folder app in development, designed to encrypt every file on the iPhone, unlock with its own code plus optional Face ID, and keep no ads. See the planned features.

How to move files into a hidden folder app safely

1. Install the app and set a code that is different from your iPhone passcode.
2. Turn on the app’s backup, or note how to export your files, before you add anything important.
3. Import a test file first, then open it from inside the app to check it works.
4. Import the real files.
5. Delete the originals from the Files app, Photos or wherever they came from. Then empty Recently Deleted in Photos and Recently Deleted in Files, or the originals stay on your iPhone.

What this doesn’t protect

• The app’s name. A disguise changes the icon, not the listing. Like any app you download, it shows in your App Store purchase history, and an app on your Home Screen is easy to spot.
• Your passcode, if the app opens with it. If the app only uses Face ID with your iPhone passcode as the fallback, anyone who knows the passcode gets in.
• Copies outside the app. Originals in Recently Deleted, Downloads, email attachments, chats and iCloud Photos stay readable until you delete them.
• A forgotten code without a backup. If the app encrypts properly, nobody can open the files without your code. If it doesn’t back up, deleting the app or losing the phone can lose the files.
• Backups you don’t control. Backing up to Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud can mean a second copy of your files sits with that company. Check whether the app encrypts the backup first.
• An unlocked phone. Anyone holding your unlocked iPhone with the vault open can see what’s inside.

How we checked this

We checked the built-in iOS steps against Apple’s own documentation (support.apple.com and the Apple Personal Safety User Guide) on 4 Nov 2026, for iOS 26 and later. Every app detail comes from that app’s US App Store page and Apple’s public lookup data on the same date. We haven’t tested this guide or these apps on a device yet.

Methods compared

Method	Opens with your iPhone passcode	Separate code	Holds PDFs and files	Cost
Hidden album	Yes	No	No, photos and videos only	Free, built in
Locked note with a Notes password	No	Yes	Scans and text; not PDFs	Free, built in
Files app with Require Face ID	Yes	No	Yes, but nothing is hidden	Free, built in
Hidden folder app	Depends on the app	Usually	Depends on the app	Free download, paid upgrades
Cubbylock (in development)	Designed not to	Designed to use its own code	Designed for photos, scans and files	Free download planned

For photos alone, the Hidden album is often enough. For documents you want away from anyone who knows your passcode, pick an app with its own code and a clear answer on encryption and backup. For the full picture of what iOS can lock, read secure folder on iPhone.