Can't Hide Photos on iPhone

Question

Can't Hide Photos on iPhone

I have a bunch of hidden photos in the "Photos" app. They are hidden for a reason. Now they are in a prominently displayed album on my iPhone. I used to let anyone look at my phone. I'd like to be able to let my nephew play games on it. If he went to photos and saw naked pictures, I'd rightfully be talking to the police.

The Apple store told me to remove them I have to disable all shared photos, or delete them. Does anyone have another approach? I want these in "Photos", and I'd like to have them on my phone, privately. A photo safe won't help, because I can't remove the pics without deleting them.

A second, relatively minor annoyance is that I can't control what other albums there are. I took a photo of a mole on my neck. Later I went to open the phone to show a colleague a photo of said nephew, and it was the cover of multiple albums, none of which I even want to exist. My colleague got an eyeful. Now before I open photos I have to shield my phone and check what Apple are choosing to display without my control. Heaven forbid it was a surgery photo or something. I can't even put these forced albums below the ones I've painstakingly created full of friends, relatives, etc.

Anyone have any way I can disable this? My new iPhone X should be something cool, instead I'm scared to let anyone near it while it's unlocked, or even to look at it

iPhone X, iOS 11.2.5

Posted on Jan 24, 2018 9:37 PM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

198,019 points

Jan 25, 2018 11:35 PM in response to Martin the Expat

Then you better use the feedback link: Photos for iOS - Feedback - Apple

Right now many people are complaining, that hidden photos are no longer visible in albums. So many people are asking for the opposite of what you want.

The user guide still describes hiding like it used to be implemented in iOS 8 to iOS 12:

Hide photos or videos you want to keep but not show. While viewing thumbnails, tap Select, then select the photos or videos you want to hide. Tap share, then tap Hide. The photos or videos are moved to the Hidden album.

Photos and videos are hidden from Moments, Collections, Years, and Memories, but are still visible in Albums.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

198,019 points

Jan 25, 2018 12:55 AM in response to Martin the Expat

On iOS 11.2.5, as you are using, hidden Photos are only shown in the Hidden album, just like on a Mac with macOs 10.13.x.

On my iPhone X I am only seeing the hidden Photos in the Hidden album, they are hidden from all other albums, but there is no way to hide the Hidden album. And the Hidden album is showing without an image thumbnail. Without opening this album, I cannot see, what is inside.

As long as you do not let other people touch your iPhone, the hidden Photos should not be visible to others on iOS 11.2 devices.

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Answer 3

Jan 25, 2018 9:09 PM in response to léonie

That can't be the answer, to guard my phone like it's literally bomb...

Apple, WHAT are you thinking??? There are so many privacy apps for photos, isn't it obvious that making a users hidden photos easily accessible is insane. Forced albums... seriously, this will be my last iPhone if it doesn't change.

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Answer 4

Jan 26, 2018 12:50 AM in response to léonie

That makes some sense though, and isn't the opposite at all. If I add a hidden photo to a specific album on one device, it's not unreasonable to include it in that album on any device where I say to copy the album.

Better yet would be to configure it per device, with a password protected setting to show/hide hidden photos. But what exists is horrible. And it's so easily resolvable, just make all albums user deletable.

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