| Feature | PicWay | iPhone Hidden album |
|---|---|---|
| What happens to the photos | Photos and videos you add are encrypted on your iPhone before they’re saved in the vault. | Hidden photos and videos move to the Hidden album, so they don’t appear in your Library, other albums, or the Photos widget. Source |
| Locking | Auto-Lock: leave the vault untouched for a while and it locks itself. Playing a video doesn’t count. | The Hidden album is locked by default. You unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. Source |
| Other devices | With iCloud sync on, which is the default, the vault is encrypted and stored in your own iCloud, where only you can open it. Get a new phone or reinstall, and you can get it back. | If you use iCloud Photos, photos you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too. Source |
| Getting back in | At setup you write down 12 words. If you forget how to open the vault, they get you back in. PicWay doesn’t keep them, so write them on paper. | You open the Hidden album with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode, the same ones that unlock your iPhone. Source |
Which to use
To keep a few photos out of your Library, and with iCloud Photos on, hidden on your other Apple devices too, the Hidden album is enough. If you use Google Photos and back up to your Google Account, Locked Folder fits that. If you want photos encrypted on your iPhone, a 12-word way back in, no opening while the screen is being recorded, and Auto-Lock, use PicWay’s Private Vault.
What about Google Photos Locked Folder?
Locked Folder lives inside the Google Photos app. Here is how it compares with PicWay’s Private Vault, using Google’s help article for iPhone and iPad (source).
| PicWay Private Vault | Google Photos Locked Folder | |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s protected | Encrypted on your iPhone before it’s saved | Protected by your device screen lock and Google Photos’ standard encryption practices |
| If you can’t get in | 12 words you wrote down at setup get you back in | The same Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode as your iPhone; you can’t use a different password |
| Where it’s stored | With iCloud sync on (the default), encrypted in your own iCloud | Only on that device unless you turn on Locked Folder backup to your Google Account |
| Screen recording | The vault won’t open while your screen is being recorded | Not covered in Google’s article |
| Locking | Locks on its own after a while untouched | Not covered in Google’s article |
When the Hidden album is enough
If you just want a few photos out of your Library, the Hidden album does that and needs no extra app. With iCloud Photos on, they’re hidden on your other devices too.
About this page
This page is written by the PicWay team. Everything about the Hidden album comes from Apple’s support documents, and everything about Locked Folder comes from Google’s help center (iPhone and iPad version), checked on November 1, 2026. Features can change, so follow the Source links for the latest.
Frequently asked questions
Can Google Photos Locked Folder have its own password on iPhone?
No. On iPhone, Google says your Locked Folder password is the same as your Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, and you can’t use a different one.
Where are Locked Folder items stored?
Google says items in Locked Folder that you don’t back up are stored only on that device. With Locked Folder backup on, you can open it from other devices signed in to your Google Account.
What if I forget how to open PicWay’s Private Vault?
Use the 12 words you wrote down when you set it up. PicWay doesn’t keep them and can’t recover them for you, so put them on paper, not in a screenshot.
Does the Private Vault open while my screen is being recorded?
No. While your screen is being recorded, the vault won’t open. Stop recording first.
Is the Private Vault stored in iCloud?
With iCloud sync on, which is the default, the vault is encrypted on your iPhone and stored in your own iCloud, where only you can open it.