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How to Lock Gallery Vault Private Photos on iPhone

iOS 18 Face ID lock and Hidden folder · Niraj Mangukiya · checked November 2026

Time needed
4 taps
Needs iOS 18 or later

Works for Gallery Vault Private Photos whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.

Short answer

Touch and hold Gallery Vault Private Photos' icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Gallery Vault Private Photos behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode; choose Hide and Require Face ID instead to move it into App Library's Hidden folder as well.

Lock Gallery Vault Private Photos with Face ID

  1. Find Gallery Vault Private Photos on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Gallery Vault Private Photos now asks for authentication every time it opens.

To test it, close Gallery Vault Private Photos from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.

Hide Gallery Vault Private Photos in App Library

  1. Touch and hold Gallery Vault Private Photos' icon and tap Require Face ID.
  2. Choose Hide and Require Face ID instead of Require Face ID.
  3. Confirm. The icon leaves your Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library.
  4. To open it later, swipe to App Library, tap Hidden and authenticate.

Hiding also locks the app. To undo either, touch and hold the icon again and choose Don't Require Face ID.

Why lock Gallery Vault Private Photos?

Gallery Vault Private Photos is a private photo app, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Private-photo apps promise to keep pictures out of your main library. The label shows what leaves the phone; it cannot show whether the hiding is a real lock or just a separate folder.

Photo and video apps usually request access to your photo library. iOS lets you share only selected photos, which keeps the rest of the library — and its location metadata — away from the app.

A lock answers one question — who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change what Gallery Vault Private Photos sends to its developer; for that, see Gallery Vault Private Photos' full privacy report.

What the lock does and does not do

It does

  • Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Gallery Vault Private Photos opens
  • Hide message previews in notifications
  • Keep Gallery Vault Private Photos' content out of Spotlight and Siri suggestions
  • With Hide, remove the icon from the Home Screen

It does not

  • Stop someone who knows your passcode
  • Encrypt or change how Gallery Vault Private Photos stores data
  • Sync to your iPad or other devices
  • Remove Gallery Vault Private Photos from purchase history or Screen Time reports

Don't see Require Face ID?

  • Update to iOS 18 or later in Settings › General › Software Update.
  • Make sure a passcode is set in Settings › Face ID & Passcode; the lock needs one.
  • Some Apple apps (Settings, Calculator, Camera, Maps, Find My, Clock) cannot be locked or hidden.
  • If your iPhone is managed by work or school, the option may be restricted.

Other settings worth checking for Gallery Vault Private Photos

  1. Tracking

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.

  2. Photos

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos. Limited Access lets you pick exactly which pictures the app can see; Add Photos Only lets it save without reading your library.

  3. Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › Gallery Vault Private Photos › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Gallery Vault Private Photos' full privacy label

App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Used to track you
3types
Linked to you
0types

None declared

Not linked to you
3types

Is Gallery Vault Private Photos safe? Every data type explained →

Lock these apps too

After you lock Gallery Vault Private Photos

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

FAQ

Does Gallery Vault Private Photos have its own passcode?
Some apps offer an in-app PIN or biometric lock in their settings. The App Store privacy label does not say whether Gallery Vault Private Photos does; the iOS 18 lock works regardless.
What happens to Gallery Vault Private Photos' notifications when it is locked?
Locked and hidden apps do not show message previews or content in notifications, and their content does not appear in Spotlight search or Siri suggestions.
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Yes. If Face ID fails, the lock falls back to your device passcode. Keep the passcode private if the lock matters to you.
Is a locked Gallery Vault Private Photos encrypted?
The lock controls who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change how the app stores or syncs data. Encryption depends on the developer and on your device passcode.
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
You need iOS 18 or later. Some Apple apps such as Settings, Calculator, Maps and Camera cannot be locked or hidden.
Does hiding Gallery Vault Private Photos remove it from my purchase history?
No. Hidden apps still appear in App Store purchases and in Settings › Apps, and Screen Time reports still include them.

Is Gallery Vault Private Photos safe? Full privacy report →Does Gallery Vault Private Photos track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All photo & video apps →

Facts on this page come from Apple: lock or hide an app on iPhone, as reported by the developer. Checked November 2026. How we collect data · Report a correction