# Notes Lock vs Hidden Album vs a Private Vault App: What Each Protects Canonical: https://filevale.com/guides/notes-lock-vs-hidden-album-vs-private-vault-app/ Updated: 2026-11-12 > Compare locked Notes, the Photos Hidden album and a private vault app on iPhone. See what each one protects, what it cannot hold and when to use which. Locked Notes protect text and simple notes, the Hidden album hides photos and videos from your main library, and a vault app locks files behind its own passcode or pattern. None of them is a sharing tool. If you need to send a file, lock it with a password first. ## Locked Notes Apple's Notes app can lock a note with your device passcode or a separate Notes password. For iCloud accounts the locked notes are end-to-end encrypted. The limits matter: Apple's Notes support page says you cannot lock notes that contain some attachments, such as PDFs, audio, video or other files, nor shared notes, and Apple cannot help you if you forget the Notes password. Good for: passwords written in text, account numbers, short private text. Not for: PDFs and scans, or anything you plan to send. ## The Hidden album in Photos Hide moves a photo or video out of your main library into the Hidden album, which opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. With iCloud Photos on, hiding syncs to your other devices. It handles photos and videos only. Hiding is a way to keep an image out of casual view, not a way to share it, and it does not strip location or camera data. Good for: keeping a photo out of someone scrolling your library. Not for: documents, PDFs, or sending anything. ## A private vault app A vault app keeps files in its own protected space with its own lock. The Filevale iPhone app has a Vault you open with a passcode or a pattern, with a 12-word recovery key you write down. Without the recovery key, a forgotten lock means the vault cannot be opened. iCloud Vault backup (Pro) keeps an encrypted copy in your own iCloud, and Share privately (Pro) turns a file into an AES-256 ZIP with a password. Check the app for the current plan details. The Privacy hub helps find photos that carry hidden location data. Good for: IDs, contracts and other sensitive files you do not want in the camera roll. Trade-off: you must keep the recovery key safe. If you lose both the lock and the key, nobody can open the vault. ## Quick comparison - **Locked Notes:** text and some attachments, no PDFs or files, Apple cannot recover a forgotten password. - **Hidden album:** photos and videos only, syncs through iCloud Photos, hides rather than protects against someone who knows your passcode. - **Vault app:** files and photos, own lock, recovery key, you carry the responsibility. ## When you do want to share Locks on your device do not protect a file once it leaves. Apple's [support article](https://support.apple.com/en-us/149168) says items shared by Anyone with the link are checked from iOS 27.3 and are no longer end-to-end encrypted. So pack the file into a password ZIP first. [Open Password-Protect ZIP](https://filevale.com/zip-with-password/) [Password-Protect ZIP](/zip-with-password/) makes an AES-256 ZIP on your device. For photos, [Remove EXIF Data](/remove-exif-data/) clears GPS and camera data first. Try the app at [Filevale for iPhone](/go/ios?src=web-notes-vault). More on picking apps: [best private vault apps for iPhone in 2026](/guides/best-private-vault-apps-for-iphone-2026/) and [encrypted ZIP vs an iCloud public link](/guides/encrypted-zip-vs-icloud-public-link/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I lock a PDF in Apple Notes? Apple says notes with attachments such as PDFs cannot be locked. Lock the PDF with its own password instead, or keep it in a vault app. ### Is the Hidden album secure? It is protected by Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, so it keeps photos out of casual view. It is not a sharing or encryption tool for files you send to others. ### What if I forget my vault app key? That depends on the app. With Filevale you can use the 12-word recovery key, and without it the vault cannot be opened. Store the words offline.