Move photos into an encrypted folder
- 1
Make a folder
Open hYYa Encrypted Folder, tap +, then New Folder. Name it and choose where to keep it. Free folders stay on this device. If you already have a folder, skip this.
- 2
Add from Photos
Open the folder, tap +, then Add from Photos…
- 3
Select them
Select the photos and videos, then tap the check mark. There is no limit on how many.
- 4
Remove the originals
hYYa encrypts them, then asks Remove the originals from Photos? Tap Delete from Photos, or Keep Them.
- 5
Confirm in iOS
iOS asks for permission to change your library and shows its own confirmation. If you decline, nothing is deleted, and hYYa says the originals are still there.
- 6
Clear Recently Deleted
The originals stay in the Photos Recently Deleted album for 30 days. To remove them sooner, delete them from that album in Photos.
- 7
Lock it
Tap the lock icon in the folder. By default hYYa locks everything when you leave the app. When you come back, use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
What happens to your photos
Only what you pick
hYYa sees only the photos you select. iOS shows this in the picker as Private Access to Photos. Photo library permission is asked for only if you choose to delete the originals.
Full quality
The original file is encrypted, not recompressed. A Live Photo keeps both its picture and its video, and counts as one original when removing from Photos.
Out of sight in the app
Previews inside the folder are drawn in memory and never written to disk. By default the app locks when you switch away and hides your files from the app switcher.
From Photos too
Choose hYYa in the share sheet, up to 20 photos or 5 videos at a time.
The limits, plainly
Photos still in iCloud
If a photo is still downloading from iCloud, it may not come across. hYYa says how many were added and how many weren’t, and offers to remove only the ones it encrypted.
Recently Deleted keeps them for 30 days
Until you delete them from that album, or the 30 days pass, the originals are still in Photos.
Locking one folder doesn’t lock the app
While you stay in the app, a locked folder reopens with no new check. By default hYYa asks again after you leave the app.
There is no password reset
There is no hYYa account. Make a recovery key and keep it somewhere safe. Without it, if your devices lose a folder’s key, nothing can open that folder, not even us.
What it needs
iOS 17 or later. The app’s screens are in English.
Questions, answered
How do I hide photos on my iPhone?
Move them into an encrypted folder in hYYa Encrypted Folder, then remove the originals from Photos. They’re encrypted, not just out of view.
Are the originals deleted straight away?
No. They go to the Photos Recently Deleted album, where they stay for 30 days. To remove them sooner, delete them from that album in Photos.
Does hYYa see my whole library?
No. hYYa sees only the photos you select. Photo library permission is asked for only if you choose to delete the originals.
Do photos lose quality?
No. The original file is encrypted, not recompressed.
How do I open the folder again?
When you come back to the app, use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
Is it free?
Free: two encrypted folders on this device, with any number of files. Deleting one doesn't free a slot. New folders in iCloud or Google Drive are Pro, and there is a 7-day free trial.