Keep photos private on a shared or family iPhone
Plenty of iPhones and iPads are shared — between partners, with kids, or as a household device. When other people know the passcode and use the same device, "locked" isn't enough; you need a space only you can open.
The challenge is privacy from people who have legitimate access to the device itself.
Same device, same passcode, no privacy
iOS is designed around one owner per device. If your family shares a passcode, everyone can open Photos, Messages, and Files. The Hidden album doesn't help when the people you're hiding from can simply turn it back on.
Why iOS sharing features don't solve it
- There are no true separate user accounts on iPhone like there are on a Mac or PC.
- Anyone with the device passcode can view the entire photo library.
- Face ID enrolls multiple faces, so biometrics alone don't separate users.
Arca · Locked vault + Secure Enclave
How Arca handles it: a separate, encrypted space
Arca gives you a vault with its own PIN, independent of the device passcode. Even on a shared iPhone, your photos are encrypted and only open with your Arca PIN (or your Face ID, via the Secure Enclave). Other people can use the device freely without ever seeing your vault.
- 1
Install Arca and set a PIN that the other device users don't know.
- 2
Import your personal photos so they leave the shared Camera Roll.
- 3
Enable Face ID so only your face unlocks the vault on the shared device.
Questions
Can family members see my Arca photos if they know the device passcode? +
No. Arca uses its own PIN, separate from the device passcode. Knowing the device passcode doesn't unlock your vault.
Does Face ID work if multiple faces are enrolled on the iPhone? +
Arca's biometric unlock is bound to the current enrolled biometrics via the Secure Enclave. For a truly shared device, a PIN you keep private is the strongest separation.
Related reading
Your photos. Truly private.
Download Arca and lock your first photos away in under a minute. No account, no cloud, no one but you.
Free to download · iPhone · iOS 18+