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With our cellphones holding more of our personal info than ever, it’s important to keep all of it, including your photos and documents, away from prying eyes. Joseph from Fort Myers, Florida, reached out with a concern many of us share. He’s asking how to keep his photos and documents hidden on his iPhone.<\/p>\n
“I am looking for a secure way to store personal information on my iPhone, numbers, passwords, documents, pictures \u2013 like insurance cards and photos. Do I need an app? If so, what do you recommend?” \u2014 Joseph, Fort Myers, Florida<\/i><\/p>\n
That is an important question as keeping data private is getting harder and harder to do well, but fortunately your iPhone has some built-in features that will help you with this. Plus, there are some well-known and trusted solutions that you might also want to consider making sure your private data remains just that \u2013 private.<\/p>\n
CLICK TO GET KURT\u2019S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO\u2019S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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A person typing on iPhone<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nStep 1: Set up a strong passcode and enable Face ID or Touch ID<\/strong><\/h2>\nYour iPhone\u2019s passcode and Face ID are the gatekeepers of your data. So you’ll want to set up these to ensure that others cannot access your iPhone beyond the lock screen. Here\u2019s how to make them impenetrable.<\/p>\n
Set a strong passcode<\/strong><\/h3>\n\nGo to Settings\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\nScroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode<\/strong><\/li>\nTap \u2018Turn Passcode On\u2019<\/strong><\/li>\nChoose a passcode<\/strong> that\u2019s hard to guess<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nRemember to change your passcode periodically to maintain security.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Enable Face ID or Touch ID<\/strong><\/h3>\n\nUnlock your iPhone and go to the Settings app<\/strong><\/li>\nScroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode<\/strong><\/li>\nIf prompted, enter your device passcode\u00a0<\/strong>to continue<\/li>\nTap Set Up Face ID<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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Steps to enable Face ID or Touch ID<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nTap Get Started<\/strong><\/li>\nThen you will be asked to position your face within the frame\u00a0<\/strong>so that your iPhone\u2019s TrueDepth camera can capture your facial features and create a unique Face ID profile.<\/li>\nTap Done<\/strong> after your Face ID is set up<\/li>\nThis profile will be used for secure authentication and unlocking your device using facial recognition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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Steps to enable Face ID or Touch ID<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMORE: BEST ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR PHONE<\/strong><\/p>\nStep 2: Use Find My iPhone<\/strong><\/h2>\nThis feature is not just for locating your device, but also for keeping it secure if it falls into the wrong hands. Here’s how to activate \u2018Find My iPhone\u2019.<\/p>\n
\nGo to Settings<\/strong><\/li>\nTap your name<\/strong><\/li>\nClick Find My<\/strong><\/li>\nNext to Find My iPhone,<\/strong> toggle it on<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nMORE: HOW TO FIND YOUR LOST IPHONE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Steps to set up Find My iPhone<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nStep 3: Hide and secure personal photos<\/strong><\/h2>\nPrevent awkward moments when someone browses your photo album. Instead of deleting personal photos temporarily, create a dedicated album for hiding them. Your iPhone offers built-in features to secure and hide photos. Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n
\nOpen your iPhone’s Photo App<\/strong> and find a picture you want to keep private and tap on it<\/strong>.<\/li>\nOn the top right of your phone screen, you will see three dots<\/strong> in a circle.<\/li>\nClick on the dots and you will see an option labeled Hide. <\/strong>Click on it<\/strong>.<\/li>\nThen tap Hide Photo<\/strong><\/li>\nOnce you confirm this, the image will be hidden from your phone\u2019s camera roll.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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Steps to hide photos on iPhone<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIf you want to unhide that photo, all you need to do is return to those same three dots in a circle and select Unhide<\/strong>.<\/li>\nIf you wish to view those images that you have hidden, all you need to do is go to Albums<\/strong> and under Utilities<\/strong> and select Hidden<\/strong>. This will allow you to use your passcode or Face ID to view the hidden images.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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How to view Hidden photos<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMORE: THE IPHONE PRIVACY SETTING YOU NEED TO TURN OFF<\/strong><\/p>\nStep 4: Use iCloud Keychain to store Passwords<\/strong><\/h2>\niCloud Keychain simplifies your digital life by synchronizing your passwords and securing data across all your devices. It automatically fills in essential information \u2013 such as Safari and app usernames, passwords, credit card details and Wi-Fi passwords \u2013 on any device you authorize. No more manual input required.<\/p>\n
By default, iCloud Keychain works only with Safari, but it\u2019s also available on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on a Mac or Windows PC through iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Passwords extension.<\/p>\n
Before you turn on iCloud Keychain, update your device to the\u00a0latest iOS or iPadOS or the\u00a0latest version of macOS and make sure that two-factor authentication is turned on for your Apple ID.<\/p>\n
Turn on iCloud Keychain on your iPhone<\/strong><\/h3>\n\nTap Settings<\/strong><\/li>\nClick your name<\/strong><\/li>\nThen choose iCloud<\/strong><\/li>\nTap Passwords and Keychain<\/strong><\/li>\nTurn on iCloud Keychain.<\/strong> You might be asked for your passcode or Apple ID password.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFind, change or delete passwords and passkeys on your Mac<\/strong><\/h3>\nFind, change or delete saved passwords and passkeys on your Mac and keep them updated across all of your devices. Here’s how to view saved passwords and passkeys in System Settings.<\/p>\n
\nChoose Apple menu i<\/strong>n the upper left of your computer screen.<\/li>\nTap System Settings<\/strong><\/li>\nClick Passwords<\/strong><\/li>\nSign in<\/strong> with Touch ID or enter your user account password.<\/li>\nSelect a website,<\/strong> then click the Show Details button<\/strong> (which is the “i” with a circle around it).<\/li>\nTo delete a password, click Delete Password<\/strong>.<\/li>\nTo update a password, click Edit,<\/strong> change it<\/strong>, then click Save<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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Find, change or delete passwords and passkeys on Mac<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMORE: BEST PORTABLE PHONE CHARGERS OF 2024<\/strong><\/p>\nInvest in a password manager\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nTo go beyond iCloud’s keychain for increased security, you’ll want to invest in a password manager. These are created specifically for the protection of passwords and include features for important documents and photos. This is also beneficial when sharing private data with family members.<\/p>\n
Using 1Password as an example, you will notice that the startup screen offers storage for credit cards, identification cards, passwords and documents. We would recommend usage of the documents folder for images, and you will also see options for medical records, software licenses and even the password for your internet’s wireless router. Get more details about my\u00a0best expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2024 here.<\/p>\n
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Password Manager app<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nStep 5: Use your insurance provider’s official app to securely store your ID<\/strong><\/h2>\nJoseph also asked about storing personal information on his iPhone, like insurance cards. Well, if your insurance provider has an app that contains digital ID cards, you can usually add your card to Apple Wallet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Start by downloading your auto or health insurance provider’s app from the App Store. Not all insurance providers support Apple Wallet. You can find out if yours does by looking for an “ID Cards” area of the app.<\/p>\n
\nOn the insurance app, sign in.\u00a0<\/strong>If you don\u2019t have an account, you’ll usually be able to create one from the app’s login screen. You’ll probably need your policy number to do this.<\/li>\nGo to the ID Cards area<\/strong>. The name of this area of the app varies by provider, but you’re looking for the place in the app where you’d find digital versions of the membership cards you keep in your physical wallet.<\/li>\nTap Add to Apple Wallet<\/strong> if available. If the card can be added, you’ll see this button somewhere on or near the cards. A preview of the digital card will appear.<\/li>\nTap Add<\/strong> in the top-right corner. This saves your insurance card to your Apple Wallet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIf you don’t see the option to save the card to your wallet, you can still use the digital version of your card in the provider’s app when you need to \u2013 just pull it up on the screen when asked for your insurance card.<\/p>\n
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Insurance app (Aetna)<\/span> (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nStep 6: Remove apps from the home screen<\/strong><\/h2>\nKeep your frequently used apps accessible but discreetly tucked away by removing them from your home screen. This ensures they remain private and aren\u2019t publicly visible on your Home Screen.<\/p>\n
\nLong-press the app\u00a0<\/strong>from your Home Screen on your iPhone<\/li>\nTap Remove App<\/strong><\/li>\nChoose Remove from Home Screen<\/strong><\/li>\nYou can still find the app in the App Library<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n