Moving photos and videos from your regular camera roll to your eyes only hidden album is easy to do on an iPhone. The eyes only album allows you to hide certain sensitive media that you don’t want anyone else to accidentally see if they are looking through your camera roll. Here are some quick answers to common questions about moving things to eyes only:
What is the eyes only album?
The eyes only album is a hidden photo album that can only be viewed when unlocked with Face ID or your passcode. It allows you to hide certain photos and videos you want to keep private separate from your regular camera roll.
How do I enable eyes only on my iPhone?
To enable the eyes only album on your iPhone:
- Open the Photos app
- Tap the Albums tab at the bottom
- Scroll down and tap the Hide button to reveal the eyes only album
- Tap the Set up button
- Use Face ID or your passcode to authenticate and enable the album
How do I move a photo or video to eyes only?
To move a photo or video to your eyes only album:
- Open the Photos app and find the photo or video you want to move in your camera roll or albums
- Tap the Share button in the bottom left corner
- Scroll down and tap the Hide button
- Select the eyes only album
- Use Face ID or your passcode to authenticate the action
- The photo or video will be moved to the eyes only album
Can I move multiple photos/videos to eyes only at once?
Yes, you can select multiple photos or videos and move them all to eyes only at the same time. To do this:
- Open the Photos app and tap Select in the upper right corner
- Tap each photo/video you want to move to select them
- Tap the Share button at the bottom
- Scroll down and tap the Hide button
- Select the eyes only album
- Authenticate with Face ID or passcode
- All selected items will be moved to eyes only
Can I create albums inside eyes only?
Yes, you can create albums and organize your photos/videos within the eyes only section just like your regular photos app. To do so:
- Unlock eyes only with Face ID/passcode
- Tap the + button at the top right
- Give the album a name
- Tap Save
You can then move photos/videos into your new albums to organize eyes only content.
How do I view my eyes only album?
To view your eyes only album:
- Open the Photos app and tap Albums
- Scroll down until you see the eyes only album
- Tap the eyes only album
- Use Face ID or passcode to unlock and view the album
Can I recover photos/videos if I delete them from eyes only?
Unfortunately, no. Any photos or videos deleted from the eyes only album are permanently removed and cannot be recovered from the Recently Deleted album.
How do I disable eyes only on my iPhone?
To disable eyes only:
- Unlock the eyes only album with Face ID/passcode
- Tap the gear icon in the top right corner
- Scroll down and tap Disable and Delete
- Authenticate again to confirm
This will permanently delete all content stored in eyes only and disable the album.
Can I recover my eyes only album if I disable it?
No, disabling eyes only will permanently delete all photos and videos stored in that album. The content cannot be recovered.
Is eyes only secure? Can anyone else access it?
The eyes only album is very secure and private. It can only be unlocked with Face ID or your passcode, so no one else will be able to access the photos and videos stored there. Apple also uses end-to-end encryption to keep the content secure.
Does eyes only take up device storage space?
Yes, any photos or videos saved to the eyes only album will take up storage space on your device just like regular photos and videos do.
Can I back up my eyes only album?
Unfortunately the eyes only album cannot be included in your iCloud photos backup. It also will not backup to iTunes or Finder backups. The only way to backup eyes only content is to manually transfer it out of the album and then back it up externally.
Is there a file size limit for eyes only?
There is no specific file size limit for the eyes only album. However, the total storage space used will count against your device’s storage capacity. If your device is full, you may not be able to add large files to eyes only.
Can I hide the eyes only album entirely?
There is no setting to completely hide the eyes only album from view within the Photos app. It will always show up when you view your Albums. The best way to keep it private is to avoid opening the Photos app when others may be looking over your shoulder.
Conclusion
The eyes only hidden album provides a simple way to hide private photos, videos, and other sensitive content within the Photos app. Just tap the Share button, select eyes only, and authenticate with Face ID or your passcode to move items into the album. View eyes only by unlocking it in your Albums tab. Be aware that deleted items can’t be recovered, so keep backups before removing anything. With its tight security and encryption, eyes only lets you store media you want to keep extra private separate from your main camera roll.
Eyes Only FAQ
What is Eyes Only?
Eyes Only is a private photo album in the iOS Photos app that allows users to hide photos and videos behind Face ID or passcode authentication. It keeps sensitive media secure and separate from the main photo library.
How do I enable Eyes Only?
Go to Albums in Photos app -> Scroll down and tap Hide button -> Tap Set Up and use Face ID/passcode to enable.
Can I recover deleted Eyes Only photos?
No, photos/videos deleted from Eyes Only cannot be recovered, even from Recently Deleted.
How do I backup Eyes Only?
You need to manually transfer Eyes Only content out of the album to another location to back it up. It does not backup automatically.
Can other people access my Eyes Only album?
No, the content can only be unlocked and viewed with your Face ID or passcode authentication.
What is the storage limit for Eyes Only?
There is no set storage limit. Available device storage capacity is shared with your regular photo library.
How do I delete the Eyes Only album?
Go to Albums -> Tap Eyes Only -> Settings -> Disable and Delete. This will permanently erase Eyes Only content.
Can I recover Eyes Only if I disable it?
No, disabling Eyes Only will permanently delete all content stored within it.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is Eyes Only? | A private photo album secured by Face ID/passcode. |
| Can I recover deleted content? | No, Eyes Only deletions cannot be recovered. |
| How do I back up Eyes Only? | Manually transfer content out to another location. |
| Can others access my Eyes Only? | No, only you via Face ID/passcode. |
| Is there a storage limit? | No set limit, uses available device capacity. |
| How do I delete Eyes Only? | Disable & delete in Settings to permanently erase. |
| Can I recover after disabling? | No, disabling deletes all Eyes Only content. |
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Eyes Only
Enable Eyes Only
Open Photos app -> Tap Albums -> Scroll down & tap Hide -> Tap Set Up -> Use Face ID/passcode.
Add Photos/Videos to Eyes Only
Open photo/video -> Tap Share -> Tap Hide -> Select Eyes Only -> Authenticate with Face ID/passcode.
Create Albums in Eyes Only
Unlock Eyes Only -> Tap + -> Name album -> Tap Save.
Viewing Eyes Only Content
Open Photos -> Tap Albums -> Tap Eyes Only -> Use Face ID/passcode to unlock.
Moving Content Out of Eyes Only
Unlock Eyes Only -> Select items to move -> Tap Share -> Choose new destination album -> Authenticate.
Deleting Eyes Only Entirely
Open Photos -> Tap Albums -> Tap Eyes Only -> Tap settings icon -> Disable & Delete -> Authenticate.
Best Practices for Using Eyes Only Securely
- Don’t forget your passcode – resetting will permanently erase Eyes Only.
- Manually transfer important photos/videos out periodically for backup.
- Review Eyes Only content occasionally to remove unneeded items.
- Use long and complex passcode for better security.
- Enable Face ID as well for 2-factor authentication.
- Never show your passcode to others.
- Keep your iPhone locked when not in use.
- Use a privacy screen protector to block shoulder surfing.
- Turn off Siri lock screen previews.
- Avoid opening Eyes Only in view of others.
- Delete sensitive texts/emails after adding photos to Eyes Only.
Comparison of Eyes Only vs Hidden Album
| Feature | Eyes Only | Hidden Album |
|---|---|---|
| Passcode/Face ID Protected | Yes | No |
| Photo Encryption | End-to-End | No |
| Deleted Item Recovery | No | Yes, temporarily |
| Allow Album Creation | Yes | Yes |
| iCloud Backup | No | Yes |
| Content Visibility | Fully Hidden | Can be viewed by others |
As shown in the table, the main advantages of Eyes Only are the passcode/Face ID authentication, encryption, and permanent deletion. Hidden albums still can be viewed and aren’t as secure.
Eyes Only Troubleshooting Guide
Forgotten Passcode
If you forget your Eyes Only passcode, unfortunately your only option is to reset your passcode which will permanently erase Eyes Only by default. Be sure to transfer out important photos before resetting your passcode.
Eyes Only Not Showing Up
If Eyes Only is not appearing in your Albums tab, open Photos settings and make sure that Eyes Only is still enabled. If it was disabled or deleted, it will need to be set up again.
Can’t Add Items to Eyes Only
If you are unable to add photos or videos to Eyes Only, check that your device storage is not completely full. Eyes Only shares storage with your main photo library, so limited space can prevent adding content.
Eyes Only Disappeared
If Eyes Only suddenly seems to be gone or missing content, make sure it didn’t get accidentally disabled. You can go back into settings and re-enable it, but any deleted content will be permanently lost.
Occasional Freezes/Crashes
As with any app, Eyes Only may occasionally freeze or crash unexpectedly. Try force closing the Photos app and reopening to resolve. Restart your device if the issue persists.
Content Not Deleted Completely
In rare cases, photos may still be viewable in album thumbnails after deletion. However, they cannot actually be opened or recovered. Simply hiding the album and re-enabling Eyes Only can clear this visual bug.
Conclusion
The Eyes Only hidden album in iOS provides robust privacy protection that separates it from basic hidden albums. Proper use involves enabling security options like Face ID, using long passcodes, manually backing up content, and remembering to periodically remove unneeded items. While not flawless, Eyes Only remains one of the most secure places on iPhone to store private media you want to keep out of your main camera roll and away from prying eyes.