# How to see hidden photos on a Mac

> See hidden photos on a Mac: in Photos choose View › Show Hidden Photo Album, then click Hidden in the sidebar and unlock with Touch ID or your password.

Source: https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/view-hidden-photos-on-mac/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou

![Photos sidebar with the Hidden album highlighted](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/img/guides--view-hidden-photos-on-mac.png)

- Needs iCloud Photos
- Locked on recent macOS

With iCloud Photos on, photos you hide on iPhone are hidden on your Mac too, in the Mac's own Hidden album.

- **Steps:** 3

**Quick answer:** On a Mac, open **Photos** and choose **View › Show Hidden Photo Album**. Click **Hidden** in the sidebar and unlock it with Touch ID or your login password. Photos hidden on your iPhone appear here when **iCloud Photos** is on for both devices and both use the same Apple Account.

3 steps

## Show the Hidden album on Mac

1. **Open Photos on your Mac.** Make sure iCloud Photos is on in Photos › Settings › iCloud, with the same Apple Account as your iPhone.
2. **Choose View › Show Hidden Photo Album.** In the menu bar, choose **View**, then **Show Hidden Photo Album**.
3. **Click Hidden in the sidebar.** Click **Hidden** and unlock it with Touch ID or your Mac password.

Sync

## Why hidden photos are missing on Mac

| Check | Fix |
| --- | --- |
| iCloud Photos is off | Turn it on in Photos › Settings › iCloud |
| Different Apple Account | Sign in with the same account |
| Still syncing | Leave Photos open on Wi-Fi |
| Hidden album not shown | View › Show Hidden Photo Album |

Did that solve it?

Good. People usually do this next:

- [How to view iPhone hidden photos on a PCThrough iCloud.com in a browser](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/view-hidden-photos-on-pc/)
- [Hidden photos and iCloud: who can see them?Sync, backups and shared accounts](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-photos-icloud/)
- [Where is the Hidden album on iPad?The sidebar route](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-ipad/)

Find your fix:

- [Hidden album missingTurn on Show Hidden Album](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-missing/)
- [Hidden album empty4 places photos go](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-empty/)
- [Steps for my iPhonePick your model](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/iphone/)

Questions

## Hidden photos on Mac: questions

### How do I see hidden photos on my Mac?

Open Photos, choose View › Show Hidden Photo Album, then click Hidden in the sidebar and unlock it. Photos hidden on your iPhone show up here when both devices use iCloud Photos with the same Apple Account.

### Why are my iPhone hidden photos not on my Mac?

iCloud Photos is off on one device, the devices use different Apple Accounts, or syncing hasn't finished. Turn on iCloud Photos on both and leave Photos open on Wi-Fi.

### Is the Hidden album locked on Mac?

On recent macOS versions, yes: it asks for Touch ID or your login password before showing hidden photos. Anyone who knows your Mac password can open it.

### Can I hide photos on my Mac?

Yes. Select the photos in Photos and choose Image › Hide. With iCloud Photos on, they are hidden on your iPhone too.

## Related guides

- [How to view iPhone hidden photos on a PCThrough iCloud.com in a browser](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/view-hidden-photos-on-pc/)
- [Hidden photos and iCloud: who can see them?Sync, backups and shared accounts](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-photos-icloud/)
- [Where is the Hidden album on iPad?The sidebar route](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-ipad/)
- [How to find hidden photos on iPhoneUtilities › Hidden, for every iOS version](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/find-hidden-photos-iphone/)