# Hidden album on iPad (A16) > iPad (A16) on iPadOS 26: Photos › Collections › Utilities › Hidden, unlocked with Touch ID. Plus the Show Hidden Album switch, unhiding and iPhone sync. Source: https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-a16/ · Updated 2026-11-01 · By VaultForYou ![iPad (A16) Photos Collections on iPadOS 26 with Utilities and the Hidden album](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/img/ipad--ipad-a16.png) - Locked by Touch ID - In Collections - Up to iPadOS 26 iPad (A16) (2025) unlocks with **Touch ID in the top button** and runs up to **iPadOS 26**. That decides where Hidden sits and whether it locks. - **Taps to open:** 4 - **Newest iPadOS:** 26 - **Unlock:** Touch ID - **Released:** 2025 **Quick answer:** On iPad (A16) with iPadOS 26, open **Photos**, tap **Collections**, then tap **Hidden** below **Utilities**. Tap View Album and unlock with Touch ID or your passcode. If Hidden isn't there, turn on **Show Hidden Album** in Settings › Apps › Photos. - **Model:** iPad (A16) - **Released:** 2025 - **Unlock:** Touch ID in the top button - **Home button:** No - **iPadOS here:** iPadOS 18–26 - **Photos settings:** Settings › Apps › Photos Where it is ## Where the Hidden album is on iPad (A16) Pick the iPadOS version your iPad (A16) is on. Check it in Settings › General › About. iPadOS 26: **Tap:** Photos › Collections › Utilities › Hidden Locked. Opens with Touch ID or your passcode (Settings › Apps › Photos › Use Touch ID). Show or hide the album: Settings › Apps › Photos › Show Hidden Album. Hide photos with ••• › Hide. iPadOS 18: **Tap:** Photos › Sidebar › Utilities › Hidden Locked. Opens with Touch ID or your passcode (Settings › Apps › Photos › Use Touch ID). Show or hide the album: Settings › Apps › Photos › Show Hidden Album. Hide photos with ••• › Hide. 3 steps ## How to open the Hidden album on iPad (A16) 1. **Open Photos, then Collections.** Open **Photos** and tap **Collections**. If you don't see it, tap the sidebar button at the top left first. 2. **Tap Hidden under Utilities.** Tap **Hidden** below **Utilities**. 3. **Unlock with Touch ID.** Tap **View Album**, then use Touch ID or your iPad passcode. The lock ## Make sure Hidden locks with Touch ID On iPadOS 26 the lock is on by default. The switch is **Use Touch ID** in Settings › Apps › Photos. 1. **Open Settings › Apps › Photos.** Open **Settings**, tap **Apps**, then tap **Photos**. 2. **Turn on Use Touch ID.** Switch **Use Touch ID** on. It locks Hidden and Recently Deleted. An iPad without Touch ID set up shows **Use Passcode**. 3. **Test it.** Open Photos, tap **Hidden** under Utilities. It should ask you to unlock first. Use Touch ID also locks **Recently Deleted**. Your iPad (A16) passcode always opens both, so anyone who knows it gets in. Show or hide it ## Hide the Hidden album itself on iPad (A16) Turning off **Show Hidden Album** removes the album from Collections. Your photos stay hidden. 1. **Open Settings › Apps › Photos.** Open **Settings**, tap **Apps**, then tap **Photos**. 2. **Turn off Show Hidden Album.** Switch **Show Hidden Album** off. The album disappears from Photos; the photos stay hidden and nothing is deleted. Missing Hidden album? Same switch: turn **Show Hidden Album** back on and it returns under Utilities. 3 steps ## Add photos to Hidden on iPad (A16) 1. **Open the photo.** Open **Photos** and tap the photo or video you want to hide. You can also touch and hold it in the grid. 2. **Tap •••, then Hide.** Tap the **•••** button, then tap **Hide** and confirm. 3. **It moves to Hidden.** The photo leaves your library and goes to **Collections › Utilities › Hidden**, which opens with Touch ID or your passcode. Undo ## How to unhide photos on iPad (A16) 1. **Open Hidden.** Go to **Photos › Collections › Utilities › Hidden** and unlock it with Touch ID or your passcode. 2. **Pick the photos.** Tap a photo, or tap **Select** and choose several. 3. **Tap Unhide.** Tap the **•••** button, then **Unhide**. The photos go back to your library. With your iPhone ## iPad (A16) and your iPhone Hiding syncs through iCloud Photos; the lock is whatever unlocks the device in your hand. | Question | On iPad (A16) | | --- | --- | | Photos hidden on iPhone appear here | Yes, with iCloud Photos on both and the same Apple Account | | Unhiding here unhides on iPhone | Yes, with iCloud Photos | | Opens with | This iPad's Touch ID or passcode | | Album location | Photos › Collections › Utilities › Hidden | Privacy level ## How private is Hidden on iPad (A16)? Level 3Locked, plus app locking 1. Hidden, no lock 2. Locked by passcode 3. Locked + app lock 4. Own separate lock Level 4 needs a lock separate from your iPad (A16) passcode. Our app VaultForYou does that on iPhone only; it has no iPad version. - **Out of your library**Moved to Hidden - **Album locked**Touch ID or passcode - **Photos app lock**Require Touch ID - **Separate password**Passcode opens it Did you find the Hidden album on your iPad (A16)? Good. People usually do this next: - [Make sure it locksCheck Use Touch ID](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/lock-hidden-album-iphone/) - [Is it on my other devices?How iCloud syncs hidden photos](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-photos-icloud/) - [Give it its own passwordWhat works instead](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-password/) Find your fix: - [No Hidden row at allTurn on Show Hidden Album](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-missing/) - [Album is emptyWhere your photos went](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-empty/) - [General iPad stepsSidebar › Utilities › Hidden](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-ipad/) Questions ## iPad (A16) Hidden album questions ### Where is the Hidden album on iPad (A16)? With iPadOS 26, open Photos, tap Collections, then tap Hidden below Utilities. Tap View Album and unlock it with Touch ID or your iPad passcode. Recently Deleted sits in the same Utilities group, behind the same lock, and the sidebar button at the top left shows the full list. ### Can I lock the Hidden album on iPad (A16)? Yes. It is locked by default on iPadOS 16 and later. To check, open Settings › Apps › Photos and make sure Use Touch ID is on. Anyone who knows your iPad passcode can still open it, because the passcode always works in place of Touch ID. ### Why can't I see the Hidden album on my iPad (A16)? The Show Hidden Album switch is off. Open Settings › Apps › Photos and turn it on, then look under Utilities in Collections again. Turning the switch off never deletes anything; the photos stay hidden until you unhide them. If the switch is already on, check that the photos weren't unhidden or deleted on another device. ### What is the newest iPadOS for iPad (A16)? iPad (A16) runs iPadOS 26, the newest version this guide covers. On it, Hidden is under Collections › Utilities. Check your version in Settings › General › About, and look for later releases in Settings › General › Software Update. ### Do my iPhone's hidden photos show on iPad (A16)? Yes, if both use iCloud Photos with the same Apple Account. A photo hidden on your iPhone is hidden on the iPad too, and appears in its Hidden album. On this iPad the album opens with its own Touch ID or passcode. ## Same steps as iPad (A16) - [iPad (10th generation)2022 · Touch ID in the top button](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-10th-generation/) - [iPad mini (6th generation)2021 · Touch ID in the top button](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-mini-6th-generation/) - [iPad mini (A17 Pro)2024 · Touch ID in the top button](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-mini-a17-pro/) - [iPad Air (4th generation)2020 · Touch ID in the top button](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-air-4th-generation/) - [iPad Air (5th generation)2022 · Touch ID in the top button](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-air-5th-generation/) - [iPad Air 11-inch (M2)2024 · Touch ID in the top button](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-air-11-inch-m2/) ## Other iPad models - [iPad (9th generation)2021 · iPadOS 26](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-9th-generation/) - [iPad (8th generation)2020 · iPadOS 26](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-8th-generation/) - [iPad (7th generation)2019 · iPadOS 18](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-7th-generation/) - [iPad (6th generation)2018 · iPadOS 17](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/ipad-6th-generation/) ## Same change on iPhone - [Hidden album on iOS 26iPhone steps](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ios/ios-26/) - [Every iPad model](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/ipad/) - [Where is the Hidden album on iPad?](https://hiddenalbumiphone.com/guides/hidden-album-ipad/)