How to Hide Videos on Mac: Photos, Finder and Apps

Steps use macOS 14 and later names. Menu wording can differ slightly between versions.

Where is the video?

The method depends on where the video lives. A video in the Photos app and a video file in a Finder folder need different tools.

Hide a video in the Photos app

1. Select the video

   Open Photos, click Library in the sidebar and select the video. Apple uses the same steps for photos and videos.

2. Hide it

   Choose Image > Hide Photo, then click Hide. Apple says the video disappears from view and is not deleted.

3. Show the Hidden album

   Choose View > Show Hidden Photo Album. Then click Hidden under Utilities in the sidebar.

4. Unlock it

   Click View Album and unlock with Touch ID or your login password.

5. Unhide if you change your mind

   Control-click the video and choose Unhide Photo.

Apple says that with iCloud Photos on, items you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too. The video stays in your library and keeps using storage. The lock stops a quick look and nothing more. See Hidden album vs a vault.

Check that it worked. Open Library and look for the video. Apple says hidden items no longer appear in the Library or in other albums. Hiding does not recall copies that you already sent to someone else.

Hide a video on an iPhone

1. Open Photos, tap and hold the video, tap Hide and confirm.
2. To find it later, tap Collections, scroll to Utilities and tap Hidden.
3. Tap View Album and unlock with Face ID or Touch ID.

Hide a video file in Finder

Finder has no hide command for files in its right-click menu. Terminal can set the hidden flag:

chflags hidden ~/Movies/holiday.mov
chflags nohidden ~/Movies/holiday.mov

The video vanishes from Finder windows. Anyone who presses ⌘⇧. in a Finder window sees it again, and the file is not encrypted. The pages hide files on Mac and hidden folder on Mac cover the details.

Make the video unreadable, not only hidden

If someone else uses your Mac, or knows your login password, hiding is not enough. Put the video in an encrypted container. An encrypted disk image from Disk Utility is built in. Follow how to password protect a folder on Mac, or build a private photo vault that also holds videos. Then close the leaks:

• The original. Moving a copy leaves the first file behind. Delete it. In Photos, Apple says deleted items stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.
• Old backups. A Time Machine backup made before you encrypted the video still holds it in plain form.
• A mounted image. An open image is readable. Eject it when you finish.

Apps that hide videos: what to check

Most apps that hide videos are made for phones. Some encrypt the file. Some only move it behind a PIN. The name in the app store does not tell you which, so check:

1. Does the app's own site name the encryption method?
2. Does it say how it plays a video without leaving a plain copy in storage? Look for a statement, not a slogan.
3. Can you get back in after you forget the PIN, and who can reset it?
4. Is a disguise, such as a calculator icon, the only protection? A disguise hides the app, not the files.

The full checklist is in the photo vault guide. For video-specific tips see video vault apps. This site does not rank apps.

Where Hidden Folder fits