How to Make a Private Photo Vault on a Mac

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

Build the vault with Disk Utility

1. Open Disk Utility

   Press ⌘Space, type Disk Utility and press Return.

2. Create a blank image

   Choose File > New Image > Blank Image…

3. Set the options

   Name it, for example Photos Vault. Choose a size with room to spare. Use APFS for the format, 256-bit AES encryption for Encryption, and sparse bundle disk image for Image Format. Apple describes a sparse bundle as a read/write image that grows with the data in it.

4. Pick the partition layout

   Apple's settings for a secure image list Single partition - GUID Partition Map for Partitions.

5. Choose a password

   Enter it twice. Store it in a password manager or on paper. Untick any option that saves it to your keychain. Apple warns that if you forget the password, you cannot open the image or view its files.

6. Save

   Pick a location and click Save. You get a .sparsebundle.

7. Use it

   Double-click the image and enter the password. It appears as a drive. Drag photos in. Eject it when done. Apple warns that while the image is mounted, anyone with access to your computer can use the files in it.

8. Check before you delete anything

   Eject the image, double-click it again, enter the password and open a few photos. Only then delete the originals.

Optional: keep a separate Photos library inside

Quit Photos, hold Option and click the Photos icon in the Applications folder or the Dock. Click Create New in the Choose Library dialog, then choose the mounted image as the place to store it. The library is encrypted while the image is ejected. This works when the image uses APFS or Mac OS Extended. Apple says only the System Photo Library uploads to iCloud, so this second library does not upload. To open it later, mount the image, hold Option while you open Photos and pick it. If it is not listed, click Other Library and browse to it.

The leaks people miss

Test that the vault works

1. Eject the image. It should leave the Finder sidebar and the desktop.
2. Double-click the .sparsebundle. It must ask for the password. If it opens without asking, the password is in your keychain. Make a new image with that option off, then copy the photos across.
3. With the image ejected, search Finder and Spotlight for the name of a photo you moved in. Nothing should match outside the image.
4. Hash one photo with the file hash tool before you move it. Hash the copy inside the image. The values should match.
5. Open Photos and look in Recently Deleted. Your deleted originals should be gone or inside the 30-day window.

When something goes wrong

• The image will not open. Check Caps Lock and your keyboard layout, then try again. If you forgot the password, Apple warns that you cannot open the image. Read what recovery is possible.
• Photos cannot find the library. Mount the image first. Hold Option while you open Photos, then choose the library. If it is not listed, click Other Library and browse to it.
• You left the image mounted. Eject it now. In System Settings > Lock Screen, shorten the setting named "Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off".
• The image sits in a synced folder. Let the sync finish before you copy or move it. Read encrypt files before cloud sync.

Who this vault protects against, and who it does not

• Protects: a person using your Mac while the image is ejected, and someone who copies your disk or backup without the password.
• Does not protect: anyone at your Mac while the image is mounted, or anyone who already knows the password. Malware that records your typing is also out of reach.
• Does not cover: the copies you left in Photos, iCloud, AirDrop or Messages. Read photos you do not want in iCloud and where to store private photos safely.
• A partner who knows your Mac password can open the Hidden album but not an ejected image. See the partner scenario.

What a purpose-built vault changes