The direct answer
Move private photos and videos out of Photos and into a vault with its own passcode, delete the originals including from Recently Deleted, and turn on auto-lock so the vault never stays open. The phone stays a phone your kid can use. The vault stays closed.
Why the Hidden album is not enough
The Hidden album needs Face ID, and children learn the passcode fallback quickly, or are handed the phone already unlocked. Hidden photos also still appear in the Hidden album on any family device signed in to your Apple Account with iCloud Photos on.
What to do now
- Import the private items into Kryptis. Turn on Auto-Delete Media After Import if you want the originals removed as you go.
- In Photos, empty Recently Deleted.
- In Kryptis, set Auto-Lock to the shortest interval you can live with, and leave Face ID unlock off if your child's face is enrolled.
- Turn on Facedown Lock so handing the phone over face down closes the vault.
- Consider the private camera for anything new, so it never touches Photos at all.
What not to rely on
A calculator icon or a hidden app. A curious kid taps everything, and a fake calculator is more interesting, not less. What protects the files is that the vault does not open without a passcode they do not have.
What Kryptis covers
The files are encrypted on the phone. The vault has its own passcode. Intruder Alerts shows you if a code was tried, and with camera access, who tried it.
What Kryptis does not solve
The conversation, if there needs to be one. A vault means the next time is not a matter of luck.
