As the creator of Punge, an app that scans your device for sensitive (NSFW) images entirely on-device, I'm often asked the same question: once these images are identified, how can they be safely protected?
Many users want to ensure that if someone unlocks their phone, those images can't be casually viewed. The good news? Apple's built-in Hidden album provides Face ID protection. But there's a workflow you need to understand first.
Here's something critical about Punge (and all third-party apps): we cannot access your Hidden album. This is by design — iOS intentionally restricts third-party apps from touching photos you've already chosen to hide.
This means Punge can't:
This restriction protects your privacy, but it also means you need to use a specific workflow to safely identify and hide sensitive images.
Many users assume that hiding a photo creates a secure, encrypted vault. In reality, the Hidden album is a UI-level privacy feature, not a separate encrypted container.
When you move a photo to the Hidden album:
This is a convenience feature, not a secure vault. But when combined with Face ID, it provides practical protection against casual snooping.
Here's how to use Punge and Apple's Hidden album together to protect your sensitive images:
Open Punge and start a scan. The app will analyze your photo library entirely on-device using AI to detect potentially sensitive (NSFW) images.
Important: Punge can only scan photos that are NOT already hidden. If you've previously hidden images, they won't appear in Punge's scan.
After the scan completes:
This creates an actual album in your iPhone's Photos library to organize which images you want to hide. These images are still visible in your Photos app — they're not hidden yet, just organized into an album.
Note: Moving photos into an album doesn't hide them. Until you hide them, these photos still appear in Recents and anywhere else they already showed up, such as Memories and Favorites.
Now comes the critical step that only you can perform:
On some older iOS versions, Hide is in the share menu instead. To make sure the Hidden album asks for Face ID, check that Use Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode) is turned on in Settings → Photos (Settings → Apps → Photos on iOS 18 and later).
Once hidden, these photos:
This is the only way to move photos into the Hidden album — iOS requires you to do it manually through the Photos app or share sheet. No third-party app can do this for you.
If you delete a photo instead of hiding it, it isn't gone right away. iOS keeps deleted photos in the Recently Deleted album for up to 30 days before removing them for good.
To remove them permanently:
This workflow gives you:
Most importantly, it respects both Apple's privacy boundaries and your agency. Punge doesn't try to bypass iOS restrictions. Instead, it works with Apple's privacy tools to give you the best of both worlds: intelligent detection and secure protection.
Privacy isn't just about locking things away — it's about understanding how the systems work and using them intentionally.
Punge can't access your Hidden album, and that's a good thing. It means iOS is protecting your already-hidden photos from all third-party apps, including ours. But by following this simple workflow, you can combine AI-powered detection with Apple's biometric security to keep your most sensitive images safe from prying eyes.
Detect with AI. Decide manually. Protect with Face ID.
That's the balance.