Check which apps can access your iPhone photos
Review photo permissions in Settings, give apps selected photos where offered and use the App Privacy Report to check activity.
Open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then tap Photos. You will find each app that asked for access, and you can change its level. Where an app supports it, grant access to selected photos instead of your full library, and turn off access for apps you no longer use.
Every app you have let into your library is a possible way for private pictures to leave your phone. Most of them behave. You may still have granted access in a hurry years ago, to a photo editor you used once or a social app you have since abandoned. Reviewing them takes about five minutes.
Review the list
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Photos.
The list shows apps that requested access. Tap one to change its access. Labels vary by iOS version.
Work down the list with one question in mind: does this app need to read my photos for the reason I use it? A video chat app probably does not need your whole library.
Choose the narrowest access
When an app first asks, iOS gives you a choice about access. Apple’s developer documentation describes a limited state, in which you authorize only selected photos. Where it is available, this is a good default:
- A photo printing app gets the ten pictures you are printing.
- A social app gets the post you are making, and nothing else.
Some apps ask again whenever you try to add a new photo. Others let you adjust your selection from Settings. That small annoyance comes in exchange for keeping the rest of your library out of the app.
Check what apps do with access
App Privacy Report shows how apps use the permissions you gave them, along with their network activity.
- Go to Settings, then Privacy & Security.
- Tap App Privacy Report and turn it on.
- Come back after a few days of normal use.
If an app you barely open keeps showing activity, it deserves a closer look. To remove the report and its data, tap Turn Off App Privacy Report on the same screen.
Remove the app altogether
Deleting an app removes it and its data from your iPhone. It does not pull back anything the app already uploaded to its own servers. For that, check the company’s account settings or privacy policy, and look for a way to delete your account.
Use Safety Check for a full review
Safety Check is in Settings under Privacy & Security. Tap Manage Sharing & Access, then review apps one at a time. You can stop any app’s access to the information it has. Apple built it for people worried about their personal safety, and anyone can use it for a thorough tidy-up. It requires iOS 16 or later and an Apple Account with two-factor authentication.
Limits of photo permissions
Photo permissions govern apps. They have no effect on a person holding your unlocked phone, and they do not change who can open iCloud. For those, see locking photos and the Hidden album and iCloud.
Permissions also say nothing about what a photo reveals when you do share it. A picture you hand to an app can include its location, so read the EXIF and location guide before you post.
Frequently asked questions
Can an app with full access see my hidden photos?
We could not confirm this from Apple's support pages, so we do not state an answer. If it matters, treat an app with full access as one that may be able to read more than you expect, and limit it.
How do I see what an app has been doing with my photos?
Turn on App Privacy Report in Settings under Privacy & Security. It shows how apps use the permissions you granted and their network activity.
Can I remove all permissions at once?
Safety Check, in Settings under Privacy & Security, can review or reset system privacy permissions for apps. Its Emergency Reset stops sharing with all people and apps at once, so think about what that might interrupt.