4 Ways for How to Find Hidden Files on iPhone

Posted to iPhone Data Recovery Tips by Robert on Jan 5, 2024 | Approved by Jennifer Allen

You can have hidden files on your phone for various reasons, and it could be both intentional and unintentional. However, while it does not necessarily bother people for the most part, sometimes you need to see hidden things on your phone, and you should be aware of how you can do that. If you want to know how to find hidden files on iPhone 12 or other variants for that matter, you have come to the right place. We will be discussing multiple areas of your phone where you can have hidden content and how you can unhide data in each of them.

However, before we can start discussing how to find hidden files on an iPhone, we are going to share some common reasons why they are hidden. Each of them has a different application and you might find at least one or two that apply to your specific situation.

Each of these reasons relates to a certain type of file and some can be applicable to multiple or all files as well. Whether your specific situation is among these or entirely different, if you want to know how to find hidden files on iPhone 12 and other models, keep reading. We will be sharing multiple methods so you can use the one you find the most convenient and effective.

1. How to Unhide Hidden Files on iPhone Quickly

For most people, the best option would be to opt for a solution that teaches them how to find hidden files on an iPhone in the least possible steps. That is why we are sharing a tool that can help you do exactly that with you. The tool in question is iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery, a software that can let you find your files in three easy steps.

What makes iBeesoft iPhone Data recovery a great option for anyone asking, where are hidden files on iPhone is its easy use and efficiency. The software can automatically find all the files on your phone including hidden ones and display them for you to recover with ease. You can use it to find a wide range of files including photos, videos, messages, voice memos, third-party app data, and even more.

This means you can get your hands on pretty much anything you want as long as you know what type of data it is. Before starting the process, you will need to make sure that iBeesoft iPhone Data Recovery is installed and running on your computer. Once it is ready for use, all you need to do is follow these steps:

  1. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable. You will see the software asking you to do this once you open it.
  2. After you connect your phone, you should be able to see it listed on the screen along with a "Scan" button showing next to it. Press the button to begin a scan of your phone’s file system.
  3. On the next screen, you can see all the data that the software has identified on your phone’s storage and show it to you in a categorized manner. Select the files and folders that you need to retrieve here and then click on the "Recover" button on the bottom right side of the window.

At this point, the best iPhone data recovery software will save the files to your computer so you can use them later, however you see fit. You can find out where are hidden files on iPhone for all models going all the way back to iPhone 4! The software also supports the latest iOS version (15) and covers older versions back to iOS 7. This way can also recover photos after factory reset iPhone without backup.

2. How to Find Hidden Photos and Albums on iPhone

Photos and albums are among the most commonly hidden file types on any iPhone out there. People want to keep all kinds of photos and videos private, especially when there are prying eyes around them. However, the need to retrieve those hidden photos and albums can come up at any time and you should know how to unhide hidden files on iPhone, especially photos and albums. To do this, you will need to take different steps, depending on whether you want to unhide photos or albums. The following steps will be applicable when unhiding photos:

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone and tap on the "Albums" tab on the bottom.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom and tap on the "Hidden" option under "Utilities".
  3. You will find a folder containing all the hidden photos and videos. Long press and select all the photos and videos you want to unhide.
  4. Press on the "share" icon on the bottom left of the screen and in the menu that pops up, select the "Unhide" option to recover hidden photos on iPhone.

The photos and videos you chose to unhide should not be visible in their respective locations in the gallery according to their date and time of capture. To unhide albums on your iPhone, you will follow these steps:

  1. Open the "Settings" app and go to the "Photos" tab.
  2. Here, you can scroll down until you find the option to turn off the "Hidden Album" option. This will remove all files from the Hidden Album and release them into the normal photos and videos folder.

As you can see, the process of unhiding any album is present in the settings menu. However, if you wish to access hidden files on iPhone album, you will need to go back to the Photos app and find it under "Utilities" in the Album tab.

3. How to Find Hidden Messages on iPhone

It is quite common for people to allow their iPhones to filter out messages that are not sent from people in their contacts list. However, there often comes a moment when you need to view certain messages from people or organizations that are not added to your contacts list. If you wish to find those messages, you will need to follow these steps:

  1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap on the "Filters" text on the top left part of the app.
  3. In the next screen, tap on the "Unknown Senders" tab.

The screen that comes up will be a list of all the messages that you have received from Unknown Senders. However, if you do not wish to continue this segregation and want to see all the messages in your main list, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the "Settings" app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and find the "Messages" tab and tap on it to open.
  3. Scroll down again until you find the "Filter Unknown Senders" radio button.
  4. Turn off the button if it is turned on.

Doing this should move all your messages to the main list on your Messages app.

4. How to Find Hidden Contacts on iPhone

One thing that commonly comes up when people ask how to find secret files on iPhone is contacts. Depending on who is asking, it could also be for something malicious. However, as the owner of the phone, this should be a fairly simple process for you. You can access hidden files on iPhone for your contacts from two different sides. Each of these is given below.

Using the Contacts app:

  1. Open the Contacts app.
  2. Tap on "Contacts" on the bottom bar of the app.
  3. Tap on Groups in the top-left corner of the next screen.
  4. Tap on the "Show All Contacts" option and then tap on Done.

Using the Settings app:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down to the "Contacts" tab and then open "Groups".
  3. Tap on the "Show All Contacts" option and then tap on Done.

Both these steps are the same and give you access to the same setting, only from a different location on your iPhone. We hope that you found this guide useful and would use the methods shared here now that you know how to find secret files on your iPhone.