# VaultBolt — full site text Source: https://vaultbolt.app/ · Generated 2026-11-02 · English ## Fact sheet - Product: VaultBolt, an encrypted photo, video and file vault app - Platforms: iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 or later). Android is planned later. - Availability: iPhone and iPad, on the App Store. An interactive demo runs in any browser at /demo/. - Encryption: AES-256-GCM on the device for every file, thumbnail and the vault index; keys derived with Argon2id plus a Secure Enclave secret. - Account: None. No email, phone number or sign-up. Purchases go through Apple. - Ads and tracking: No ads on any plan; anonymous analytics are opt-in. - Unique features: On-device private photo scan; zero-copies clean-up of originals, Recently Deleted and iCloud Photos. - Protection under pressure: Hidden vaults, decoy vault and duress code (Pro), intruder photo (Pro). - Backup and recovery: Encrypted backup to the user's private iCloud on every plan; 12-word BIP-39 recovery phrase. - Free plan: Up to 3 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos, with scan, clean-up, encryption and backup. - Pro pricing (US): $3.99 per month, $17.99 per year (7-day free trial) or $37.99 once. - Family pricing (US): $47.99 per year or $97.99 once, up to 6 people with Family Sharing. - On the roadmap: Secure sharing with view-once and expiry, stealth mode, on-device AI search, knock unlock. - Closest alternatives: Vaultaire, Keepsafe, Private Photo Vault, Obscura, Encamera and Apple's Hidden album. - Website: https://vaultbolt.app/ ## FAQ ### What is VaultBolt? VaultBolt is a private photo, video and file vault for iPhone and iPad. It finds private photos on your device, encrypts them with AES-256-GCM as they enter the vault, and helps you delete every leftover copy. There is no account and no ads. ### Is VaultBolt free? Yes. The free plan includes up to 3 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos, the private photo scan, zero-copies clean-up, encrypted iCloud backup and a recovery phrase. Pro unlocks unlimited items, decoy and duress vaults, intruder photos and iPad sync. ### Can VaultBolt see my photos? No. Files are encrypted on your iPhone with keys derived from your unlock and the Secure Enclave. There is no VaultBolt account and no copy of your keys on any server, so we cannot open your vault. ### How is VaultBolt different from the iPhone Hidden album? The Hidden album moves photos out of the main grid but keeps them in Photos, where anyone who knows your passcode can open them. VaultBolt stores items in a separate encrypted vault with its own unlock, decoy options and a clean-up that leaves no copies in Photos. ### What happens if I forget my code? Use your 12-word recovery phrase to set a new unlock. Keep the phrase somewhere safe and away from your phone: without it, nobody, including VaultBolt, can recover the vault. ### What if someone forces me to open the app? On Pro, a decoy code opens a vault of harmless photos. A duress code also removes your real vault's keys from the phone, silently, while your encrypted backup stays for later. ### Does VaultBolt back up my vault? Yes, on every plan. Your vault is encrypted on the device and backed up to your own private iCloud. Restore on a new iPhone with your recovery phrase. ### Does VaultBolt work on iPad? Yes. VaultBolt is built for iPhone and iPad, and Pro keeps the same vault in sync across both through your iCloud, encrypted end to end. ### Where can I download VaultBolt? VaultBolt is for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. You can also try the interactive demo vault in your browser first. ### Is there a free trial of Pro? Pro Yearly and Family Yearly come with a 7-day free trial. Lifetime is a one-time purchase with no trial. ### What happens to my files if Pro ends? Nothing is deleted. Items above the free limit stay readable and exportable; you just cannot add more until you are back under the limit or renew. Decoy and duress keep working, so a lapse never weakens your safety. ### Is there a weekly plan? No. VaultBolt has no weekly plan. Choose monthly, yearly or a one-time lifetime purchase. ### How does Family work? Family uses Apple Family Sharing for up to six people. Everyone gets Pro, and each person's vault stays private to them. ### Do prices vary by country? Yes. Prices shown are planned US prices; the App Store sets local prices in each country. ### I forgot my unlock. Can support reset it? No. Nobody at VaultBolt can open or reset a vault. Use your 12-word recovery phrase on the unlock screen to set a new unlock. ### How do I move to a new iPhone? Make sure encrypted iCloud backup has finished on the old phone, install VaultBolt on the new one, choose Restore and enter your recovery phrase. ### How do I restore purchases? Open Settings, Subscription, Restore purchases. Purchases are tied to your Apple Account. ### How do I export everything? Settings, Export all writes your files back to Files or Photos, with location stripped by default. ### How do I report a security issue? Use Help, Contact in the app and choose Security. A public security contact and disclosure policy will be published with the App Store release. Never send personal photos or your recovery phrase. ## Security model ### Every file is encrypted on your iPhone VaultBolt seals file content, thumbnails and the vault index with AES-256-GCM authenticated encryption before anything is written to storage. Authentication means tampering or corruption is detected rather than silently accepted. Large videos are sealed in chunks so they can stream without decrypting the whole file. ### Your unlock protects a random vault key Each vault has a random 256-bit vault key. Your pattern, PIN or passphrase runs through Argon2id, a memory-hard key derivation function, combined with a secret held by the Secure Enclave, to produce a key that wraps the vault key. A stolen disk image cannot be brute-forced on a fast computer, because part of the key never leaves the device's secure hardware. ### Recovery is in your hands A 12-word BIP-39 recovery phrase derives a separate 128-bit recovery key that can unwrap the vault key. VaultBolt never stores it. Keep it on paper, away from the phone. Anyone with the phrase may be able to restore the vault; losing both the phrase and your unlock means nobody can. ### Backups and shares carry only ciphertext Encrypted backup goes to your private iCloud database. Planned sharing uses end-to-end encryption with the key in the link fragment or a phrase, never on our relay. Apple and VaultBolt can see that encrypted data exists and its size, not what it contains. ### Hidden, decoy and duress vaults VaultBolt tries every unlock slot in the same constant time, so a decoy or duress code looks exactly like a normal unlock. No screen lists or counts other vaults. A duress code removes the main vault's keys from the device within two seconds. ### Locked means locked Keys are dropped from memory when the app locks or goes to the background. The app-switcher shows a cover, screen recording is masked, and copied items are cleared from the clipboard. Limits: - Storage usage can hint that more data exists than the open vault shows. - Duress removes data on this device only; encrypted backups remain so you can restore later. - Nobody can prevent screenshots or photos of the screen. VaultBolt detects screenshots and tells you. - If you forget both your unlock and your recovery phrase, the data is gone. VaultBolt cannot recover it. - An independent security audit and a public whitepaper are planned before public launch. ## Features ### Private photo scan (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/private-photo-scan/ Most vault apps make you hunt for every private photo by hand. VaultBolt scans your library on the iPhone, groups what looks sensitive and lets you decide what to move. Nothing is uploaded, and it works in airplane mode. - Allow Photos access: Full access gives the best results. Limited access works too; the scan only sees the photos you share. - Watch the radar: The scan runs on the device with Apple's frameworks. Blips show progress without ever showing a thumbnail to people nearby. - Review each group: Results are grouped as intimate, documents and IDs, cards, and screenshots, with blurred previews. Tap Not private for anything the scan got wrong. - Move, don't copy: Selected items are encrypted into your vault, then the clean-up removes the originals. - Runs on your iPhone, offline: Classification uses on-device models. No image, label or count leaves the phone, and you can prove it by turning on airplane mode before the scan. - Built to be fast: The scan is designed to process more than a thousand photos a minute on a recent iPhone, with live counts per category. - You stay in control: The scan never moves or deletes anything by itself. You review every group and choose what goes into the vault. - Limit: Detection is not perfect: expect some false positives and misses, and review results before moving. - Limit: On the free plan the scan finds everything but moves up to the free limit (100 photos and 10 videos in total). ### Zero-copies clean-up (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/zero-copies-cleanup/ Copying a photo into a vault leaves the original in your camera roll, then in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days, and possibly in iCloud Photos. VaultBolt's clean-up walks through every place a copy can hide and confirms when there are none left. - Delete the originals: After items are safely encrypted, VaultBolt asks iOS to delete the originals from Photos in one confirmation. - Empty Recently Deleted: iOS keeps deleted photos for up to 30 days. VaultBolt shows you exactly where to clear them. - Check iCloud Photos: If iCloud Photos is on, deletion syncs to your other devices. VaultBolt explains what that means before you confirm. - See the confirmation: A clear '0 copies left' screen tells you the move is complete. - Safety first: Originals are deleted only after the encrypted copy has been written and verified, so a crash or a full disk never loses a photo. - Other apps too: A checklist covers places VaultBolt cannot reach for you, such as WhatsApp media auto-saved to Photos, shared albums and other cloud apps. - Run it again any time: Settings keeps a clean-up checklist you can re-run after importing more files. - Limit: iOS requires your confirmation to delete photos; no app can do it silently. - Limit: VaultBolt cannot delete copies held in other apps, other people's phones or third-party clouds; the checklist reminds you where to look. ### Encrypted on your iPhone (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/encryption/ Many 'vault' apps only hide files behind a PIN screen. VaultBolt encrypts each item before it is written to storage, encrypts the index of names and folders too, and never sends a key to anyone, including us. - Your unlock becomes a key: Your PIN, pattern or passphrase runs through Argon2id, a memory-hard function that makes guessing slow, mixed with a secret from the Secure Enclave. - That key unlocks the vault key: A random 256-bit vault key is wrapped by your unlock key, so changing your PIN never re-encrypts your library. - Each file gets its own key: Files are sealed in chunks with AES-256-GCM, so damage or tampering is detected and large videos stream without decrypting everything. - Locking forgets the keys: When the app locks or goes to the background, keys are dropped from memory. - Names and folders are encrypted too: The vault index, thumbnails and metadata are encrypted, so a copy of the app's storage reveals no filenames or albums. - Bound to your device: A secret held by the Secure Enclave is part of the key, so a stolen disk image cannot be brute-forced on a fast computer. - No back door: There is no master key and no account. Support cannot open your vault, which is why your recovery phrase matters. - Limit: Encryption protects stored files, not a file you have opened on screen. - Limit: A short PIN is weaker than a passphrase against someone with your unlocked, jailbroken device. - Limit: An independent audit and public whitepaper are planned before launch. ### Unlock your way (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/unlock-options/ People protect a vault differently. Some want a quick glance with Face ID, others a long passphrase nobody can guess. VaultBolt lets you choose, and always keeps a non-biometric secret underneath. - Pick a method: Pattern, PIN or passphrase during setup, with a live strength hint. - Add Face ID if you want: Biometrics are optional and sit on top of your secret, never instead of it. - Wrong guesses slow down: Repeated wrong attempts add growing delays, and on Pro the front camera can take an intruder photo. - Separate from your iPhone passcode: Someone who knows your phone's passcode still cannot open your vault. - Face ID and duress: If you set a duress code, VaultBolt explains why you may want Face ID off: a face can be held up to a phone, a code cannot be forced as easily. - Coming later: Knock unlock (a private tap rhythm) and Face ID plus a secret gesture are planned for Pro. - Limit: A 4-digit PIN is quick but easier to guess than a long passphrase. - Limit: Biometrics can be used against you if someone holds the phone to your face. ### Each vault, its own pattern (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/hidden-vaults/ Keep personal memories, work documents and travel papers apart. Each vault opens with its own pattern, PIN or passphrase and has its own recovery phrase. There is no vault list: what you draw decides what opens. - Create a vault: Give it its own pattern, PIN or passphrase and its own recovery phrase. - Unlock opens only that vault: There is no vault picker. What you enter decides what opens. - Counts stay local: Every count and storage figure covers only the vault that is open now. - No tell-tale numbers: Settings, the plan card and storage screens never total across vaults, so nobody can spot a gap. - Independent recovery: Each vault restores with its own phrase. Entering one phrase never names another vault. - Up to 3 on free: Free includes up to 3 vaults; Pro is unlimited. - Limit: Someone with forensic access to the phone's storage may estimate that more data exists than the open vault shows. ### Decoy vault and duress code (Pro, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/duress-mode/ A decoy vault holds ordinary photos you are happy to show. A duress code goes further: it opens the decoy and quietly removes your main vault's keys from this iPhone, while your encrypted backup stays so you can restore later. - Fill a decoy vault: Add ordinary photos so it looks used. You can even capture straight into it with the private camera. - Set a duress code: Choose a code that is easy to give under pressure and different from your real one. - Under pressure, enter it: The decoy opens exactly like a normal unlock. In the background, the main vault's keys are removed from this device within two seconds. - Restore when you are safe: Use your recovery phrase to bring the main vault back from your encrypted iCloud backup. - Looks completely normal: No confirmation dialog, no delay and no message. Timing and animation are identical to a normal unlock. - Never weakened by billing: If Pro lapses, an existing decoy and duress code keep working, so a missed payment never reduces your safety. - Planned for Pro: A silent duress alert to a trusted contact and a 'living decoy' that fills itself with harmless photos are on the roadmap. - Limit: Duress removes data on this device only; encrypted cloud backups remain by design. - Limit: A skilled examiner may notice that storage was recently freed. - Limit: Know your local laws: refusing or misleading officials can have legal consequences in some places. ### Intruder photo (Pro, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/intruder-selfie/ After wrong attempts, VaultBolt Pro silently captures a front-camera photo and records the time. The intruder log lives inside your encrypted vault, so only you can see it. - Turn it on in Security: Choose after how many wrong attempts a photo is taken. - Someone guesses wrong: The camera captures silently; the lock screen looks unchanged. - You see it after unlocking: A banner shows the attempt, with the photo and time in the intruder log. - Stored encrypted: Intruder photos are sealed into the vault like any other file. - Free teaser: On the free plan you still see 'Someone tried to open your vault', without the photo. - Alerts to another device: Sending an intruder alert to your iPad or another device is planned. - Limit: The camera needs a clear view of the face; covers and low light reduce results. ### Private camera and document scanner (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/private-camera/ Photos taken with the regular Camera app land in your library first, then need moving and cleaning up. VaultBolt's private camera encrypts as it captures, so there is never an original to delete. - Open the camera from the vault: Tap + and choose Camera, or Scan document for papers and IDs. - Capture: Photos stay in memory and are sealed before they are written. Video is encrypted in one-second segments as it records. - Done: The item appears in your vault. Nothing was saved to Photos. - No location added: The private camera adds no GPS and never asks for location permission. - Interruptions handled: A call, backgrounding or a full disk stops recording and seals what was captured within a second. - Document mode: Scan receipts, IDs and contracts into an encrypted PDF, with temporary files swept after every scan. - Limit: Live Photos are off in the private camera because iOS would write a plain movie file. ### Encrypted iCloud backup (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/encrypted-icloud-backup/ Losing a phone should not mean losing your vault. VaultBolt backs up to your own private iCloud database, but only after everything is encrypted on the device. Apple, VaultBolt and anyone with access to the cloud see ciphertext. - Encrypted before upload: Files and the index are already encrypted; backup adds nothing readable. - Stored in your iCloud: Backups go to your private CloudKit database, counted against your own iCloud storage. - Restore with your phrase: On a new iPhone, enter your 12-word recovery phrase and each vault restores with progress. - Included free: Encrypted backup is on every plan, including free. - Clear status: See the last backup time, storage used and any problem, such as a full iCloud, in plain language. - More destinations later: Google Drive and Dropbox backup are planned for a later phase. - Limit: You need iCloud space and your Apple Account to back up. - Limit: Without your recovery phrase, a backup cannot be decrypted by anyone. ### Recovery phrase (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/recovery-phrase/ Accounts and email resets create a way in for other people. VaultBolt gives you a 12-word recovery phrase instead. Write it down once, keep it away from your phone, and you can always get back in. - Write down 12 words: Shown once at setup, using the standard BIP-39 word list with a checksum. - Confirm three of them: A quick check makes sure you wrote them down correctly. - Use it when needed: Forgot your unlock, or set up a new iPhone? Enter the phrase and set a new unlock. - No account needed: There is no email reset and no support override. Only the phrase can recover the vault. - Periodic reminders: VaultBolt occasionally asks you to check your phrase so you notice a lost note before you need it. - One phrase per vault: Each vault has its own phrase; one never reveals another. - Limit: Anyone who gets your phrase may be able to restore your vault. Keep it offline and private. - Limit: Lose both your unlock and your phrase, and the vault cannot be recovered by anyone. ### iPhone and iPad sync (Pro, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/device-sync/ VaultBolt is built for both screens. Pro keeps your vault in sync between iPhone and iPad through your own iCloud, encrypted end to end, and iPad gets a sidebar, drag and drop and keyboard shortcuts. - Install on both devices: Sign in to the same Apple Account. - Pair securely: Approve the new device and compare a short safety code. - Changes follow you: Additions and deletions sync as ciphertext. - Made for iPad: Sidebar for vaults and folders, split view, Stage Manager and drag and drop from Files. - Free still backs up: Free plans get encrypted backup and restore; live sync between devices is Pro. - Limit: Sync uses your iCloud storage and needs a network connection. ### Quick exit and screen privacy (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/quick-exit/ Privacy is often about the next three seconds. Flip the phone face down or give it a shake and VaultBolt locks. The app switcher never shows your photos, and if a screenshot is taken inside your vault, you are told straight away. - Flip or shake: Turn on quick exit and choose the gesture. - Auto-lock: Lock immediately on leaving the app, or after a delay you choose. - Screenshot alert: If a screenshot is saved to Photos while your vault is open, a banner offers to delete it. - App-switcher cover: The preview in the app switcher shows a neutral cover, never your content. - Recording and mirroring: When the screen is recorded or mirrored, content is replaced by an opaque cover. - Clipboard care: Copied items are cleared and the keyboard avoids learning what you type in the vault. - Limit: iOS lets apps detect screenshots but not block them, and nobody can stop a second camera. ### Location and metadata scrub (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/metadata-scrub/ Every iPhone photo can carry its GPS location, the device model and more. Inside the vault that information stays encrypted. When a file leaves, VaultBolt removes it by default. - Inside, kept encrypted: Location is kept on import (encrypted) unless you turn on 'Strip on import'. - On the way out, removed: Share, export, export all and drag out strip GPS and device fields by default. - Your choice per share: A toggle lets you include location when you really want to. - Lossless when possible: Images are rewritten without metadata where possible, or re-encoded at high quality with a note. - Video and PDFs too: Video location atoms and PDF author fields are cleared. - Limit: Visible details in the photo itself, like a street sign, are not removed. ### Alternate icons and themes (Pro, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/app-icons/ A vault that looks like a vault invites questions. VaultBolt's default icon is a calm navy tile, and Pro adds a set of neutral alternate icons and extra themes. Notifications say things like 'Backup complete', never anything that draws attention. - Open Appearance: Pick an icon and a theme. - iOS confirms the change: Your Home Screen updates immediately. - Honest icons: Icons are original and plain. VaultBolt never copies Apple's icons or pretends to be another working app. - Light by default: The app follows your system theme, because dark-only apps read as secretive. - Limit: iOS shows a short system message when an app changes its icon. ### No account, no ads, no tracking (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/no-account/ A privacy app that wants your email, shows ads or tracks you has its priorities wrong. VaultBolt works the moment you open it, purchases go through Apple, and anonymous analytics are off until you choose to turn them on. - Open and set an unlock: That is the whole setup. - Buy through Apple: Pro and Family are App Store purchases tied to your Apple Account, not to a VaultBolt account. - Ad-free on every plan: There are no ads on the free plan either. - Opt-in analytics: Usage events never include file names, vault counts or which unlock was used. - Limit: Apple processes your purchase and iCloud data under its own privacy policy. ### Secure sharing (Pro, soon) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/secure-sharing/ Sending a private photo usually means it lives forever on someone else's phone. VaultBolt sharing, coming to Pro, encrypts each share end to end and lets you set expiry, open limits or view-once, and revoke access later. - Pick items: A single photo, several, or a folder. - Set limits: Expiry, number of opens, view-once and block export. - Send the link and phrase separately: The key lives in the link fragment or a phrase, never on our server. - Revoke any time: Shared with me shows status and opens left. - Nearby, without internet: Send in person over a QR pairing with a safety code. - Zero-knowledge relay: The relay stores ciphertext only, with size and expiry limits. - Limit: A recipient can always photograph their screen. VaultBolt notifies you of screenshots it can detect, but cannot prevent a second camera. ### Stealth mode (Pro, soon) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/stealth-mode/ A lock screen says 'something is here'. Stealth mode, coming to Pro, opens VaultBolt on an ordinary-looking gallery of harmless photos. A private gesture that only you know brings up the unlock. - Turn on stealth: Choose the harmless photos and your private gesture. - Anyone opening the app sees a gallery: No lock screen, no vault language. - Your gesture opens the unlock: Then unlock as normal. - Living decoy: A planned option fills the gallery and decoy with harmless content automatically so it never looks staged. - Fully disclosed: Stealth mode is described openly in the App Store listing. - Limit: Someone who knows VaultBolt may recognise the app. ### On-device search (All plans, launch) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/on-device-search/ A vault full of documents is only useful if you can find the passport scan when you need it. VaultBolt searches names, dates and types on the device, and Pro will add on-device content search after launch. - Type a word: Results update as you type. - Filter: Photos, videos, documents, or a date range. - Private index: The search index lives inside the encrypted vault. - Content search (soon): On Pro, on-device AI will find text in documents and things in photos, such as 'passport' or 'dog'. - Limit: Content search is planned for after launch. ### Legacy access (Family, later) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/features/legacy-access/ Planned for Family: pick a trusted person, added in person with a safety code, and the files they should receive if you stop opening VaultBolt for a period you choose. You can veto any claim during a waiting window. - Add a trustee in person: QR exchange and a 6-word safety code. - Choose files and a timer: 30 days to a year without check-ins. - Claim and veto: After the timer, a claim starts a waiting period you can cancel. - End-to-end encrypted: The bundle is encrypted to the trustee; it never contains your vault key or recovery phrase. - Limit: Release timing is enforced by VaultBolt's server; this limit is stated openly. ## Comparisons Competitor cells come from each app's US App Store listing (description, ratings and dates via Apple's public iTunes lookup API) checked on the date above, plus the developer's own website where noted. 'Not listed' means the listing does not mention it; it does not prove the feature is missing. Ratings change daily. ### VaultBolt vs Vaultaire URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-vaultaire/ Vaultaire is the closest app to VaultBolt in spirit: on-device AES-256-GCM encryption, no account, pattern-separated vaults and a duress vault on Pro. It is a newer app from a one-person studio with a strong security write-up. Choose Vaultaire if: You want sharing of whole vaults today, or you specifically prefer a pattern-only design with no biometrics at all. Choose VaultBolt if: You have a large camera roll and want private photos found for you, moved rather than copied, and every leftover copy cleaned up. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Vaultaire AES-256-GCM - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Vaultaire No account - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Vaultaire No ads - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Vaultaire Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Vaultaire Original clean-up after import - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Vaultaire Separate patterns - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Vaultaire Pro - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Vaultaire Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Vaultaire Encrypted iCloud - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Vaultaire Nine-word phrase - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Vaultaire Pattern only, by design - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Vaultaire 5×5 pattern - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Vaultaire Sync on Pro - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Vaultaire $39.99 - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Vaultaire Shared vaults ### VaultBolt vs Keepsafe URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-keepsafe/ Keepsafe is one of the best-known photo lockers, with more than 385,000 App Store ratings. It locks photos behind a PIN or Touch ID, offers a Private Cloud on Premium and its free tier is ad supported. Choose Keepsafe if: You want a long-established app with its own cloud storage and you are comfortable with its account and subscription model. Choose VaultBolt if: You want no ads, no account and a vault where the keys never leave your devices, with a one-time price. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Keepsafe "Military-grade", no detail - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Keepsafe Sync across installs - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Keepsafe Basic is ad supported - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Keepsafe Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Keepsafe Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Keepsafe Not listed - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Keepsafe Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Keepsafe Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Keepsafe Private Cloud (Keepsafe) - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Keepsafe Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Keepsafe Touch ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Keepsafe PIN pad - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Keepsafe Phone and tablet - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Keepsafe Subscription - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Keepsafe Safe Send, time-limited ### VaultBolt vs Private Photo Vault URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-private-photo-vault/ Private Photo Vault (Pic Safe) is the most-rated vault on the App Store, with over a million ratings since 2011. It offers PIN and pattern locks, a decoy password, break-in reports with photo and GPS, and an encrypted Cloud Vault on Premium. Choose Private Photo Vault if: You want the most familiar, long-established vault with a built-in private browser. Choose VaultBolt if: You want on-device encryption for every file, an automatic scan and clean-up, and a duress option. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Private Photo Vault Cloud Vault backup encrypted - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Private Photo Vault Not listed - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Private Photo Vault Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Private Photo Vault Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Private Photo Vault Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Private Photo Vault Decoy password - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Private Photo Vault Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Private Photo Vault Break-in report, photo + GPS - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Private Photo Vault Cloud Vault, own password - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Private Photo Vault Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Private Photo Vault Not listed - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Private Photo Vault Pattern/dot lock - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Private Photo Vault iPhone and iPad - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Private Photo Vault Subscription - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Private Photo Vault Email and text ### VaultBolt vs Apple Hidden album URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-apple-hidden-album/ The Hidden album in Apple Photos moves selected photos out of your main library views and, on current iOS, locks behind Face ID or your passcode. It is free and convenient, but it is not a separate encrypted vault: the photos stay in Photos and anyone who knows your passcode can open them. Choose Apple Hidden album if: You mainly want photos out of the main grid and the people around you never know your iPhone passcode. Choose VaultBolt if: Someone else knows your passcode, you share your phone, or you want a separate encrypted vault with decoy options. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Apple Hidden album iOS data protection; no separate vault key - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Apple Hidden album Built in - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Apple Hidden album Built in - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Apple Hidden album You pick photos - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Apple Hidden album Items stay in Photos - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Apple Hidden album no - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Apple Hidden album no - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Apple Hidden album no - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Apple Hidden album iCloud Photos settings apply - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Apple Hidden album Uses device passcode - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Apple Hidden album Face ID / passcode - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Apple Hidden album no - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Apple Hidden album Syncs with iCloud Photos - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Apple Hidden album Free - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Apple Hidden album no ### VaultBolt vs SPV URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-spv/ SPV keeps photos, videos, passwords and contacts behind a PIN and stores everything on the device only. Its listing warns that deleting the app deletes your data, because there is no server backup. Choose SPV if: You want a simple PIN vault that also stores passwords and contacts. Choose VaultBolt if: You want documented encryption, an encrypted backup you control and protection under pressure. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; SPV Not described - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; SPV Device storage only - No ads: VaultBolt Never; SPV Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; SPV Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; SPV Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; SPV Not listed - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; SPV Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; SPV Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; SPV Device only - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; SPV Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; SPV Not listed - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; SPV PIN - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; SPV Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; SPV Subscription - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; SPV Not listed ### VaultBolt vs Calculator# URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-calculator-hide-photos/ Calculator# looks like a working calculator and hides photos, videos, documents, passwords, notes and contacts behind it. It is free with ads, with an annual plan to remove them. Choose Calculator# if: You want an all-in-one disguised app with a password manager and browser built in. Choose VaultBolt if: You want a focused vault with documented encryption, no ads and a real way to recover access. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Calculator# Not described - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Calculator# Not listed - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Calculator# Free with ads - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Calculator# Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Calculator# Optional delete from Photos - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Calculator# Disguise mode - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Calculator# Panic switch - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Calculator# Hack monitoring - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Calculator# iCloud, Dropbox, Drive, OneDrive - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Calculator# Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Calculator# Touch / Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Calculator# Pattern - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Calculator# iPhone and iPad - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Calculator# Annual - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Calculator# Not listed ### VaultBolt vs Hide it Pro URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-hide-it-pro/ Hide it Pro hides photos and videos behind a lock screen, with a disguise screen that makes the app look crashed and an escape code that makes it look empty. Cloud storage is a monthly subscription. Choose Hide it Pro if: You like the crash-style disguise and an escape code that shows an empty app. Choose VaultBolt if: You want documented encryption and a decoy that looks lived-in rather than empty. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Hide it Pro Not described - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Hide it Pro Not listed - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Hide it Pro Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Hide it Pro Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Hide it Pro Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Hide it Pro Escape code, empty app - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Hide it Pro Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Hide it Pro Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Hide it Pro Cloud storage - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Hide it Pro Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Hide it Pro Not listed - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Hide it Pro Not listed - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Hide it Pro Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Hide it Pro Monthly - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Hide it Pro Email ### VaultBolt vs Safe Lock URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-safe-lock/ Safe Lock is a highly rated vault with many lock types (PIN, DotLock, passwords, Face ID), a fake password that opens a fake gallery, break-in reports and a hidden camera. Choose Safe Lock if: You want lots of lock styles and a fake gallery today. Choose VaultBolt if: You want documented encryption, encrypted backup with a recovery phrase and a guided clean-up. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Safe Lock Not described - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Safe Lock Saved on device - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Safe Lock Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Safe Lock Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Safe Lock Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Safe Lock Fake password, fake gallery - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Safe Lock Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Safe Lock Break-in reports - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Safe Lock Export to cloud services - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Safe Lock Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Safe Lock Touch ID, Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Safe Lock DotLock - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Safe Lock Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Safe Lock Subscription - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Safe Lock Slideshow and sharing ### VaultBolt vs Secret Photo Album URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-secret-photo-album/ Secret Photo Album (SA) offers encrypted, PIN-protected storage, a decoy PIN, break-in alerts with intruder photos, a private browser and encrypted cloud backup tied to your email. Choose Secret Photo Album if: You want vendor-hosted cloud storage and email-based restore. Choose VaultBolt if: You want no account at all and a recovery method the developer cannot use. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Secret Photo Album Encrypted, PIN-protected storage - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Secret Photo Album Email for sync and restore - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Secret Photo Album Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Secret Photo Album Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Secret Photo Album Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Secret Photo Album Decoy PIN - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Secret Photo Album Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Secret Photo Album Break-in alerts - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Secret Photo Album Encrypted cloud - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Secret Photo Album Email-based - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Secret Photo Album Touch and Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Secret Photo Album PIN - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Secret Photo Album Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Secret Photo Album Subscription - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Secret Photo Album Not listed ### VaultBolt vs PV Secret Photo Album URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-pv-secret-photo-album/ PV Secret Photo Album hides photos behind a passcode and Face ID, can delete the originals from your library after hiding, offers a fake password, Nearby Drop transfers and paid cloud sync. Ads are removed on paid plans. Choose PV Secret Photo Album if: You want lots of extras such as a photo editor, tags and Wi-Fi transfer. Choose VaultBolt if: You want no ads, documented encryption and a private-photo scan. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; PV Secret Photo Album "Data encryption", no detail - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; PV Secret Photo Album Recovery email - No ads: VaultBolt Never; PV Secret Photo Album Ad-free is paid - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; PV Secret Photo Album Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; PV Secret Photo Album Auto-delete from library - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; PV Secret Photo Album Fake password - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; PV Secret Photo Album Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; PV Secret Photo Album Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; PV Secret Photo Album Paid cloud sync - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; PV Secret Photo Album Recovery email - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; PV Secret Photo Album Touch / Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; PV Secret Photo Album Passcode - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; PV Secret Photo Album iPhone and iPad - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; PV Secret Photo Album One-time payment offered - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; PV Secret Photo Album Nearby Drop ### VaultBolt vs Privault URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-privault/ Privault hides photos, videos and audio behind a keypad, with a secondary passcode for a decoy space and an erase-all passcode for emergencies. Its last App Store update was in February 2025. Choose Privault if: You want an erase-all code and broad video format support. Choose VaultBolt if: You want duress protection that keeps a way to restore later, and an actively developed app. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Privault Encrypted storage, no detail - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Privault Not listed - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Privault Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Privault Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Privault Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Privault Secondary passcode - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Privault Erase-all passcode - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Privault Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Privault Not listed - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Privault Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Privault Not listed - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Privault Digit passcode - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Privault Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Privault Subscription - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Privault Not listed ### VaultBolt vs Encamera URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-encamera/ Encamera is a minimalist encrypted camera and vault that is open source, needs no account, shows no ads and can store albums on the device or in your own iCloud. Choose Encamera if: Open-source code matters most to you and you mostly capture new photos. Choose VaultBolt if: You also need to clean up an existing camera roll and want decoy and duress protection. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Encamera Encrypts all media - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Encamera No account - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Encamera No ads, no tracking - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Encamera Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Encamera Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Encamera Not listed - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Encamera Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Encamera Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Encamera Your iCloud, per album - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Encamera Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Encamera Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Encamera PIN - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Encamera Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Encamera Lifetime plans - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Encamera Not listed ### VaultBolt vs Obscura URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-obscura/ Obscura is a new open-source vault with AES-256-GCM, no accounts, no cloud and no analytics. It keeps ten indistinguishable vault slots and lets you export the whole vault as one encrypted file. Choose Obscura if: You want zero network activity and open-source code, and you are happy to manage backup files yourself. Choose VaultBolt if: You want automatic encrypted backup, a recovery phrase and a guided clean-up. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Obscura AES-256-GCM, open source - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Obscura No account - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Obscura No data collection - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Obscura Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Obscura Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Obscura Second vault as decoy - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Obscura Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Obscura Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Obscura Manual encrypted export file - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Obscura No reset, by design - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Obscura Face ID, Touch ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Obscura Password - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Obscura Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Obscura Lifetime - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Obscura Not listed ### VaultBolt vs Inner Gallery URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-inner-gallery/ Inner Gallery is a new, well-designed vault using ChaCha20-Poly1305, with encrypted iCloud sync, private spaces, a panic PIN that opens a decoy space, app disguises and a one-time upgrade. Choose Inner Gallery if: You want a polished, simple gallery with spaces and a one-time price today. Choose VaultBolt if: You want a scan of your existing photos, duress protection and a recovery phrase. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Inner Gallery ChaCha20-Poly1305 - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Inner Gallery Not listed - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Inner Gallery No ads - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Inner Gallery Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Inner Gallery Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Inner Gallery Panic PIN decoy space - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Inner Gallery Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Inner Gallery Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Inner Gallery Encrypted iCloud sync - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Inner Gallery Set up with PIN - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Inner Gallery Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Inner Gallery PIN - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Inner Gallery iPhone and iPad - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Inner Gallery Upgrade once - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Inner Gallery Not listed ### VaultBolt vs HiddenVault URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-hiddenvault/ HiddenVault stores photos and videos in albums behind a PIN and Face ID, adds a password manager and private browser, and is sold as a subscription after a free month. Choose HiddenVault if: You want a photo vault and password manager in one subscription. Choose VaultBolt if: You want a focused vault with documented encryption and a lifetime price. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; HiddenVault "Zero-knowledge", no detail - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; HiddenVault No personal data - No ads: VaultBolt Never; HiddenVault Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; HiddenVault Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; HiddenVault Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; HiddenVault Not listed - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; HiddenVault Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; HiddenVault Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; HiddenVault Not listed - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; HiddenVault Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; HiddenVault Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; HiddenVault PIN - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; HiddenVault Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; HiddenVault Subscription - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; HiddenVault Not listed ### VaultBolt vs Vaulty URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-vaulty/ Vaulty is a simple vault with a decoy PIN that opens an empty gallery, a disguise as a Notes or Passwords app, cloud backup to your personal cloud and Face ID. Choose Vaulty if: You want a very simple vault with an app disguise. Choose VaultBolt if: You want documented encryption, a believable decoy and a recovery phrase. - File encryption described: VaultBolt AES-256-GCM, on device; Vaulty Not described - Works without an account: VaultBolt No account, ever; Vaulty Not listed - No ads: VaultBolt Never; Vaulty Not listed - Finds private photos for you: VaultBolt On-device, offline; Vaulty Manual import - Removes the originals: VaultBolt Zero-copies clean-up; Vaulty Not listed - Decoy vault or fake PIN: VaultBolt Pro; Vaulty Decoy PIN, empty gallery - Duress or emergency-erase code: VaultBolt Pro; Vaulty Not listed - Intruder photo: VaultBolt Pro; Vaulty Not listed - Encrypted cloud backup: VaultBolt Encrypted iCloud, all plans; Vaulty Your personal cloud - Recovery phrase: VaultBolt 12-word phrase; Vaulty Not listed - Face ID / Touch ID: VaultBolt Optional; Vaulty Face ID - Pattern unlock: VaultBolt Plus PIN and passphrase; Vaulty PIN - iPhone and iPad: VaultBolt Sync on Pro; Vaulty Not listed - One-time purchase option: VaultBolt $37.99 once; Vaulty Not listed - Controlled sharing: VaultBolt View-once, expiry; Vaulty Not listed ## Articles ### Photo Vault Apps That Hide Their Icon on iPhone: What Works URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-app-hide-icon-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-02 Many vault apps promise to make themselves invisible, with a calculator disguise or a plain alternate icon. iOS does not let an app remove itself from your iPhone's Home Screen, so it helps to know what is really going on before you pick one. Short answer: No App Store app can make its own icon disappear. Vault apps either disguise themselves (a calculator look, a plain alternate icon) or rely on the iOS Hide and Require Face ID option, which works for any downloaded app. An icon only hides that a vault exists. The real protection is the vault's own lock and encryption. ## What "hides its own icon" really means On an iPhone, an app cannot delete or hide its own Home Screen icon. Apple doesn't give developers that power. When a vault app says it is "invisible", it means one of three things: | Approach | What you see | Who sets it up | |---|---|---| | **Disguise** | The app looks like a calculator, notes app or utility until you type a code | The app's design | | **Alternate icon** | A plain or neutral icon you pick inside the app | You, from the app's settings | | **iOS Hide** | No icon on the Home Screen; the app sits in a locked Hidden folder | You, from the iOS menu | The first two change how the app looks. Only the third actually takes the icon off your Home Screen, and it works for any app you downloaded, vault or not. Built-in Apple apps can be locked but not hidden. When an app switches to an alternate icon, iOS shows a short system message confirming the change. A legitimate app cannot suppress that message, so a vault that changes its look should always be your choice, made in the open. ## Hide any vault app with the iOS setting Since iOS 18 you don't need a special vault to keep the icon out of sight. Apple's built-in option works for any app from the App Store: 1. Touch and hold the vault app's icon on the Home Screen. 2. Tap **Require Face ID** (or Touch ID or Passcode). 3. Tap **Hide and Require Face ID**, then confirm. The app leaves the Home Screen and search results and moves into the **Hidden** folder at the bottom of the App Library. Opening that folder needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. To find the app later, swipe left past your last Home Screen page, tap **Hidden** and authenticate. Hiding only applies to that one iPhone, not your other devices. For more on locking and hiding apps in general, see our guide to [hiding or locking apps on iPhone](/guides/hide-apps-on-iphone/). ## Who a hidden or disguised icon actually stops A hidden icon is useful. It answers the "what's that app?" question before anyone asks it. But it helps to be clear about its reach. **It stops:** - Someone glancing at your Home Screen while you show them a photo. - A friend or child scrolling through your apps. - Search results that might point at the app. **It doesn't stop:** - **Anyone who knows your iPhone passcode.** The Hidden folder opens with your passcode, so a partner or family member who knows it can open the folder too. - **Purchase history.** The App Store keeps a record of apps you've downloaded. - **Storage lists.** Settings > General > iPhone Storage lists installed apps by size. - **A well-known disguise.** Popular [calculator vault apps](/guides/calculator-vault-apps/) are widely known, and a second calculator on a phone is easy to spot. So treat the icon as a privacy curtain, not a lock. If the person you're worried about knows your passcode, read [what to do when a partner knows your iPhone passcode](/scenarios/partner-knows-iphone-passcode/). ## Protect the photos, not just the icon What matters most is what happens after someone finds and opens the app. Before choosing a vault, check: 1. **A separate unlock.** The vault should ask for its own code, pattern or passphrase, not just your iPhone passcode. 2. **Real encryption on the device.** The App Store listing or website should say how files are encrypted and where the keys live. "Hidden" and "encrypted" aren't the same thing; our guide to [whether photo vault apps are safe](/guides/are-photo-vault-apps-safe/) explains how to tell. 3. **No originals left behind.** If the photo is still in your camera roll or Recently Deleted, the vault icon doesn't matter. 4. **Something to show under pressure.** Some vaults offer a decoy code that opens harmless content, which helps when someone asks you to open the app. VaultBolt is built around those points rather than disguise. It is not yet on the App Store. Its own unlock and on-device encryption come first, and neutral [alternate icons](/features/app-icons/) and a decoy vault are planned for Pro. Icons will be original and plain: VaultBolt won't pretend to be a working calculator or copy Apple's icons. You can still hide it, like any app, with the iOS setting above. ## Caveats - If you forget which app you hid, check the Hidden folder in the App Library or the list of hidden apps in Settings > Apps. - Hiding or disguising an app doesn't back anything up. Deleting a hidden vault app can still delete its photos, so check the app's backup first. - Children under 13 in a Family Sharing group can't lock or hide apps, according to Apple. Q: Can a photo vault app remove its icon from my Home Screen by itself? A: No. iOS apps can only switch to an alternate icon the developer included, and iOS shows a short message when they do. Removing an icon from view is something you do yourself, with Hide and Require Face ID or by moving it to the App Library. Q: Where do hidden apps go on iPhone? A: Into the Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library, which opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Apple also lists hidden apps in Settings under Apps. Q: Is a disguised icon enough to keep photos private? A: Only against a quick look. Someone who knows your passcode, checks your App Store purchases or looks at iPhone Storage can still find the app, so the vault's own unlock and encryption are what keep the photos private. Q: Can I give VaultBolt a different icon? A: It is planned. VaultBolt is not yet on the App Store; neutral alternate icons are planned for Pro, and you can already hide any downloaded app with the iOS setting described here. ### Keepsafe Review (2026): Is the Popular Photo Locker Private? URL: https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-keepsafe/review/ · Updated 2026-11-02 Keepsafe has been around since 2012 and has more App Store ratings than any other photo vault. We read its current listing line by line to see what you get, what you give up and what it doesn't say. ## What Keepsafe is Keepsafe is a photo and video locker from KeepSafe Software, first released in April 2012. You import photos into the app and open it with a PIN or Touch ID. The listing claims more than 70 million users. On the App Store it has 4.7 stars from more than 385,000 ratings, and version 13.35 shipped on 26 October 2026. It runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later) and is also available on Android, which matters if your household mixes platforms: Keepsafe syncs your locker across all your Keepsafe installs. ## Free vs Premium | | Keepsafe Basic (free) | Keepsafe Premium | |---|---|---| | PIN pad and Touch ID | Yes | Yes | | Albums, slideshow, in-app camera | Yes | Yes | | Safe Send (time-limited sharing) | Yes | Yes | | Ads | Yes | No | | Separate PIN per album | No | Yes | | Private Cloud | No | Up to 10,000 items | | Space Saver (compress, original to cloud) | No | Yes | | Trash Recovery | No | Yes | Premium is sold as a monthly or yearly subscription. There's no lifetime option in the listing. ## Encryption: what the listing says, and doesn't The listing promises "military-grade encryption" and stops there. It doesn't name the cipher, say whether files are encrypted on the device, explain whether the Private Cloud is end-to-end encrypted, or say who holds the keys. That doesn't mean the design is weak. It means you can't check it from the outside. This is the question we'd put to any vault. "Military-grade" usually means AES-256, which is fine, but the algorithm is rarely where things go wrong. What matters is where the key comes from and whether the company can open what's in its cloud. Our guide on [whether photo vault apps are safe](/guides/are-photo-vault-apps-safe/) explains what to look for. ## Space Saver: read this before you turn it on Space Saver compresses the photos on your phone and keeps the full-resolution originals in Keepsafe's Private Cloud. That frees storage, but your best copy of each photo then lives on Keepsafe's servers. If you cancel Premium, check how to get the originals back before you rely on it. ## Who Keepsafe suits Keepsafe is a reasonable pick if you want something familiar, easy and cross-platform, with cloud storage handled for you, and you're comfortable trusting the company with your files. If you want to verify how your photos are protected, avoid accounts and ads, or pay once, compare it with apps that publish their security design. See our [VaultBolt vs Keepsafe comparison](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-keepsafe/) and the full [comparison of 16 vault apps](/compare/). We build VaultBolt, a competing vault, so weigh our view accordingly. Everything above comes from Keepsafe's own App Store listing, checked on 2 November 2026. Q: Is Keepsafe safe to use? A: It locks the app with a PIN or Touch ID and is a long-running, widely used app. What its listing doesn't explain is how files are encrypted or who can decrypt the Private Cloud, so you're trusting the company rather than checking the design. Q: Is Keepsafe free? A: Keepsafe Basic is free and ad supported. Premium, a monthly or yearly subscription, removes ads and adds Private Cloud, album PINs, Space Saver and Trash Recovery. Check the App Store listing for current prices. Q: Does Keepsafe have a fake PIN or decoy? A: Its current App Store listing doesn't mention one. If a decoy matters to you, check inside the app before you rely on it. Q: What's a good alternative to Keepsafe without ads? A: Look for a vault that documents its encryption and works without an account. Our VaultBolt vs Keepsafe comparison covers the differences feature by feature. ### How to Blur a Face or Number in a Photo on iPhone (2026) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/tools/blur-photo/blur-face-in-photo-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-02 Before you post a screenshot or send a photo of a document, you often need to hide one thing: a child's face, a name, the last digits of a card. iPhone can do some of it. Here's what each method really hides. Short answer: iPhone's Photos app has no blur brush. To hide something, add a filled Markup shape at full opacity over it, or remove it with Clean Up on supported iPhones. To blur or pixelate a face, use a separate tool. For card numbers and passwords, cover them with solid black: blur and pixelation can sometimes be reversed. ## Pick the method by what you're hiding | What you're hiding | Best method | Why | |---|---|---| | Card, account or ID numbers, passwords | Solid black box | Nothing of the original pixels is left | | A face you still want to look natural | Blur | Keeps the photo looking like a photo | | Number plates, screens in the background | Pixelate with large blocks | Fast, and clearly intentional | | A person or object that shouldn't be there at all | Clean Up | Removes it instead of covering it | ## Cover it with a Markup shape (any iPhone) Markup is built into Photos and works on every iPhone running current iOS: 1. Open the photo in **Photos** and tap **Edit**, then the **Markup** button. 2. In the Markup toolbar, tap **+**, then **Add Shape**, and pick the square. 3. Drag the square over what you want to hide and resize it with the dots on its outline. 4. Tap the shape's style controls and set a **fill colour** with full **opacity**. 5. Tap **Done**. Watch the opacity. A shape or highlighter at less than full opacity can leave the text readable underneath, especially if someone adjusts the brightness of your image. ## Remove it with Clean Up (Apple Intelligence iPhones) On iPhones that support Apple Intelligence, Clean Up removes objects rather than covering them. Open the photo, tap **Edit**, then **Tools**, then **Clean Up**, and tap, brush or circle what you want gone. It works well for a stranger in the background. It's less suited to documents, because the tool fills the gap with invented detail that can look odd over text. ## Blur or pixelate a face privately Photos can't blur part of an image, so many people upload the photo to a free website. That defeats the purpose if the photo is sensitive. Our [free blur tool](/tools/blur-photo/) runs in Safari on your iPhone and never uploads the photo: choose a photo, drag over a face, name or number, pick **Blur**, **Pixelate** or **Black out**, then download the new image. The download is a new file, so it carries no location or camera details. To check any photo for hidden data first, use the [photo metadata viewer](/tools/photo-metadata-viewer/). ## Edits you share vs edits you keep Photos edits are non-destructive. When you share an edited photo, the recipient gets the flattened version with your box or blur burned in. The copy in your library still holds the original, and **Revert** brings it back. That matters if someone else can open your Photos app or your iCloud library: the hidden detail is one tap away. If the original is the sensitive part, keep the edited copy for sharing, and move the original into a vault or delete it. Then empty it from **Recently Deleted**. Q: Does iPhone have a built-in blur tool for photos? A: Not in Photos in iOS 27. You can cover an area with a filled Markup shape or remove an object with Clean Up, but there's no brush that blurs or pixelates part of a photo. Q: Can someone remove a Markup shape I added? A: Not from the copy you share: the shape is flattened into the image you send. In your own library the edit can be reverted, because Photos keeps the original. Q: Is pixelating a credit card number safe? A: Not always. Pixelated or lightly blurred text can sometimes be reconstructed by matching it against known fonts and digits. Cover numbers with a solid, fully opaque box instead. ### Deleted iPhone Photos Reappearing? What the Viral Post Got Wrong URL: https://vaultbolt.app/blog/deleted-iphone-photos-reappearing-viral-story/ · Updated 2026-11-02 Last week a post on X claimed an AI coding tool found more than 145,000 deleted photos still sitting on an iPhone. Most of it doesn't survive a closer look, but it points at a real problem: old computer backups. Short answer: The claim that iPhones secretly keep full copies of every deleted photo, readable by any app, isn't supported. Small thumbnails can outlive the originals, and the files in the story came from a computer backup. Empty Recently Deleted, encrypt your Mac or PC backups, and delete old backups you no longer need. ## What happened On October 24, 2026, an X user posted that they had backed up their iPhone to a MacBook and asked Claude Code to look through the files. The post said the tool found more than 145,000 deleted photos and videos going back about three years, in a folder called `PhotoData/Thumbnails`, including a passport photo and a screenshot of a crypto recovery phrase. It passed 4 million views, and copies of it quoted different totals. [Cybernews reported the claims on October 29](https://cybernews.com/security/claude-android-iphone-privacy-secret-photos/), alongside a separate claim by the same user about an Android phone, and presented both as allegations. The same day, a [fact-check by Pasquale Pillitteri](https://pasqualepillitteri.it/en/news/28147/deleted-iphone-photos-claude-code-viral-post) took the iPhone story apart piece by piece. ## What holds up and what doesn't | Claim | Status | |---|---| | Small preview thumbnails can outlast the deleted original | Supported. Forensic write-ups describe thumbnails surviving their originals. | | The files were found on a computer backup | True. The user's own description says the search ran on a Mac backup. | | They are full-resolution copies | Not supported. Thumbnails are small, compressed previews. | | Apple never cleans them up | Not supported. The fact-check notes iOS rebuilds and cleans thumbnails over time. | | Any app on the phone can read them | Not supported. Apps go through the Photos permission, not the internal folders. | So the honest version is narrower. A phone can carry some leftover previews for a while. The big pile of old images in this story came from a backup sitting on a computer, and that copy is the part you should care about. ## Where deleted photos really survive There are three places worth checking, and the third is the one most people forget. **1. Recently Deleted.** When you delete a photo it isn't gone yet. Apple keeps it in Recently Deleted for 30 days, then deletes it permanently. To clear it now, open **Photos**, scroll down to **Utilities → Recently Deleted**, tap **View Album**, unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, then tap **Select** and delete. Our [Recently Deleted guide](/guides/recently-deleted-photos-privacy/) has the details. **2. iCloud Photos on your other devices.** With iCloud Photos on, a deletion on one device is a deletion everywhere you're signed in, and the item sits in Recently Deleted on all of them. Empty it once and that applies everywhere too. If iCloud Photos is off, your iPad or Mac may still hold its own copy. **3. Backups on a computer or an old drive.** A Finder or iTunes backup is a near-complete snapshot of the phone at the time it ran. It doesn't shrink when you delete things later. An old backup of a phone you sold years ago can still contain every photo from that period. Time Machine and external drives can keep copies of those backup folders too. That third point also explains the most common "my deleted photos came back" report. If you restore a phone from a backup made before you deleted something, the restore puts it right back. Apple's iCloud Backup page notes that when iCloud Photos is on, photos sync to iCloud and aren't part of the daily backup. With it off, iCloud Backup may include them. ## What to do this week 1. **Empty Recently Deleted** on your iPhone, as above. 2. **Encrypt your computer backups.** On a Mac, connect the iPhone, select it in Finder, and on the **General** tab turn on **Encrypt local backup**. You'll set a password, and Apple warns you can't use the backup without it, so store it in a password manager. Turning this on replaces your earlier backups with an encrypted one, so check that the new backup finishes. 3. **Delete backups you don't need.** In the same Finder window, click **Manage Backups**, right-click an old backup and choose **Delete**. There's no undo. Check any Windows PC you've used with iTunes or the Apple Devices app as well. 4. **Check who has photo access.** Go to **Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos** and set apps that don't need your whole library to limited access or none. 5. **Get secrets out of your camera roll.** A seed phrase or a card number in a screenshot ends up in every backup and every synced device. See [what to do with password screenshots](/scenarios/passwords-screenshots-in-camera-roll/). If you're handing a phone on, a full erase covers the phone, but not the backups of it on your computer. Our [selling or trading in checklist](/scenarios/selling-or-trading-in-iphone/) covers both. ## A note on AI tools and backups One part of the story nobody disputes: the user gave an AI agent the run of a full phone backup. Whatever an agent opens can end up in its conversation with a remote model. If you want a tool to inspect a backup, work on a copy, keep it away from photo and document folders, and don't point it at anything you wouldn't paste into a chat. For the photos you actually want to keep private, the useful step is the same as before this story broke: keep them out of the main library so they aren't in Recently Deleted, iCloud Photos or every backup by default. If you use iCloud, [Advanced Data Protection](/guides/advanced-data-protection-icloud-photos/) also puts iCloud Photos and backups under end-to-end encryption. Q: Can apps on my iPhone read photos I deleted? A: Nothing in the reports shows that. Apps reach your library through the Photos permission, which you control in Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos. Getting at the internal photo folders would take a jailbroken or compromised phone. Q: Why did deleted photos come back after I restored my iPhone? A: A restore puts back what was in the backup. If iCloud Photos was off when the backup ran, the photos were inside it, including ones you deleted later. With iCloud Photos on, photos sync separately and aren't part of the daily iCloud Backup. Q: Is a photo in Recently Deleted really gone after 30 days? A: Apple says items in Recently Deleted are permanently deleted after 30 days. Copies elsewhere, such as an old backup, a shared album or another app, are a separate matter. ### A Stranger Saw a Private Photo on My iPhone Lock Screen URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/stranger-saw-my-lock-screen-photo-widget/ · Updated 2026-11-02 Your phone was locked, face up on a table or charging on a desk, and someone saw a photo you never meant to show. A passcode doesn't stop iOS from putting photos on screen. Here's where they come from and how to turn each source off. Short answer: A locked iPhone can still show photos through a Photo Shuffle wallpaper, StandBy while charging, widgets you can reach from the Lock Screen, and message previews. Work out which one it was, then change the shuffle selection, turn off StandBy or its photos, limit what's allowed when locked, and stop previews showing on the Lock Screen. ## Where did the photo come from? A locked iPhone won't let anyone open Photos, but several features pull pictures from your library and show them without asking for Face ID. Think back to what the screen looked like when it happened. That usually tells you which one it was. | What the person saw | Likely source | Quick fix | |---|---|---| | A different photo each time the screen woke | Photo Shuffle wallpaper | Change the shuffle selection or use a single photo | | A full-screen photo while the phone charged on its side | StandBy | Turn off StandBy, or change which photos it shows | | Photos after swiping on the Lock Screen | Widgets allowed when locked | Turn off widget access under Allow Access When Locked | | A photo inside a message banner | Notification preview | Stop previews showing on the Lock Screen | The steps below match iOS 27, the version Apple's user guide covers at the time of writing. ## Photo Shuffle wallpaper Photo Shuffle rotates through a set of photos as your wallpaper. If you let it pick photos for you instead of choosing them one by one, it can land on something you'd rather keep to yourself. 1. Press the side button, then touch and hold the Lock Screen until **Customize** appears. 2. Swipe to the Lock Screen that shuffles and tap **Customize**. 3. Tap the photo thumbnail to change the photo selection. Remove anything private, or choose photos yourself. 4. While you're there, tap **More (•••)** to check the shuffle frequency. If you don't want any surprises, swap Photo Shuffle for one fixed photo. You can also delete the shuffle Lock Screen entirely: open the Lock Screen gallery the same way, swipe up on it and tap the trash button. ## StandBy while charging StandBy turns a charging iPhone into a bedside clock or photo frame. On most models it starts when the phone is on the Lock Screen, on a charger and turned on its side. The Photos view is the one that catches people out, because it's meant to be seen from across the room. - **Turn StandBy off:** Settings → **StandBy** → turn off the StandBy switch. - **Keep StandBy, drop the photos:** swipe left or right in StandBy to move to a clock or widgets view instead. On iPhone Duo, the Photos face has a **Select** button that changes which photos appear. - **Hide alerts in StandBy:** in Settings → StandBy, turn off **Show Notifications**. Apple says StandBy remembers your choice for each place you charge with MagSafe, so check the charger at work as well as the one at home. ## Widgets and previews you can reach while locked Apple lets some features, including widgets, work from the Lock Screen without unlocking. That's convenient, but it also means anyone holding the phone can swipe to them. 1. Go to **Settings → Face ID & Passcode** (or **Touch ID & Passcode**) and enter your passcode. 2. Under **Allow Access When Locked**, turn off the features you don't need on a locked phone, including widgets. Apple notes that turning off Lock Screen access to a feature stops someone who has your iPhone from using it without unlocking it. If you placed a widget on the Lock Screen itself, edit the Lock Screen (touch and hold, then **Customize**), tap your existing widgets and remove the one that shows personal content. For message previews, go to **Settings → Notifications → Show Previews**. When it's set to **Always**, Apple says the contents of notifications show on the Lock Screen without unlocking, and that includes photos someone just sent you. Pick a setting that keeps previews hidden until you unlock. ## Keep the photo out of these features for good Changing settings fixes today's leak. To stop a private photo from being picked again later, take it out of the pool these features draw from. - **Hide it.** In Photos, touch and hold the photo and tap **Hide**. Apple says hidden items don't appear in the Library, other albums or the Photos widget on the Home Screen. With iCloud Photos on, it's hidden on your other devices too. Apple's page doesn't cover Photo Shuffle or StandBy, so recheck those after hiding. - **Stop featured picks.** Memories and Featured Photos can surface the same photos. Our guide to [keeping private photos out of Memories and widgets](/guides/hide-photos-from-memories-iphone/) covers those settings. - **Move it out of Photos.** A photo that's no longer in your library can't be chosen by any Photos feature. That's the idea behind a separate vault app such as VaultBolt, which encrypts imported photos and locks when you leave the app. VaultBolt isn't on the App Store yet; our [guide to hiding photos on iPhone](/guides/how-to-hide-photos-on-iphone/) compares the built-in options you can use today. If the same worry applies when you hand your phone over, read [handing your iPhone to someone without them seeing private photos](/scenarios/handing-phone-to-someone/). For a broader review of what your phone shows while locked, use the [iPhone privacy settings checklist](/guides/iphone-privacy-settings-checklist/). ## What you can't undo If someone took a photo of your screen, settings won't get that back. What you can control is what shows next time. If the image was intimate and you think it's being shared, our guide on [someone screenshotting your photo](/scenarios/someone-screenshotted-my-photo/) explains reporting and takedown options. Q: Can someone see my photos if my iPhone is locked? A: They can't browse your library, but they can see whatever iOS puts on the locked screen: your wallpaper, StandBy, widgets that are allowed when locked, and notification previews. Each of these can be changed in Settings. Q: Do hidden photos show up in widgets? A: Apple says hidden photos don't appear in your Library, other albums or the Photos widget on the Home Screen. Apple's hiding guide doesn't mention Photo Shuffle or StandBy, so check those two yourself after hiding a photo. Q: Does hiding a photo on my iPhone hide it on my iPad too? A: Yes, if you use iCloud Photos. Apple says photos you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too. ### iPhone Privacy Settings Checklist for Your Photos (2026) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/iphone-privacy-settings-checklist/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Twelve settings, about fifteen minutes, and your photos are far harder to stumble across, track or leak. Work through them in order. Short answer: Use a strong passcode, turn on Stolen Device Protection, keep the Hidden album locked and out of view, limit which apps can see your photos, turn off location for the Camera, review iCloud sharing, consider Advanced Data Protection, and keep truly private photos in an encrypted vault. ## Device 1. **Passcode:** use six digits or longer, or an alphanumeric code. Settings → Face ID & Passcode. 2. **Stolen Device Protection:** on. It adds Face ID and a delay for sensitive changes away from familiar places. 3. **Auto-Lock:** 1 minute or less. Settings → Display & Brightness. ## Photos app 4. **Hidden album:** keep **Use Face ID** on and **Show Hidden Album** off. Settings → Apps → Photos. 5. **Featured content:** turn off if Memories surprise you. 6. **Lock the Photos app:** touch and hold → Require Face ID. ## Who can see your photos 7. **App access:** Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos. Prefer **Limited Access** or **None**. 8. **Camera location:** Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → **Never** (or turn it off when sharing). 9. **Shared albums and Shared Library:** review who's in them. ## Cloud 10. **iCloud devices:** remove devices you no longer use. 11. **Advanced Data Protection:** consider turning it on. ## The private stuff 12. **Move private photos into an encrypted vault** with its own code, and clean up the originals. [Try the VaultBolt demo](/demo/). Q: Which apps can see my iPhone photos? A: Check Settings, Privacy & Security, Photos. Each app shows Full Access, Limited Access or None. ### Zero-Knowledge Encryption Explained for Photo Vaults URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/zero-knowledge-encryption-explained/ · Updated 2026-11-01 'Zero-knowledge' means the company running a service cannot read your data, because it never has the keys. It's a strong promise, and an easy one to claim. Here is how to check it. Short answer: A zero-knowledge service encrypts data on your device with keys that are never sent to the company. The provider stores only ciphertext, cannot reset your password, and cannot hand readable data to anyone. If a vault can recover your files by email, it is not zero-knowledge. ## The test Ask one question: **can the company reset your password and give you your files back?** - If **yes**, it holds a key or a way to get one. Not zero-knowledge. - If **no**, and recovery depends on something only you hold (a phrase, a key file), it probably is. ## What the provider still sees Zero-knowledge protects content, not every trace. A provider may see: - That you have encrypted data, and roughly how much. - When it changes. - Your IP address when you connect. VaultBolt pads and chunks data to reduce what sizes reveal, never records which vault or unlock you used, and states these limits on its [security page](/security/). ## Where zero-knowledge stops It protects data **at rest on servers** and **in transit**. It doesn't protect a photo you open on an unlocked phone, a screenshot the recipient takes, or a weak password someone guesses. Q: Is VaultBolt zero-knowledge? A: Yes, by design. Files are encrypted on your device, keys never leave it, and there is no account or password reset. Our planned sharing relay stores only ciphertext. Q: What can a zero-knowledge provider still see? A: Usually metadata: that encrypted records exist, their sizes and when they were updated. ### Your Partner Knows Your iPhone Passcode: Keeping Some Photos Private URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/partner-knows-iphone-passcode/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Sharing a passcode is normal in many relationships. It also means every built-in privacy feature, including the Hidden album, is open to that person. Here's how to keep some things private, calmly. Short answer: Anything protected only by your iPhone passcode, including the Hidden album and locked apps, is open to someone who knows it. Use a vault with its own unlock that you never share, delete the originals so they aren't still in Photos, and consider a decoy vault if you might be pressured to open it. ## What your passcode opens - Photos, including **Hidden** and **Recently Deleted**. - Any app locked with **Require Face ID** (the passcode is the fallback). - Your **Keychain passwords** and settings. ## A private space that stays private 1. **Use a vault with its own code**, and never type it where it can be seen. 2. **Move, don't copy.** Delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted, or they are still in Photos. 3. **Check iCloud.** If you share an Apple Account or iCloud Photos library, deletions sync. 4. **Keep notifications neutral.** VaultBolt notifications say things like "Backup complete". ## If you might be asked to open it A [decoy vault](/features/duress-mode/) opens with a different code and shows ordinary photos. VaultBolt never displays a list of vaults, so nothing suggests there is another one. ## Your safety comes first If you're worried about control or abuse, a vault is only one small part of staying safe. Contact a local support service, and use a device the other person can't access to plan. Q: Will my partner know I have a vault app? A: They may see the app. VaultBolt's neutral icon, plain notifications and planned stealth mode make it look ordinary, and the app never shows how many vaults exist. Q: What if I'm in an unsafe relationship? A: If you are afraid of your partner, reach out to a local domestic abuse service. Phones can be monitored in ways a vault can't detect, so plan with someone you trust and use a device they can't access. ### Your Ex Still Has Access to a Shared Album: How to Remove It URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/ex-shared-album-access/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Shared albums and Shared Libraries outlast relationships. Here's how to remove someone's access and what you can't take back. Short answer: If you own the shared album, remove the person as a subscriber or delete the album. If they own it, delete your own contributions. For a Shared Library, leave it or remove the participant. Photos they already downloaded can't be recalled. ## Shared albums - **You own it:** open the album → People → tap their name → **Remove Subscriber**. Or delete the album. - **They own it:** delete photos you added, then unsubscribe. ## Shared Library Settings → Apps → Photos → **Shared Library** → remove the participant (if you created it) or leave the library. Choose whether to keep copies. ## Going forward Share with expiry and view limits instead of permanent albums. VaultBolt's planned [secure sharing](/features/secure-sharing/) lets you revoke access later. Q: Can I delete photos my ex already saved? A: No. Copies they saved or screenshotted are on their devices. If someone shares intimate images without consent, contact local authorities or support services. ### Why a Photo Vault Should Move Photos, Not Copy Them URL: https://vaultbolt.app/blog/why-we-move-not-copy/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Import a photo into most vault apps and you now have two copies: one locked, one sitting exactly where it was. Here's why that happens, and why we built the clean-up into VaultBolt from day one. ## Why vaults copy iOS doesn't let any app silently remove photos from your library. A vault can read a photo and ask you to delete the original, and that request needs your confirmation. Many apps simply skip that step. ## Where copies survive 1. **The camera roll**, if the original isn't deleted. 2. **Recently Deleted**, for up to 30 days after it is. 3. **iCloud Photos**, on every device on your Apple Account. 4. **Other apps** that saved or backed up the photo. ## What VaultBolt does After items are encrypted and verified, VaultBolt walks you through deleting the originals, emptying Recently Deleted and checking iCloud Photos. Only then does it show the confirmation: **0 copies left**. A checklist in Settings lets you run it again later, and reminds you about the places it can't reach, like chat apps and other clouds. It's a small flow. It's also the difference between hiding a photo and actually protecting it. ### Why VaultBolt Will Never Ask for Your Email URL: https://vaultbolt.app/blog/why-no-account/ · Updated 2026-11-01 The safest data is the data we never collect. VaultBolt has no accounts, no email sign-up and no password reset, and that's a deliberate design choice, not a missing feature. ## What an account would cost you An account links your identity to the fact that you use a private vault. It creates a password-reset path that someone with access to your email could use. And it creates a database we would have to protect forever. ## How things work without one - **Purchases** go through Apple and belong to your Apple Account. - **Backup** goes to your own private iCloud, already encrypted. - **Recovery** uses a 12-word phrase that only you hold. - **Sync** between iPhone and iPad uses device pairing with a safety code. ## The trade-off If you lose both your unlock and your recovery phrase, we can't help. That's the point: if we could help you, we could help someone else too. So we make the phrase easy to write down, check that you did, and remind you to keep it safe. ### What Is a Duress Password? Decoy Vaults and Duress Codes Explained URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/duress-password-explained/ · Updated 2026-11-01 A duress password is a second code you give under pressure. It looks like it unlocks normally, but it opens something harmless and can quietly protect your real data. Here is how it works, where it helps, and where it doesn't. Short answer: A duress password (or duress code) appears to unlock a device or app normally, but triggers a protective action: opening a decoy, hiding real data or removing access to it. iOS has no system-wide duress passcode, but vault apps such as VaultBolt offer one: it opens a decoy vault and removes the main vault's keys from the iPhone. ## How duress codes work You set two secrets: your real code and a duress code. When someone forces you to unlock, you enter the duress code. To an observer, it unlocks normally. Behind the scenes, the app does something protective. In VaultBolt (Pro): 1. The duress code opens your **decoy vault**, filled with ordinary photos you are comfortable showing. 2. Within two seconds, the **main vault's keys are removed** from the iPhone, so it cannot be opened on this device. 3. There is no dialog, no delay and no message. The timing matches a normal unlock. 4. Your **encrypted iCloud backup stays**, so you can restore later with your recovery phrase. ## Decoy only vs duress | | Decoy code | Duress code | | --- | --- | --- | | Opens harmless content | Yes | Yes | | Real vault still on the device | Yes | No, keys removed | | Can restore later | Not needed | Yes, from encrypted backup | ## Where duress helps - Someone grabs your phone and demands you open the vault. - A controlling partner insists on seeing "what's in that app". - High-risk travel where devices may be inspected (check local law first). ## Where it doesn't - If the person already knows your real code. - If they watched you set it up, or know the app well enough to suspect a decoy. - Against a forensic examination that notices storage was recently freed. ## Make your decoy believable An empty decoy invites more questions. Add everyday photos: food, pets, screenshots, a few documents. VaultBolt lets you capture straight into the decoy with the private camera, and a planned "living decoy" will fill it automatically. Q: Does iPhone have a duress passcode? A: No. iOS has no built-in duress passcode. Some Android variants such as GrapheneOS offer one. On iPhone, duress protection comes from individual apps. Q: What is the difference between a decoy and a duress code? A: A decoy code simply opens a second, harmless vault. A duress code opens the decoy and also takes a protective action, such as removing the real vault's keys from the device. Q: Is using a duress code legal? A: Laws differ by country. Deleting data or misleading officials can carry legal consequences in some places. Know your local rules, especially when travelling. ### Stop WhatsApp Saving Photos to Your iPhone Camera Roll URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/stop-whatsapp-saving-photos-to-camera-roll/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Private photos often reach your camera roll without you saving them: chat apps do it automatically. Then they sync to iCloud and every device you own. Here's how to stop it. Short answer: In WhatsApp, go to Settings → Chats and turn off Save to Photos. You can also turn it off per chat in the chat's info screen. In Telegram, go to Settings → Data and Storage → Save to Photos and turn it off. Then remove photos that were already saved. ## WhatsApp - **All chats:** Settings → Chats → turn off **Save to Photos**. - **One chat:** open the chat → tap the name → **Save to Photos** → Never. ## Telegram Settings → Data and Storage → **Save to Photos** → turn off for private chats, groups and channels. ## Signal Signal doesn't save media to Photos unless you save it manually. ## Clean up what's already there 1. Look for a **WhatsApp** or **Telegram** album in Photos. 2. Move anything private into your vault. VaultBolt's on-device scan finds private photos wherever they came from. 3. Delete the originals and empty **Recently Deleted**. 4. If iCloud Photos is on, check your other devices once the deletion syncs. Q: Does WhatsApp save view-once photos? A: View-once media is not saved to Photos, but the recipient can still photograph the screen. Q: How do I find photos chat apps already saved? A: In Photos, check the WhatsApp or Telegram album if one exists, or browse Recents around the dates you received them. VaultBolt's scan also finds private photos regardless of where they came from. ### Stop Private Photos Showing in iPhone Memories and Widgets URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-photos-from-memories-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Nothing says 'surprise' like a private photo set to music in a Memories slideshow, or showing up on your Home Screen widget. Here's how to stop it. Short answer: Hidden photos are excluded from Memories, Featured Photos and the Photos widget. Hide the photo, or move it into a vault. To stop suggestions entirely, go to Settings → Apps → Photos and turn off Show Featured Content. ## Quick fixes - **One photo in a memory:** open the memory → **More (•••)** → **Manage Photos** → deselect. - **A whole memory:** touch and hold it → **Delete Memory**. - **A person:** touch and hold the memory → **Feature [name] Less**. - **The widget:** touch and hold the widget photo → **Remove Photo**. ## Turn off featured content **Settings → Apps → Photos → Show Featured Content** → off. Memories and Featured Photos stop surfacing suggestions. ## Keep them out for good Hidden photos never appear in Memories or widgets. Photos in a VaultBolt vault aren't in your library at all, so Photos can't feature them. Q: How do I remove a photo from a memory? A: Open the memory, tap the More button, choose Manage Photos (or Edit) and deselect it. Or delete the whole memory. Q: Can I stop the Photos widget showing a person? A: Touch and hold the widget photo and choose Remove Photo or Feature Less, or remove the widget. ### Someone Screenshotted Your Private Photo: What You Can Do URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/someone-screenshotted-my-photo/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Once a photo is on someone else's screen, no app can fully take it back. But you're not powerless, especially if someone threatens to share it. Short answer: You can't remotely delete a screenshot. Save evidence, don't pay or negotiate if you're threatened, report the account to the platform, and contact local authorities or a support service. For intimate images, services such as StopNCII.org can help block them on participating platforms. ## If you're being threatened 1. **Don't pay** and don't send more. 2. **Save evidence**: screenshots of messages, usernames, dates. 3. **Report** the account on the platform. 4. **Get help** from local police or a support service. For intimate images, [StopNCII.org](https://stopncii.org/) creates hashes on your device to help participating platforms block uploads. ## Next time - Share through apps with view-once and screenshot notices, and strip location first. - Crop out faces and identifying details. - Assume anything shown on a screen can be photographed. Q: Does VaultBolt prevent screenshots? A: No app can block screenshots on iPhone. VaultBolt detects them inside your own vault, and its planned sharing notifies you where possible. ### Signs Someone Went Through Your iPhone (and Your Photos) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/signs-someone-went-through-your-phone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 If you think someone looked through your phone while you weren't there, iOS leaves more clues than you might expect. Here's where to look, and how to make it harder next time. Short answer: Check Photos → Recently Viewed and Recently Shared, the App Switcher, Screen Time for unexpected app use, Recently Deleted, sent messages and AirDrop history in Files. To stop it happening again, change your passcode, lock sensitive apps and move private photos into a vault with intruder photos. ## Places to check 1. **Photos → Utilities → Recently Viewed** (on current iOS): photos opened recently, including by someone else. 2. **Photos → Recently Shared / Recently Saved**: anything sent out or saved in. 3. **App Switcher**: swipe up and pause to see apps opened recently. 4. **Settings → Screen Time → See All App & Website Activity**: app use at times you weren't using the phone. 5. **Messages and Mail sent folders**: photos forwarded to another number or address. 6. **Recently Deleted**: someone covering their tracks may have deleted things. 7. **Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Alternate Appearance**: a face you didn't add. ## Make it harder next time - **Change your passcode** and enter it out of sight. - **Turn on Stolen Device Protection**, which adds a delay and Face ID for sensitive changes away from familiar places. - **Lock sensitive apps** with Require Face ID. - **Move private photos into a vault** with its own code. VaultBolt Pro takes a silent [intruder photo](/features/intruder-selfie/) after wrong attempts, so you know who tried. Q: Can I see who opened my photos? A: Photos doesn't log who looked, but Recently Viewed and Recently Shared show what was opened or sent. A vault with intruder photos, like VaultBolt Pro, records attempts to open it. Q: How do I stop someone using my passcode? A: Change it to one they haven't seen, use Face ID in public, and turn on Stolen Device Protection. ### Shared iCloud or Family Mac: Why Your Photos Show Up Elsewhere URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/shared-family-icloud-photos/ · Updated 2026-11-01 If a family iPad or Mac is signed in to your Apple Account, or you use an iCloud Shared Photo Library, private photos can appear on screens you don't control. Short answer: Every device signed in to your Apple Account with iCloud Photos on shows your whole library, including Hidden (behind that device's lock). Shared Photo Library shares whatever goes into it. Sign shared devices out of your account, check Shared Library settings, and keep private photos in a vault. ## Why it happens - **Same Apple Account** on several devices: iCloud Photos mirrors everything. - **iCloud Shared Photo Library**: camera suggestions can add photos automatically. - **Family Mac** using your account in Photos. ## Fix it 1. Check **Settings → [your name] → devices** and sign out anything you don't use alone. 2. In **Settings → Apps → Photos → Shared Library**, review automatic sharing. 3. Give family members their own Apple Accounts and use Family Sharing. 4. Move private photos into a vault. VaultBolt's encrypted sync only reaches devices you approve with a safety code. Q: Does the Hidden album show on my Mac? A: Yes, if the Mac uses your iCloud Photos. It's locked with the Mac's Touch ID or password. ### Sending Your iPhone for Repair? Protect Private Photos First URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/iphone-repair-private-photos/ · Updated 2026-11-01 A repair often means handing over your phone, and sometimes your passcode. Before you do, take ten minutes to protect what's private. Short answer: Back up first, then remove or lock away sensitive data. Move private photos into an encrypted vault with its own code, or back the vault up and delete it until you get the phone back. Avoid sharing your passcode if the repair doesn't need it. ## Before you hand it over 1. **Back up** the phone and your vault. Confirm both finished. 2. **Move private photos into a vault** with a code that's different from your iPhone passcode. 3. **Empty Recently Deleted**, or the originals are still there. 4. **Sign out of sensitive apps** you don't need during the repair. 5. **Set a temporary passcode** if the shop needs one, and change it afterwards. ## Extra caution If the phone holds very sensitive material, delete the vault after confirming the encrypted backup, and restore it with your recovery phrase when the phone comes back. ## When you get it back Change your passcode, check Screen Time for unexpected activity, and restore anything you removed. Q: Do repair shops need my passcode? A: Some repairs need it to test the phone after the fix. Ask whether it's required, and use a temporary passcode you change afterwards. Q: Is a vault safe if the shop has my iPhone passcode? A: A vault with its own unlock stays locked even if someone knows your iPhone passcode. ### Screenshots of Passwords and Codes in Your Camera Roll: Clean Them Up URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/passwords-screenshots-in-camera-roll/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Wi-Fi codes, two-factor backup codes, bank details, crypto seed phrases. Screenshots are convenient, and they sync to every device on your account. Here's how to clean them up. Short answer: Search Photos for words like password, code and PIN (Photos reads text in images), move anything sensitive into a password manager or encrypted vault, delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. Never store a crypto seed phrase as a screenshot. ## Find them In Photos, search for **password**, **code**, **PIN**, **recovery**, **IBAN** or **seed**. Photos recognises text in images. Or let VaultBolt's [scan](/features/private-photo-scan/) group them. ## Decide where each belongs - **Logins and Wi-Fi:** a password manager. - **Backup codes, bank details, documents:** an encrypted vault. - **Crypto seed phrases:** on paper, offline. Never as a photo. ## Clean up Delete the originals, empty Recently Deleted, and check other devices if iCloud Photos is on. Q: Can VaultBolt find password screenshots? A: Yes. The on-device scan groups screenshots that look like passwords or private messages. Q: Where should I keep passwords? A: In a password manager, such as Apple Passwords. Use a vault for screenshots and documents you need to keep as images. ### Recently Deleted Photos on iPhone: Why Deleted Isn't Gone URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/recently-deleted-photos-privacy/ · Updated 2026-11-01 When you delete a photo on iPhone, it isn't deleted. It moves to Recently Deleted for up to 30 days. That safety net is great for mistakes and terrible for private photos you meant to remove. Short answer: Deleted photos stay in Photos → Utilities → Recently Deleted for up to 30 days. To remove them immediately, open Recently Deleted (it needs Face ID or your passcode), tap Select, choose the photos and tap Delete. With iCloud Photos on, do this once and it applies to all your devices. ## Where deleted photos go 1. You delete a photo. It moves to **Recently Deleted**. 2. It stays there for **up to 30 days**, then iOS removes it permanently. 3. With **iCloud Photos** on, it sits in Recently Deleted on every device signed in to your Apple Account. ## Delete permanently, now 1. Open **Photos → Collections → Utilities → Recently Deleted**. 2. Authenticate with Face ID or your passcode. 3. Tap **Select**, choose the items (or **Delete All**), and confirm. ## Why this matters for vault apps Most vault apps copy photos in. If you delete the originals afterwards, they move to Recently Deleted and stay there for a month, which defeats the point. VaultBolt's [zero-copies clean-up](/features/zero-copies-cleanup/) walks through deleting originals, emptying Recently Deleted and checking iCloud Photos, then confirms when no copies are left. ## Other places copies hide - **Shared albums** keep their own copy for everyone in them. - **Messaging apps** may have auto-saved the photo to your camera roll. - **Old iPhone or computer backups** taken before you deleted it. - **Other cloud apps** such as Google Photos or OneDrive, if they back up your camera roll. Q: Is the Recently Deleted album locked? A: Yes. On current iOS, Recently Deleted and Hidden are locked by default and need Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Q: Can photos be recovered after I empty Recently Deleted? A: Not from the Photos app. They may still exist in an older device backup, in a shared album, or in another app that saved a copy. ### Photo Vault With No Account: Why It Matters and Which Apps Qualify URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-no-account/ · Updated 2026-11-01 A privacy app that asks for your email has already learned something private: that you use a vault. Here is what accounts expose, and how no-account vaults handle backup and recovery instead. Short answer: No-account vaults like VaultBolt, Vaultaire, Obscura and Encamera work without any sign-up. They encrypt on your device, back up to your own iCloud or an encrypted file, and use a recovery phrase instead of an email reset, so the developer never has a way into your vault. ## What an account exposes - **Your identity, linked to a vault.** A breach of the vendor's user database reveals who uses a private photo app. - **A reset path.** If support can reset your password by email, anyone who gets into your email can too. - **A legal target.** Data the company holds about you can be requested. ## How no-account vaults work instead - **Keys come from your unlock**, not from a server. - **Backups are encrypted first** and go to your own iCloud or an encrypted file you keep. - **Recovery uses a phrase.** VaultBolt shows 12 words once at setup and checks that you wrote them down. - **Purchases go through Apple.** Your Apple Account owns the purchase; the vault developer never sees your name. ## The trade-off With no account, there is no "forgot password" email. If you lose both your unlock and your recovery phrase, nobody can help, which is exactly what makes the design safe. Write the phrase down and keep it away from your phone. ## Vaults that need no account From their App Store listings: VaultBolt, Vaultaire, Obscura, Encamera and HiddenVault (which says it does not collect personal data). Secret Photo Album and PV use an email for sync or recovery. See the [full comparison](/compare/). Q: How do you recover a vault without an account? A: With a recovery phrase or recovery key that only you hold. VaultBolt gives each vault a 12-word phrase. Q: How do purchases work without an account? A: In-app purchases are tied to your Apple Account by Apple. The vault developer never needs your name or email. ### Photo Vault Lifetime vs Subscription: Which Should You Buy? URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-lifetime-vs-subscription/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Many vault apps push weekly or monthly plans that quietly add up. A vault is something you keep for years, so the price model matters, and so does what happens to your files if you stop paying. Short answer: If you plan to use a vault for more than about two years, a lifetime purchase is usually cheaper. Before buying anything, check what happens when a plan lapses: a good vault keeps your files readable and exportable, and never disables safety features like a duress code. ## Three-year cost, VaultBolt prices | Plan | Year 1 | 3 years | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly ($3.99) | $47.88 | $143.64 | | Yearly ($17.99) | $17.99 | $53.97 | | Lifetime ($37.99) | $37.99 | $37.99 | A weekly plan at $1.99, common in this category, would cost over $300 across three years. VaultBolt has no weekly plan. ## The question that matters more: what happens when you stop paying? Check the listing or FAQ for: - **Are files deleted or locked?** They should stay readable and exportable. - **Do safety features switch off?** A lapse should never disable a decoy or duress code you rely on. - **Can you still export everything?** Always. ## Who sells lifetime access From their listings: VaultBolt ($37.99), Vaultaire ($39.99), Obscura, Encamera and Inner Gallery. Keepsafe, Private Photo Vault, SPV and most calculator vaults are subscription only. See the [comparison](/compare/). Q: How much is VaultBolt Pro? A: US prices: $3.99 a month, $17.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $37.99 once. Family is $47.99 a year or $97.99 once. Q: What happens to my photos if my VaultBolt subscription ends? A: Nothing is deleted. Items above the free limit stay readable and exportable, and an existing decoy and duress code keep working. ### Phone Searches at the Border: Protecting Private Photos When You Travel URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/border-crossing-phone-search/ · Updated 2026-11-01 In some countries, border officers can ask to inspect your phone. Rules vary widely, and refusing can have consequences. The safest approach is to travel with less. Short answer: Check the rules of the country you're entering. The most reliable protection is to travel without the sensitive data: back it up encrypted, remove it from the phone before travel and restore afterwards. Decoys and duress codes exist, but misleading officials can be illegal, so understand the law first. ## Plan before you travel 1. **Back up your vault** (VaultBolt: encrypted iCloud backup) and check it finished. 2. **Know your recovery phrase.** Keep it off the phone, somewhere you can reach after arrival. 3. **Remove what you don't need on the trip.** Delete the vault from the phone; restore it later with your phrase. 4. **Turn off Face ID** before inspection points if you prefer a code-only unlock. ## During travel - Keep the phone powered off at crossings: after a restart, iOS requires the passcode before Face ID works. - Don't make false statements to officials. ## About decoys and duress codes VaultBolt's [decoy and duress](/features/duress-mode/) features are designed for situations like theft or coercion by people with no lawful authority. At a border, laws differ and the consequences of misleading officials can be serious. Get advice, and when in doubt, travel without the data. Q: Can border agents force me to unlock my phone? A: It depends on the country and your citizenship. Some can deny entry or seize the device if you refuse. Get advice for your specific trip. Q: Should I use a duress code at the border? A: Be careful. Deleting data or misleading an official can be an offence in some jurisdictions. Travelling with less data is usually the safer choice. ### Lost or Stolen iPhone: What Happens to Your Private Photos? URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/lost-or-stolen-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Losing a phone is bad enough without worrying about the photos on it. Here's what to do in the first hour, and what is and isn't at risk. Short answer: Mark the iPhone as lost in Find My right away, which locks it. A locked iPhone with a strong passcode protects its data, and an encrypted vault adds its own layer. If the thief may know your passcode, change your Apple Account password immediately. Restore your vault on a new iPhone with your recovery phrase. ## First hour 1. **Mark as lost** in Find My (on another device or icloud.com/find). 2. **Change your Apple Account password**, especially if someone may have seen your passcode. 3. **Review trusted devices** and remove the lost phone if you won't get it back. ## What's at risk - **Locked phone, unknown passcode:** iOS data protection keeps data encrypted. - **Thief knows the passcode:** they can open Photos, Hidden and apps that fall back to the passcode. Stolen Device Protection adds delays for sensitive changes. Your vault stays locked behind its own code. ## Getting your vault back On the new iPhone: install VaultBolt → **Restore** → enter your 12-word phrase. Everything restores from your encrypted iCloud backup. Q: Can a thief open my vault? A: Not without your vault code. VaultBolt's keys are bound to the Secure Enclave, so the storage can't be copied and guessed offline. Q: How do I get my vault back? A: Install VaultBolt on a new iPhone, choose Restore and enter your 12-word recovery phrase. Your encrypted iCloud backup downloads. ### Kids Use Your iPhone? Keep Private Photos Out of Reach URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/kids-use-my-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Kids are fast. One minute they're playing a game, the next they're in your photos. A few settings keep the phone fun for them and private for you. Short answer: Use Guided Access to lock the phone to one app while they play, lock the Photos app with Face ID, and keep private photos in a vault with its own code so they never appear in Photos at all. ## While they play Turn on **Guided Access** (Settings → Accessibility) and start it in the game. They can't leave the app. ## Lock Photos Touch and hold the Photos icon → **Require Face ID**. ## Keep private photos out of Photos Move them into a vault and use the clean-up so nothing private is left in the camera roll, Hidden or Recently Deleted. Kids who know your passcode can't open a vault with its own code. ## Turn off Memories surprises Photos Memories and widgets can surface old photos. Hiding or moving private photos keeps them out. Q: Can I lock my child into one app? A: Yes. Guided Access keeps the iPhone in one app until you triple-click the side button and enter a code. ### Keeping Medical Photos and Records Private on iPhone URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/medical-records-on-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Photos of a rash for the doctor, a prescription, a lab result. Medical photos are useful and deeply personal, and they surface in Memories, widgets and search. Short answer: Move medical photos and scans into an encrypted vault, delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted, and scan new documents straight into the vault so they never enter your camera roll. ## Move what's there Search Photos for "prescription", "report" or the clinic's name, move results into a vault and clean up the originals. ## Capture privately next time Use VaultBolt's private camera or document mode. Photos and multi-page scans are encrypted as they're captured and never reach the camera roll or iCloud Photos. ## Share carefully When you send a photo to a doctor, use the clinic's secure portal where possible, and strip location first. Q: Can medical photos show up in Memories? A: Yes. Photos can feature any image in Memories, widgets and Featured Photos. Hiding or moving them keeps them out. ### Introducing VaultBolt: Your Stuff. Locked In. URL: https://vaultbolt.app/blog/introducing-vaultbolt/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Private photos, IDs and screenshots of passwords end up scattered across the camera roll, Recently Deleted and iCloud. We think protecting them should take minutes, not an afternoon of scrolling. Here's what we're building. ## The problem we kept hearing Ask people where their private photos are and the honest answer is "everywhere". In the camera roll between holiday snaps. In Recently Deleted, for 30 days after you thought you'd removed them. On the family iPad, because iCloud Photos synced them. Existing vault apps help a little. You still scroll through thousands of photos to find the private ones, the app copies them in, and the originals stay put. Many vaults also show ads or ask for your email first. ## What VaultBolt does differently - **It finds them for you.** An on-device scan groups intimate photos, IDs, cards and screenshots of passwords. Nothing leaves your iPhone. - **It moves instead of copies.** The zero-copies clean-up deletes originals, empties Recently Deleted and checks iCloud Photos, then tells you: 0 copies left. - **It encrypts everything on the device**, with AES-256-GCM and keys bound to your iPhone's Secure Enclave. - **It's honest under pressure.** A decoy vault and duress code protect you when someone forces you to open the app. - **It asks for nothing.** No account, no email, no ads, ever. ## What it looks like Warm on the outside, solid on the inside. The app is calm and ordinary-looking, with a neutral icon and plain notifications. No skulls, no padlocks and chains, no "military-grade". [Try the demo vault](/demo/) to see the whole flow in two minutes. Q: Where can I get VaultBolt? A: VaultBolt is for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. You can also try the interactive demo vault in your browser. ### How to View or Hide the Hidden Album on Mac URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/view-hidden-photos-on-mac/ · Updated 2026-11-01 If you use iCloud Photos, your Hidden album follows you to your Mac. Here's where it is, how it's locked, and how to keep it out of sight on a shared computer. Short answer: In Photos on Mac, choose View → Show Hidden Photo Album, then click Hidden in the sidebar under Utilities. It's locked with Touch ID or your login password on recent macOS. Choose View → Hide Hidden Photo Album to remove it from the sidebar. ## Show and open it 1. Open **Photos** on your Mac. 2. Choose **View → Show Hidden Photo Album**. 3. Click **Hidden** in the sidebar and authenticate. ## Hide it again **View → Hide Hidden Photo Album.** ## Shared Mac? If others use your Mac account, anyone who knows your login password can open Hidden. Give each person their own macOS user account, or keep private photos in a vault on your iPhone instead of the shared library. Q: Why do my iPhone hidden photos appear on my Mac? A: With iCloud Photos on, the whole library, including Hidden, syncs to every device signed in to your Apple Account. ### How to Transfer a Photo Vault to a New iPhone (Without Losing Files) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/transfer-photo-vault-to-new-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Vault apps are the apps most likely to lose data during a phone upgrade, because many store files only on the device. Here is how to move safely, with VaultBolt and with vaults in general. Short answer: Before you switch, confirm your vault's backup has finished and that you have its recovery phrase or password. With VaultBolt, install it on the new iPhone, choose Restore, enter your 12-word phrase and each vault downloads from your iCloud. Keep the old phone untouched until everything opens. ## Before you switch (on the old iPhone) 1. **Open your vault and check the last backup time.** In VaultBolt: Settings → Backup. Tap Back up now and wait until it finishes. 2. **Find your recovery phrase** (VaultBolt) or the recovery method your app uses. Test it if your app offers a check. 3. **Make sure iCloud has space.** A full iCloud is the most common reason a backup silently stops. 4. **Don't delete the app or erase the phone yet.** ## On the new iPhone 1. Install VaultBolt and choose **Restore from backup**. 2. Enter your 12-word recovery phrase. Each vault restores with its own phrase, and entering one never reveals another. 3. Set a new unlock (it can be the same as before). 4. Open a few items, including videos, to confirm they play. ## Only then Erase or trade in the old iPhone. Before you do, read [what to do before selling or trading in an iPhone](/scenarios/selling-or-trading-in-iphone/). ## If your vault app has no cloud backup Some vaults keep files only on the device and warn that deleting the app deletes your data. Export everything to Files on your computer or an encrypted archive before switching, then import on the new phone and delete the exported copies. Q: Does Quick Start copy my vault app's photos? A: Device-to-device migration and iCloud device backups often include app data, but not always for every app, and some vault apps exclude their data on purpose. Rely on the vault's own backup and recovery method. Q: What if my old phone is lost? A: If your vault backed up to iCloud, restore on the new phone with your recovery phrase. If it only stored files on the device, they are gone with the phone. ### How to Store Passport and ID Photos Safely on iPhone URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/store-id-documents-on-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Most of us have photos of a passport, a driver's license or a bank card in the camera roll, taken for a form or a trip. They are some of the most useful photos on your phone for identity thieves. Here is how to keep them handy and safe. Short answer: Move ID photos out of your camera roll into an encrypted vault, delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. Keep only what you need, crop out what you don't, and never store them unencrypted in notes, email or chats. ## Why your camera roll is the wrong place - Anyone who knows your passcode can scroll to it. - It syncs to every device on your Apple Account through iCloud Photos. - Photos search can find "passport" or "card" by content. - Deleting it leaves a copy in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days. ## A safer setup in five minutes 1. **Find them.** VaultBolt's on-device scan groups IDs, passports, cards and screenshots of passwords. Or search Photos for "passport", "license" and "card". 2. **Move them into the vault.** Each file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. 3. **Clean up.** Delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. 4. **Name them.** Rename items ("Passport 2031") so on-device search finds them fast. Names are encrypted too. 5. **Scan new documents straight into the vault** with document mode, so they never touch the camera roll. ## Good habits - Keep only current documents. Delete expired cards and old IDs. - When a form needs a copy, share it from the vault: VaultBolt strips location on the way out. - Never paste ID numbers into notes or chats you don't control. - Keep paper originals somewhere safe; a vault is a convenient copy, not a replacement. Q: Is it safe to keep a photo of my passport on my phone? A: It is useful for travel, but a copy in your camera roll, iCloud Photos and Recently Deleted is easy to find. Keep it in an encrypted vault instead. Q: Can VaultBolt find ID photos for me? A: Yes. The on-device private photo scan groups photos of IDs, passports and cards so you can move them in one go. ### How to Share Private Photos Securely From iPhone URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/share-private-photos-securely/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Once a photo leaves your phone, you lose control of it. You can still reduce what it reveals, limit how long it lives, and choose channels that encrypt end to end. Here is how. Short answer: Use an end-to-end encrypted messenger with disappearing or view-once messages, turn off location in the share sheet, avoid public cloud links, and assume the recipient can always screenshot or photograph the screen. ## Before you send - **Strip location.** In the share sheet, tap **Options** and turn off **Location**. - **Crop.** Remove faces, tattoos, street signs or anything identifying you don't need to share. - **Check the background.** Mirrors, windows and screens reveal more than you think. ## Choose the channel | Channel | End-to-end encrypted | Expiry | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | iMessage | Yes | No | Copies sync to the recipient's devices | | Signal | Yes | Disappearing messages, view-once | Screenshot blocking on some platforms | | WhatsApp | Yes | Disappearing, view-once | May save media to the recipient's camera roll | | Cloud link | Usually no | Sometimes | Anyone with the link can open it | | Email | Usually no | No | Lives forever in two inboxes | ## What view-once really does View-once removes the photo after it's opened in that app. It doesn't stop a screenshot on every platform, and nothing stops a second camera. Treat it as a courtesy, not a guarantee. ## Coming to VaultBolt VaultBolt's planned sharing encrypts each share end to end, with the key kept out of our relay. You set expiry, open limits or view-once, can revoke later, and see when a share was opened. It will still state the same honest limit: a recipient can always photograph their screen. Q: Can view-once photos be screenshotted? A: Some apps block or detect screenshots, but no app can stop someone photographing the screen with another phone. Q: Does VaultBolt support secure sharing? A: Secure sharing with expiry, open limits, view-once and revoke is planned for VaultBolt Pro after launch. Opening shares will be free. ### How to Remove Location From Photos on iPhone Before Sharing URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/remove-location-from-photos-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 If Location Services is on for the Camera, every photo records where it was taken. Send the original file and that location can go with it. Here is how to strip it before sharing, and stop it at the source. Short answer: When sharing, tap Options at the top of the share sheet and turn off Location. To stop recording location entirely, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera and choose Never. Check any JPEG for GPS data with our free photo metadata viewer. ## Turn off location for one share 1. Select the photo and tap **Share**. 2. Tap **Options** under the preview at the top. 3. Turn off **Location** and tap **Done**. 4. Share as usual. ## Stop the Camera recording location Go to **Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera** and choose **Never**. New photos won't store GPS coordinates. Existing photos keep theirs. ## Remove location from an existing photo In Photos, open the photo, swipe up (or tap the info button) to see the map, then tap **Adjust** and **No Location**. The photo keeps its other metadata. ## Check what a photo reveals Use our free [photo metadata viewer](/tools/photo-metadata-viewer/). It reads the file in your browser, lists fields such as GPS location, device model and date, and can save a clean copy. Nothing is uploaded. ## What metadata can include | Field | Example | Risk | | --- | --- | --- | | GPS location | 51.50721, -0.12758 | Reveals home, work or school | | Date and time | 2026:10:30 22:14 | Reveals routines | | Device model | iPhone 17 Pro | Narrows down who took it | | Lens and settings | f/1.8, ISO 640 | Usually harmless | | Software | Photo editor names | Reveals editing | Q: Do social apps remove location from photos? A: Many large social apps strip metadata when they publish an image, but messaging apps that send the original file, email and AirDrop may keep it. Turn location off when sharing to be sure. Q: Do screenshots include location? A: Screenshots don't normally include GPS coordinates, but they can include the date and device model. Q: Does VaultBolt remove location? A: Yes. VaultBolt strips GPS and device details by default whenever a file leaves the vault, through sharing, export or drag and drop. ### How to Make a Secret Photo Album on iPhone URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/secret-photo-album-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 iPhone doesn't let you put a password on a regular album, but you can still keep a private collection. Here are the three ways, from quickest to most private. Short answer: The built-in option is the Hidden album: select photos, tap More (•••) and Hide. It locks with Face ID or your passcode. For a secret album with its own code that your iPhone passcode can't open, use a vault app like VaultBolt, which also supports folders inside each vault. ## 1. The Hidden album (built in) Select photos → **More (•••)** → **Hide**. Find them in **Collections → Utilities → Hidden**. Turn off **Settings → Apps → Photos → Show Hidden Album** to remove it from view entirely. ## 2. A locked Photos app Touch and hold Photos → **Require Face ID**. Every album, not just one, now needs authentication. ## 3. A private vault with folders In VaultBolt, each vault has its own code and can hold folders and nested folders. Create a folder per topic, such as "Documents" or "Us", and move photos in. Each vault stays invisible from the others, and no screen lists how many exist. | Option | Own code | Encrypted separately | Folders | Hides from passcode holders | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Hidden album | No | No | No | No | | Locked Photos app | No | No | Yes | No | | VaultBolt vault | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Q: Can I lock a specific album on iPhone? A: No. Regular albums can't be locked. Only the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are locked, using Face ID or your passcode. Q: Can I have more than one secret album? A: In Photos there is only one Hidden album. In VaultBolt you can create folders inside a vault, and separate vaults with their own codes. ### How to Hide or Lock Apps on iPhone (and What It Doesn't Hide) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-apps-on-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Current iOS lets you require Face ID for any app, and hide most apps from the Home Screen. It's a great privacy layer, with one big catch: your passcode still opens everything. Short answer: Touch and hold an app icon and choose Require Face ID. To hide it too, choose Hide and Require Face ID; it moves to a locked Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library. Anyone who knows your passcode can still open locked and hidden apps. ## Lock an app 1. Touch and hold the app icon. 2. Tap **Require Face ID** (or Touch ID / Passcode). 3. Confirm. ## Hide an app 1. Touch and hold the app icon → **Require Face ID**. 2. Choose **Hide and Require Face ID**. 3. The app moves to the **Hidden** folder at the bottom of the App Library, which itself needs Face ID. Hidden apps don't send notifications or show up in Search. ## What it doesn't do - **Your passcode is the fallback.** Anyone who knows it can open locked and hidden apps. - **It doesn't encrypt anything** beyond normal iOS data protection. - **Purchase history** can still show the app. ## Combining with a vault Hide or lock VaultBolt if you like, but its real protection is its own unlock and encryption. Even if someone opens the app, they still need your vault code, and a decoy code shows them something harmless. Q: Can I hide the Photos app? A: Some built-in apps can be locked but not hidden. You can require Face ID for Photos. Q: Do hidden apps show in search? A: Hidden apps don't appear in Search or notifications, but they do appear in the Hidden folder in the App Library. ### How to Hide Videos on iPhone (Without Losing Quality) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-videos-on-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Videos are hidden the same way as photos, but they are bigger, sync more slowly and are easy to forget in Recently Deleted. Here is the quick way, the secure way, and how to leave no copies behind. Short answer: In Photos, select the video, tap More (•••) and choose Hide. It moves to the locked Hidden album. For a separate unlock and encryption, import it into a vault like VaultBolt, which encrypts videos in chunks so they still stream smoothly, then delete the original and empty Recently Deleted. ## The quick way: the Hidden album 1. Open **Photos** and tap **Select**. 2. Choose the video (or several). 3. Tap **More** (•••), then **Hide**. The video moves to **Utilities → Hidden**, which is locked with Face ID or your passcode on current iOS. It still syncs through iCloud Photos if that is on. ## The secure way: an encrypted vault 1. In VaultBolt, tap **+** and choose **Choose from Photos**. 2. Select the videos and tap **Add**. Each video is encrypted in roughly one-second chunks with AES-256-GCM, so it can play without decrypting the whole file. 3. Run the **clean-up** to delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. To skip all of that next time, record with the [private camera](/features/private-camera/): videos are encrypted as they are recorded and never touch your camera roll. ## Don't forget these copies - **Recently Deleted** keeps deleted videos for up to 30 days. - **iCloud Photos** syncs deletions, but only after they leave Recently Deleted on every device. - **Messaging apps** (WhatsApp, Telegram) may have saved the video to Photos automatically. See [how to stop WhatsApp saving photos to your camera roll](/guides/stop-whatsapp-saving-photos-to-camera-roll/). - **Shared albums** keep their own copy. ## Large videos and storage Encrypted videos take the same space as the originals. If space is tight, delete the original right after the vault copy is verified; VaultBolt only deletes originals once the encrypted copy is safely written. Q: Can I hide a video without deleting it? A: Yes. Hiding keeps the video in your library but moves it to the Hidden album. A vault app copies it into encrypted storage; you then choose whether to delete the original. Q: Do vault apps reduce video quality? A: Some compress videos to save space. VaultBolt stores the original file, encrypted in chunks, so quality is unchanged. Q: How many videos can I hide for free in VaultBolt? A: The free plan holds 100 photos and 10 videos in total. Pro is unlimited. ### How We Compare VaultBolt With Other Photo Vault Apps URL: https://vaultbolt.app/blog/how-we-compare-apps/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Comparison pages are easy to abuse. We'd rather you trust ours. Here's exactly how we build them, and how to tell us when we get something wrong. ## Sources Every competitor cell comes from the app's **US App Store listing**, plus the developer's own website where it has one. Ratings, release dates and update dates come from Apple's public lookup data. Each page shows the date we checked. ## What our labels mean - **Yes / No**: the listing says so. - **Partly**: the listing describes something similar but narrower, such as backup encryption without on-device encryption. - **Not listed**: the listing doesn't mention it. That doesn't prove the feature is missing. - **On the roadmap**: a VaultBolt feature that is planned but not yet in the App Store build. ## What we won't do - Claim another app lacks a feature because we couldn't find it. - Quote anonymous reviews as facts. - Hide where another app is better. Every comparison has a "where they are strong" section and a "choose them if" line. ## Corrections If you make one of these apps and something is wrong or out of date, tell us through the support page and we'll update it. ### How Do Photo Vault Apps Work? Import, Encryption, Backup Explained URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/how-photo-vault-apps-work/ · Updated 2026-11-01 A vault app looks simple: a lock screen and a gallery. Underneath, a good one is doing quite a lot. Here's what happens to a photo from the moment you import it. Short answer: A vault app imports a photo, encrypts it with a key that is itself protected by your unlock, stores it in the app's private storage, and records it in an encrypted index. Good vaults then help you delete the original, and back up only encrypted data. ## 1. Import You pick photos, or a scan finds them. The app reads each one from Photos. iOS never lets an app silently remove photos, so at this point it is a copy. ## 2. Encrypt In VaultBolt, each item gets a random 256-bit **file key** and is sealed in chunks with **AES-256-GCM**. The file key is wrapped by the **vault key**, which is itself wrapped by a key derived from your unlock. ## 3. Index Names, folders, dates and thumbnails go into an **encrypted index**, so even the list of what you stored is unreadable without your key. ## 4. Clean up The app asks iOS to delete the originals, which you confirm. VaultBolt then guides you through Recently Deleted and iCloud Photos. ## 5. Unlock When you open the app, your pattern, PIN or passphrase is run through Argon2id with a Secure Enclave secret to re-create the key that unwraps the vault key. Lock the app and the keys are dropped from memory. ## 6. Back up and recover Encrypted records go to your private iCloud. On a new phone, your recovery phrase re-creates a recovery key that unwraps the vault key, and the vault restores. Q: Do vault apps move or copy photos? A: iOS only lets apps copy photos and ask you to confirm deletion of the originals. Good vaults then help you delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. Q: Where does a vault store files? A: In the app's private container on the device, which other apps can't read. Encrypting vaults store only ciphertext there. ### Handing Your iPhone to Someone Without Them Seeing Private Photos URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/handing-phone-to-someone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 You want to show one photo and they keep swiping. Or a friend borrows your phone for a call. Here's how to share the moment, not your whole library. Short answer: Use Guided Access to lock the phone to a single photo, or share the photo to the person instead of handing the phone over. Long term, keep private photos in a vault with its own unlock and quick exit, so swiping through Photos never reaches them. ## In the moment: Guided Access 1. **Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access** → turn on and set a passcode. 2. Open the photo. 3. Triple-click the side (or Home) button and tap **Start**. Swiping, the Home gesture and other apps are disabled until you triple-click and enter the code. ## Even simpler AirDrop or message the photo to them, and keep your phone. ## For calls and maps Lock the Photos app (touch and hold → **Require Face ID**) so handing over the phone doesn't open your library. ## For good Move private photos into a vault. Even if someone swipes through Photos, they find nothing, and VaultBolt's [quick exit](/features/quick-exit/) locks the vault the moment you flip or shake the phone. Q: How do I show one photo without someone swiping? A: Turn on Guided Access in Settings, Accessibility. Open the photo, triple-click the side button and start Guided Access. Swiping and leaving the app are disabled until you end it. Q: What is quick exit in VaultBolt? A: Flip your iPhone face down or shake it and VaultBolt locks instantly. ### Forgot Your Photo Vault Password? What You Can (and Can't) Do URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/forgot-photo-vault-password/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Being locked out of a vault is stressful. Whether you can get back in depends entirely on how the app was designed, and the safest vaults are the ones that cannot simply reset it for you. Short answer: Use your app's recovery method: a recovery phrase or key (VaultBolt uses 12 words), a recovery email, or a security question. If the vault encrypts with keys only you hold and you have no recovery phrase, the developer cannot get your files back. ## First, try the obvious - **Biometrics.** If Face ID was enabled, it may still open the vault even if you forgot the code. - **Old codes and patterns.** People often reuse a pattern from an older phone. - **Your app's recovery screen.** Look for "Forgot code", "Use recovery phrase" or "Reset". ## Recovery methods, from safest to riskiest | Method | Who can use it | | --- | --- | | Recovery phrase or key you wrote down | Only you | | Encrypted export file plus its password | Only you | | Recovery email | You, and anyone who controls your email | | Security question | Anyone who can guess the answer | | Developer reset | The developer, and anyone who tricks support | ## In VaultBolt 1. On the unlock screen, tap **Use recovery phrase**. 2. Enter your 12 words. 3. Set a new pattern, PIN or passphrase. If you have lost both your code and your phrase, nobody can decrypt the vault. That is the price of a vault that no one else can open. ## Make sure it never happens - Write the phrase on paper and store it with other important documents. - Use an unlock you can remember; a long passphrase can be easier to remember than a random PIN. - Let VaultBolt's periodic reminders ask you to check your phrase. Q: Can VaultBolt support reset my code? A: No. There is no account and no back door. Enter your 12-word recovery phrase on the unlock screen to set a new code. Q: Will deleting and reinstalling the app reset the password? A: For encrypted vaults, reinstalling usually deletes the local vault. Never do this unless you have a backup and a way to restore it. ### Does Deleting a Photo Vault App Delete Your Photos? URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/does-deleting-vault-app-delete-photos/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Usually, yes. Vault apps keep files in their own private storage, and iOS removes that storage when you delete the app. Whether you can get them back depends on the vault's backup. Short answer: Deleting a vault app deletes the files stored inside it on that device. If the vault backed up to iCloud or exported an encrypted file, you can reinstall and restore. With VaultBolt, reinstall, choose Restore and enter your 12-word recovery phrase. ## What happens Each app has a private container. Delete the app and iOS deletes the container, including every file in the vault. ## Getting them back | Vault backup type | After deleting the app | | --- | --- | | Encrypted iCloud backup (VaultBolt, Vaultaire, Inner Gallery) | Reinstall and restore | | Encrypted export file (Obscura) | Import the file | | Developer cloud with account | Sign in again | | Device only (some apps say so in their listing) | Gone | ## Before you delete any vault 1. Open it and check the last backup. 2. Or export everything to Files. 3. Confirm the exported files open. 4. Then delete the app. Q: Are vault photos in my iPhone backup? A: Some apps' data is included in iCloud or computer device backups, some excludes itself. Don't rely on it; use the vault's own backup. Q: How do I safely remove a vault app? A: Export everything you want to keep, check the exported files open, then delete the app. Remember to delete exported copies you don't need. ### Can You Put a Different Password on the iPhone Hidden Album? URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hidden-album-different-password/ · Updated 2026-11-01 It's one of the most searched iPhone privacy questions: can I put a different password on my Hidden album? The short answer is no. Here are the workarounds that actually work. Short answer: No. The Hidden album unlocks with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode, and iOS has no setting for a separate album password. To protect photos with their own code, move them into a vault app with a separate unlock, such as VaultBolt. ## Why there's no separate password Apple ties the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums to device authentication. That keeps things simple, but it means **anyone who knows your iPhone passcode can open them**. ## What you can do in Photos - **Hide the Hidden album** from the sidebar: Settings → Apps → Photos → turn off Show Hidden Album. - **Lock the Photos app**: touch and hold its icon → Require Face ID. Both still fall back to your device passcode. ## A real separate code A vault app gives photos their own unlock. In VaultBolt you choose a pattern, PIN or passphrase that's different from your iPhone passcode, and you can add a decoy code that opens a harmless vault. Move the photos in, then use the clean-up so the originals don't stay in Hidden or Recently Deleted. Q: Can I turn off Face ID for the Hidden album? A: Yes. In Settings, Apps, Photos, you can turn off Use Face ID (or Use Passcode), which unlocks the album without authentication. That makes it less private, not more. Q: Can I lock individual photos on iPhone? A: Not in Photos. You can hide them or lock the whole Photos app. For per-item protection, use a vault. ### Can Apple See Your Hidden Photos? iCloud, Encryption and ADP URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/can-apple-see-hidden-photos/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Hidden photos live in your Photos library, and if iCloud Photos is on, they live in iCloud too. Whether Apple can technically access them depends on one setting: Advanced Data Protection. Short answer: With standard data protection, iCloud Photos is encrypted but Apple holds the keys, so it could technically access your photos, including hidden ones. With Advanced Data Protection turned on, iCloud Photos is end-to-end encrypted and Apple cannot. A vault like VaultBolt encrypts files itself before backup, so Apple only ever receives ciphertext either way. ## Two levels of iCloud protection Apple describes two modes in its [iCloud data security overview](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651): - **Standard data protection** (the default): iCloud Photos is encrypted in transit and at rest, but Apple holds the encryption keys. That lets Apple help you recover data, and means it could technically access it. - **Advanced Data Protection**: iCloud Photos joins the end-to-end encrypted categories. Only your trusted devices hold the keys. Hiding a photo doesn't change which mode applies. Hidden photos are encrypted exactly like the rest of your library. ## What a vault adds A vault that encrypts on your device adds a layer Apple can't open in either mode. VaultBolt encrypts every file with its own key before writing it, so its iCloud backup contains only ciphertext and wrapped keys. Apple can see that encrypted records exist and how big they are. It cannot see what they are. ## Should you turn on Advanced Data Protection? It's a strong privacy upgrade for most people. Before you do, set up a recovery contact or recovery key, because Apple can no longer recover your data for you. Follow [Apple's instructions](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108756). Q: Are hidden photos encrypted? A: They are protected by iOS data protection on the device and by iCloud encryption in the cloud, like the rest of your library. Hiding does not add a separate encryption key. Q: Is Advanced Data Protection available everywhere? A: No. Availability depends on your country, and turning it on requires a recovery contact or recovery key. ### Calculator Vault Apps: Are They Safe? (iPhone, 2026) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/calculator-vault-apps/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Calculator vault apps look like a normal calculator until you type a secret code. The disguise can stop a casual look, but it says nothing about whether your photos are actually encrypted. Here is how to judge one. Short answer: A calculator vault hides that a vault exists, but the disguise is not security. Check that the app describes real on-device encryption, has no ads, needs no account and gives you a way to recover access. Many calculator apps are ad supported and do not describe their encryption at all. ## How calculator vaults work The app opens to a working calculator. Typing a code, often followed by =, opens the hidden vault. Some add a "panic" gesture that jumps back to the calculator, or a second code that opens an empty vault. ## What the disguise protects - A friend who opens a few apps on your phone. - Someone glancing at your Home Screen. ## What it doesn't - **Anyone searching deliberately.** Calculator vaults are some of the best-known apps on the store, and a second calculator on the phone is a giveaway. - **Storage access.** The disguise says nothing about how files are stored. If the photos are not encrypted, a backup or forensic tool may read them. - **Ad tracking.** Many calculator vaults are free with ads, which means third-party ad code runs inside the app that holds your private photos. ## A safer checklist 1. The listing names its encryption and says it happens on the device. 2. No ads, or at least none in a paid tier you will actually buy. 3. No account or email required. 4. A recovery method you control. 5. A clean-up of originals, so your camera roll does not still contain everything. ## An alternative to disguise: deniability Instead of pretending to be another app, VaultBolt makes the vault itself deniable. A [decoy vault](/features/duress-mode/) opens with a different code and holds ordinary photos, and a duress code removes the real vault's keys from the phone. No screen ever reveals how many vaults exist. Q: Can someone tell a calculator app is a vault? A: Often, yes. Popular calculator vaults are well known, show up in App Store purchase history and in Settings storage, and can be found by anyone who knows to look. Q: What happens if I forget the calculator code? A: It depends on the app. Some offer an email reset, which also means the developer has a way in. Others cannot recover it. Check before you store anything. Q: Does VaultBolt have a calculator disguise? A: No. VaultBolt offers neutral alternate icons on Pro, and a planned stealth mode that opens on an ordinary-looking gallery. ### Best Photo Vault for iPad (and How to Sync It With iPhone) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-for-ipad/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Many vault apps are iPhone apps stretched onto an iPad. If you use both devices, you want the same encrypted vault on each, a layout made for the big screen, and sync that never exposes your files. Short answer: Choose a universal app with a real iPad layout and end-to-end encrypted sync through your own iCloud. VaultBolt syncs the same vault between iPhone and iPad on Pro, with a sidebar for vaults and folders, drag and drop and Stage Manager support. ## What to look for - **A real iPad layout**: sidebar navigation, split view, keyboard shortcuts. - **Encrypted sync** that sends only ciphertext through iCloud. - **Pairing you approve**, so a new device can't silently join. - **Drag and drop** from Files and other apps. ## How VaultBolt syncs 1. Install VaultBolt on both devices with the same Apple Account. 2. Approve the iPad from your iPhone and compare a short safety code. 3. Changes sync as encrypted records through your private iCloud. ## Shared iPads If family members share the iPad, give your vault its own unlock that's different from the iPad passcode, turn on auto-lock, and consider a decoy vault. Each vault stays invisible from the others. Q: Does VaultBolt work on iPad? A: Yes. It's a universal app. Free includes encrypted backup and restore; Pro adds live sync between iPhone and iPad. Q: Which vault apps sync between iPhone and iPad? A: From their listings: VaultBolt (Pro), Vaultaire (Pro), Inner Gallery, Keepsafe Premium and PV's paid cloud sync. ### Best Photo Vault Apps for iPhone (2026): 9 Compared Honestly URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/best-photo-vault-apps-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Most 'photo vault' apps hide files behind a PIN screen. Fewer describe real encryption, and fewer still avoid ads and accounts. We compared the popular ones on what actually matters, using each app's own App Store listing. Yes, we make one of them; we tell you where others are better. Short answer: For documented on-device encryption with no account and no ads, look at VaultBolt, Vaultaire, Obscura, Encamera and Inner Gallery. VaultBolt adds an on-device scan that finds private photos and a clean-up that leaves no copies. For the largest, longest-running apps, Private Photo Vault and Keepsafe dominate on ratings but rely on subscriptions. ## How we judged them We read each app's US App Store listing (and website where there is one) on 1 November 2026 and checked six things: 1. **Encryption:** does the listing say how files are encrypted, or only "military-grade"? 2. **Account:** can you use it without an email or sign-up? 3. **Ads:** does the free tier show ads? 4. **Pressure protection:** decoy vault, fake PIN or duress code. 5. **Backup and recovery:** is the backup encrypted before it leaves the phone, and can you recover without the developer? 6. **Price:** subscription only, or a one-time option? "Not listed" means the listing does not mention it. That is not proof the feature is missing. See the [full comparison matrix](/compare/) for every app. ## 1. VaultBolt: best for cleaning up an existing camera roll AES-256-GCM on device, no account, no ads. VaultBolt's on-device scan finds intimate photos, IDs, cards and screenshots of passwords, and its zero-copies clean-up removes originals, Recently Deleted and iCloud Photos copies. Decoy vault, duress code and intruder photos on Pro. Free plan; Pro $37.99 lifetime. [Try the demo](/demo/). ## 2. Vaultaire: best documented pattern-only design AES-256-GCM, no account, no ads, encrypted iCloud backup on the free plan, decoy vaults and a duress vault on Pro. Pattern-only unlock by design, with no Face ID. Lifetime $39.99. [VaultBolt vs Vaultaire](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-vaultaire/). ## 3. Obscura: best for zero network activity Open-source AES-256-GCM encryption, no accounts, no cloud and no analytics. Backups are manual encrypted export files, and there is no password reset by design. [VaultBolt vs Obscura](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-obscura/). ## 4. Encamera: best open-source camera vault Encrypts photos as you capture them, open source, no account, no ads, and stores albums locally or in your iCloud. Lifetime plans available. [VaultBolt vs Encamera](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-encamera/). ## 5. Inner Gallery: best one-time-price newcomer ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption, encrypted iCloud sync, a panic PIN decoy and a one-time upgrade. Very new, with few ratings so far. [VaultBolt vs Inner Gallery](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-inner-gallery/). ## 6. Private Photo Vault: the most-rated vault Over a million ratings since 2011. Decoy password, break-in reports with photo and GPS, and an encrypted Cloud Vault backup on Premium. The listing does not describe on-device file encryption. [VaultBolt vs Private Photo Vault](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-private-photo-vault/). ## 7. Keepsafe: the best-known name More than 385,000 ratings. PIN and Touch ID, a Private Cloud on Premium and time-limited Safe Send. The free tier is ad supported. [VaultBolt vs Keepsafe](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-keepsafe/). ## 8. Safe Lock: most lock styles PIN, DotLock, passwords, Face ID, a fake password with a fake gallery and break-in reports. [VaultBolt vs Safe Lock](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-safe-lock/). ## 9. Calculator#: best disguise Looks like a working calculator and bundles a password manager, notes and a browser. Free with ads. [VaultBolt vs Calculator#](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-calculator-hide-photos/). ## Quick comparison | App | Encryption described | No account | No ads | Decoy | One-time price | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | VaultBolt | AES-256-GCM | Yes | Yes | Yes (Pro) | $37.99 | | Vaultaire | AES-256-GCM | Yes | Yes | Yes | $39.99 | | Obscura | AES-256-GCM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Encamera | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes | | Inner Gallery | ChaCha20-Poly1305 | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Private Photo Vault | Cloud backup only | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | | Keepsafe | "Military-grade" | Sync account | No | Not listed | No | ## What to look for before you trust any vault - **Real encryption, described.** "Military-grade" with no detail is a marketing phrase, not a design. - **Keys that stay with you.** If the company can reset your password by email, it can also reach your data. - **A way back in.** A recovery phrase or recovery file you control. - **No ads.** An ad SDK inside a privacy app is a contradiction. - **Clean-up.** If the originals stay in Photos and Recently Deleted, the vault protected nothing. Q: What is the safest photo vault app for iPhone? A: Look for an app that documents on-device encryption (such as AES-256-GCM or ChaCha20-Poly1305), needs no account, keeps keys off its servers, offers a recovery method you control and backs up only encrypted data. Q: Are free photo vault apps safe? A: Some are. Check whether the free tier shows ads, requires an email, and whether the listing describes how files are encrypted. A free tier with ads means an ad network runs inside a privacy app. Q: Which photo vault app has a lifetime purchase? A: From their listings: VaultBolt ($37.99), Vaultaire ($39.99), Obscura, Encamera and Inner Gallery offer a one-time option. Q: Do photo vault apps delete the original photos? A: Many only copy them. Some offer to delete originals after import. VaultBolt's clean-up also covers Recently Deleted and iCloud Photos. ### Best Keepsafe Alternatives for iPhone (No Ads, No Account) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/keepsafe-alternatives/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Keepsafe is one of the most popular photo lockers, but its free tier is ad supported and its cloud features depend on its own service. If you want a vault with no ads, no account and on-device encryption, these are the alternatives worth a look. Short answer: Good Keepsafe alternatives with no ads and no account include VaultBolt (on-device AES-256, private-photo scan, zero-copies clean-up, $37.99 lifetime), Vaultaire (AES-256, pattern lock, duress vault), Obscura and Encamera (open source) and Inner Gallery (one-time price). ## What to look for in an alternative - **No ads on any tier.** Keepsafe's listing says Keepsafe Basic is ad supported. - **No account.** Your vault should work without an email. - **On-device encryption** with keys you hold. - **A one-time price** if you dislike subscriptions. ## The alternatives **VaultBolt.** On-device AES-256-GCM, no account and no ads. Its scan finds private photos for you, and its clean-up removes every leftover copy. Decoy vault, duress code and intruder photos on Pro. Free plan, or $37.99 once. [Compare with Keepsafe](/compare/vaultbolt-vs-keepsafe/). **Vaultaire.** AES-256-GCM, no account, no ads, encrypted iCloud backup on the free plan and a duress vault on Pro. Pattern-only unlock. **Obscura.** Open-source AES-256-GCM, no cloud and no analytics. You manage encrypted export files yourself. **Encamera.** Open source, no account, no ads, local or iCloud storage per album. **Inner Gallery.** ChaCha20-Poly1305, encrypted iCloud sync and a one-time upgrade. ## How to switch from Keepsafe without leaving copies 1. **Export from Keepsafe.** Open each album, select everything and export (or unhide) to Photos. 2. **Import into your new vault.** In VaultBolt, tap + and choose from Photos, or run the scan, which will find most of them. 3. **Clean up.** Delete the exported copies from Photos and empty **Recently Deleted**. VaultBolt's clean-up walks you through this. 4. **Check it all opens**, then delete Keepsafe. If you used Keepsafe's cloud, follow its instructions to delete your account and cloud data. Q: Why do people look for Keepsafe alternatives? A: Common reasons are ads on the free tier, subscription-only pricing, and wanting a vault where encryption keys stay on the device rather than relying on a company cloud. Q: How do I get my photos out of Keepsafe? A: Open each album in Keepsafe, select the items and export or unhide them back to Photos. Then import them into your new vault and delete the exported copies. ### Before Selling or Trading In Your iPhone: Private Photos Checklist URL: https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/selling-or-trading-in-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Erasing an iPhone properly removes your data, but there are two easy mistakes: losing the private photos you meant to keep, and deleting your iCloud copies by accident. Short answer: Back up your vault and check you have its recovery phrase, set up the new phone and confirm everything opens, then sign out of iCloud and use Erase All Content and Settings on the old iPhone. Don't delete photos one by one with iCloud Photos on, or they disappear from iCloud too. ## Checklist 1. **Back up your vault** and confirm the last backup time. 2. **Find your recovery phrase.** 3. **Set up the new iPhone** and restore the vault. Open a few items. 4. On the old phone, **sign out of your Apple Account** (Settings → your name → Sign Out). 5. **Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.** 6. Remove the device from your Apple Account's device list. ## The mistake to avoid Don't "clean up" the old phone by deleting photos in Photos while iCloud Photos is on. Those deletions sync and remove the photos from every device. Sign out first, then erase. Q: Does erasing my iPhone delete iCloud photos? A: Erase All Content and Settings removes data from the device only. Deleting photos in Photos while iCloud Photos is on deletes them everywhere. ### Are Photo Vault Apps Safe? What to Check Before You Trust One URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/are-photo-vault-apps-safe/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Some photo vault apps are genuinely secure. Others are a PIN screen in front of ordinary files, with ads and an account on top. Here is how to tell them apart in five minutes. Short answer: A photo vault is safe when it encrypts files on your device, keeps the keys off its servers, needs no account, backs up only encrypted data and gives you a recovery method the developer cannot use. Vaults that only hide files behind a PIN protect against casual snooping, not against someone with access to the phone's storage. ## Hiding is not encrypting There are two very different kinds of "vault": - **Hide-behind-a-PIN apps** store your photos as ordinary files inside the app and show a lock screen in front of them. Someone who can read the app's storage, through a backup, a forensic tool or a bug, may see the photos. - **Encrypting vaults** turn each file into ciphertext with a key derived from your unlock. Without the key, the files are noise. The App Store listing usually tells you which kind you have. Look for a named algorithm such as AES-256-GCM or ChaCha20-Poly1305 and a description of where keys live. "Military-grade encryption" with no detail tells you nothing. ## Five questions to ask 1. **Where does encryption happen?** It should be on your device, before anything is written or backed up. 2. **Who holds the keys?** If support can reset your password by email, the company has a way in. 3. **Does it need an account?** An email links your identity to the fact that you use a vault. 4. **Does it show ads?** Ad SDKs collect device data and run third-party code inside the app. 5. **How do you recover access?** A recovery phrase or encrypted export you control is a good sign. ## Red flags - A free tier funded by ads. - Mandatory sign-up before you can lock anything. - Cloud storage on the developer's servers with no mention of client-side encryption. - Vague claims ("unhackable", "military-grade") and no security page. - The app copies photos into the vault and never mentions deleting the originals. ## Even a good vault has limits No app can stop someone photographing your screen, and none can protect a file you have opened on an unlocked phone. If someone knows your vault code, they can open it. That is why VaultBolt adds a [decoy vault and duress code](/features/duress-mode/), and why it publishes its [honest limits](/security/). ## Where VaultBolt stands VaultBolt encrypts every file, thumbnail and its index with AES-256-GCM on the device. Keys come from your unlock through Argon2id and a Secure Enclave secret. There is no account, no ads and no server that can read your files. An independent audit and a public whitepaper are planned before public launch. Q: Can photo vault apps see my pictures? A: Apps that encrypt on your device with keys only you hold cannot. Apps that store photos on their own servers, or can reset your password by email, may be able to. Q: Can police or a forensic lab open a photo vault? A: With strong on-device encryption and a strong passphrase, extracting files from storage is very hard. Weak PINs on a compromised device are easier to guess. Laws on compelled unlocking vary by country. Q: Can a photo vault app be hacked? A: Any app can have bugs. Reduce the risk with an app that documents its encryption, gets independent audits, and keeps nothing readable on its servers. ### Advanced Data Protection for iCloud Photos: What It Does and Doesn't URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/advanced-data-protection-icloud-photos/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Advanced Data Protection is the strongest privacy setting Apple offers for iCloud. It end-to-end encrypts iCloud Photos, but it protects your photos in the cloud, not from someone holding your unlocked phone. Short answer: Advanced Data Protection end-to-end encrypts iCloud Photos so only your trusted devices hold the keys. It doesn't hide photos from someone who knows your passcode, doesn't remove copies from Recently Deleted, and doesn't add decoys. Use it together with a vault for photos that need a separate unlock. ## What it protects With Advanced Data Protection (ADP), iCloud Photos, iCloud Backup, Notes and several other categories are end-to-end encrypted. Apple no longer holds the keys, so a breach of iCloud, or a request to Apple, yields ciphertext. ## What it doesn't - **Your unlocked phone.** Anyone with your passcode can still open Photos and the Hidden album. - **Shared content.** Shared albums are not covered in the same way; check Apple's documentation for the current list. - **Copies elsewhere.** Photos saved by other apps or older backups are outside its scope. - **Pressure.** There's no decoy or duress option. ## How to turn it on 1. Make sure all your devices run current software. 2. Set up a **recovery contact** or **recovery key**. 3. Go to **Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Advanced Data Protection** and follow the steps. Availability varies by country, and Apple's [instructions](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108756) list the requirements. ## ADP and VaultBolt together They solve different problems. ADP keeps your iCloud library private from the cloud. VaultBolt keeps chosen items private from people who can use your phone, removes the copies from your library, and backs up its own encrypted data, which stays ciphertext whether or not ADP is on. Q: How do I turn on Advanced Data Protection? A: Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, Advanced Data Protection. You need a recovery contact or recovery key first. Q: Do I still need a photo vault with ADP? A: ADP protects data in iCloud. A vault protects photos on the phone from people who know your passcode, and adds decoys, duress codes and clean-up. ### AES-256 Encryption Explained (and Why GCM Matters for Photo Vaults) URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/aes-256-encryption-explained/ · Updated 2026-11-01 Almost every vault app claims AES-256. The cipher is excellent, but it is rarely the weak point. What matters is the mode, where the key comes from and where it is stored. Short answer: AES-256 is a standard symmetric cipher with a 256-bit key and no practical attack. GCM is a mode that adds authentication, so tampering is detected. In a photo vault, security depends far more on how the key is derived from your unlock, whether it is bound to the device, and whether it ever leaves it. ## The cipher AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) turns readable data into ciphertext using a key. AES-256 uses a 256-bit key: there are more possible keys than atoms in the observable universe, so guessing the key directly is not a realistic attack. ## The mode: why GCM A cipher needs a mode to encrypt files of any size. **GCM** encrypts the data and computes an **authentication tag**. If anyone changes even one bit of the ciphertext, decryption fails instead of returning corrupted data. VaultBolt uses AES-256-GCM for file content, thumbnails and its index, sealed in chunks so videos can stream. ## Where real attacks happen | Weak point | Example | Defence | | --- | --- | --- | | Weak unlock | A 4-digit PIN | Passphrase; slow key derivation | | Key derivation | Fast hashing lets attackers guess quickly | Memory-hard Argon2id | | Off-device guessing | Copying storage to a fast computer | Key bound to the Secure Enclave | | Key on a server | Vendor can reset or read | No account; keys stay on device | | Plain copies | Originals left in Photos | Zero-copies clean-up | ## Why "military-grade" tells you little AES-256 is used by governments, so "military-grade" is technically true of almost any app that uses it. It says nothing about the mode, the key or where it lives. Look for a security page that explains those. Q: Can AES-256 be cracked? A: Not by brute-forcing the key with any foreseeable technology. Attacks target weak passwords, stolen keys or software bugs instead. Q: What is the difference between AES-256 and AES-256-GCM? A: AES-256 is the cipher. GCM (Galois/Counter Mode) is how it is applied to data; it encrypts and also produces an authentication tag that detects any change to the ciphertext. ### How to Lock Photos with Face ID on iPhone URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/lock-photos-with-face-id-on-iphone/ · Updated 2026-10-26 There are two built-in controls people often mean by “lock my photos”: authentication for the Hidden collection and authentication for the Photos app itself. They solve different problems. Use the steps below to choose the one that fits your situation. ## Lock the Hidden collection The Hidden collection is locked by default on current iPhone software. In Photos, select one or more items, open the More menu, choose Hide, and confirm. When you later open Hidden under Utilities, authenticate with the method available on your device, such as Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode. If the collection opens without authentication, check Settings under Apps, then Photos. Apple provides a setting to enable or disable authentication for the Hidden and Recently Deleted collections. Menu wording and placement can shift between releases, so look for the Photos settings rather than relying on an old screenshot. ## Lock the whole Photos app On iPhone software that supports app locking, you can require Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode before opening a supported app. Touch and hold Photos on the Home Screen and choose the Require Face ID or equivalent action. Hiding an app is a separate choice: it removes the icon from the Home Screen and moves it into the Hidden folder in App Library. Locking the Photos app protects the app entrance, not just one album. It can be useful when you do not want someone opening the library at all. Apple notes that app locking is device-specific and that some system locations may behave differently. Read the current Apple instructions for your iOS version before relying on the feature in a particular situation. ## Choose between album lock and app lock Choose the Hidden collection when you want ordinary photos easy to browse while a selected group requires authentication. Choose an app lock when the goal is to put an authentication prompt in front of Photos as a whole. You can use both, but neither turns the image into a separately encrypted file that is removed from your Apple library. App locking and album hiding rely on authentication for the iPhone. If someone knows your device passcode or can authenticate with your enrolled biometrics, that may be enough to reach the protected area. If your concern is an unlocked device being handed to another person, consider whether you can keep the phone locked or show only a specific screen instead of handing over the full library. ## Understand iCloud and other copies The Hidden collection remains part of Photos. If iCloud Photos is enabled, Apple syncs the library and hidden status to other signed-in devices. An app lock does not change that sync behavior. If you want a photo to live outside the Photos library, that is a separate import-and-storage workflow and should be evaluated independently. Before deleting a source photo after importing it elsewhere, verify the imported copy and learn how backup and recovery work. With iCloud Photos active, deletion in Photos can propagate across devices using the library. Recently Deleted provides a recovery window, not a permanent backup. Keep a second copy of irreplaceable files before a cleanup. ## When a separate vault is worth considering A separate vault may make sense if you need an independent unlock and encrypted storage rather than a filtered view inside Photos. Before importing sensitive files, check which encryption runs on the device, what information is included in the backup, whether the app can recover a forgotten unlock method, and what happens if you uninstall the app. Test any import or cleanup process using a copy that you can afford to lose. Confirm the vault copy is readable, verify recovery instructions, and only then decide what to remove from Photos. If a feature description promises hidden or decoy access, look for a clear explanation of its limits; an interface label alone is not a security model. Q: Can I lock only the Photos app with Face ID? A: On iPhone versions that support app locking, touch and hold Photos and choose Require Face ID. Availability and wording depend on the software version. Q: Does Face ID encrypt my photos? A: Face ID is an authentication method. It does not by itself create a separate encrypted copy or change how iCloud Photos syncs the library. Q: Can I lock just the Hidden album? A: The Hidden collection is locked by default on current iPhone software and uses device authentication. Check Settings if you want to change that behavior. ### How to Hide Photos on iPhone Without Installing an App URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-photos-on-iphone-without-an-app/ · Updated 2026-10-26 For most people, the built-in Hidden collection is the simplest place to start. It moves selected photos out of the regular library view and, on current iPhone software, the collection is locked by default. Here is the exact flow and what that protection does not mean. ## Move a photo into the Hidden collection Open Photos and find the photo or video. Touch and hold it, choose Hide, then confirm. To hide several items, choose Select, tap each item, open the More menu, and choose Hide. The selected items leave the usual Library and other views where they would normally appear. The Photos interface changes between iOS releases, so the button may be shown as an icon rather than the word More. If you cannot find Hide, select the item first and inspect the actions menu. You do not need to download a separate app or create another account to use this built-in feature. ## Keep the Hidden collection out of view The Hidden collection is normally listed under Utilities in Photos. You can also switch off Show Hidden Album in Settings under Apps, then Photos. That removes the collection entry from the Photos interface; it does not delete the items or turn them into a separate encrypted file store. The collection can be opened with the iPhone's authentication method, such as Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode, depending on the device and settings. If someone can authenticate the iPhone as you, they may also be able to open the collection. A familiar device passcode is not a separate secret from the one protecting the rest of the phone. ## Know what hiding changes Hiding changes where the item appears in Apple's photo library. It is useful when your goal is to keep a picture out of the everyday grid, widgets, and casual browsing. It is not the same as moving a file into an independent app, encrypting a separate copy with a key you control, or removing all copies from a synced library. If iCloud Photos is on, Apple's documentation says hidden status is shared across devices using that library. The item may therefore still be available on your other signed-in devices, inside their Hidden collection. Treat the feature as a library organization and privacy control, not as a promise that a photo exists only on one device. ## Check sync before deleting anything Hiding does not delete the original. If you later decide to delete a photo, first check whether iCloud Photos is syncing the library. Apple says deletions made in an iCloud Photos library appear on the other devices using it, and deleted items remain in Recently Deleted for a limited recovery period. Do not empty Recently Deleted until you are certain you have a safe copy and intended to remove the photo permanently. If you are trying to free device storage, review iCloud Photos settings and the difference between optimized device storage and downloaded originals. A hidden photo can still be part of your synced library and count toward storage. ## When the built-in option is enough Use Hidden when you want a quick, no-cost way to separate selected images from the main Photos view and device authentication meets your needs. It is a sensible first step for reducing accidental exposure while showing someone your camera roll. Consider a separate vault only if you need a different storage and unlock model. Before trusting any app with irreplaceable files, read how its encryption keys are created, where backups go, what happens if you lose the unlock method, and whether deleting an imported item also removes the source copy. A separate app adds responsibility as well as protection. Q: Can I hide photos on iPhone without an app? A: Yes. The Photos app includes a Hidden collection. Select an item, choose Hide, and confirm. Q: Does hiding a photo remove it from iCloud? A: No. Hiding changes its visibility in the Photos library. If iCloud Photos is enabled, hidden status can sync across your devices. Q: Is the Hidden collection protected by Face ID? A: It is locked by default on current iPhone software and uses the device's available authentication method. Check Settings if that behavior has been changed. ### How to Hide Photos on iPhone (2026): Hidden Album, App Lock and Vaults URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/how-to-hide-photos-on-iphone/ · Updated 2026-11-01 There are three real ways to hide photos on an iPhone: Apple's Hidden album, locking the Photos app, and moving photos into a separate encrypted vault. Here is how each works, and what each one does not protect you from. Short answer: Open Photos, select the photos, tap the More (•••) button and choose Hide. They move to the Hidden album under Utilities, which is locked with Face ID or your passcode. For a separate unlock that your iPhone passcode cannot open, move them into an encrypted vault app like VaultBolt and delete the originals. ## Option 1: Use the Hidden album The Hidden album is built into Photos and costs nothing. 1. Open **Photos** and find the photo or video. 2. Tap **Select**, choose one or more items, then tap the **More** button (•••). 3. Tap **Hide** and confirm. The items leave your Library, albums and the Photos widget and move to **Collections → Utilities → Hidden**. On current iOS that album is locked by default, so opening it needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. You can also stop the Hidden album from appearing at all: go to **Settings → Apps → Photos** and turn off **Show Hidden Album**. **What it protects:** people scrolling through your photos, the Memories feature and widgets. **What it doesn't:** anyone who knows your iPhone passcode. The photos also stay in iCloud Photos and sync to your other devices. ## Option 2: Lock the Photos app On current iOS you can require Face ID for the whole Photos app. Touch and hold the Photos icon, choose **Require Face ID**, and confirm. Now opening Photos at all needs authentication. This is useful when you hand your phone to someone to make a call. It is less useful when the person already knows your passcode, because the passcode opens the app too. ## Option 3: Move photos into an encrypted vault A vault app keeps photos in a separate place, behind a separate unlock. The good ones encrypt each file, so a copy of the phone's storage reveals nothing readable. With VaultBolt: 1. Set a pattern, PIN or passphrase that is **different from your iPhone passcode**, and write down your 12-word recovery phrase. 2. Tap **+** and choose **Scan for private photos** to let the on-device scan find them, or **Choose from Photos** to pick them yourself. 3. Items are encrypted with AES-256-GCM as they move in. 4. Run the **zero-copies clean-up**: delete the originals, empty Recently Deleted and check iCloud Photos. > Moving a photo into most vault apps copies it. Until you delete the original and empty Recently Deleted, the photo is still in your library for up to 30 days. ## Which option should you use? | Situation | Best option | | --- | --- | | Friends sometimes scroll your camera roll | Hidden album | | You hand your phone over for calls or maps | Lock the Photos app | | Someone knows your iPhone passcode | Encrypted vault | | You share an Apple Account or iCloud Photos | Encrypted vault | | Someone might pressure you to open it | Vault with a decoy and duress code | ## Don't forget the copies Wherever you hide photos, check the places copies collect: **Recently Deleted**, **Shared Albums**, messaging apps that auto-save media, and any other device signed in to your Apple Account. Q: Does the iPhone Hidden album use Face ID? A: Yes. On current iOS the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are locked by default and open with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. Q: Do hidden photos sync to my other Apple devices? A: If iCloud Photos is on, photos you hide on one device are hidden on your other devices too, and they stay part of your iCloud Photos library. Q: Does hiding a photo encrypt it? A: Hiding moves the photo out of your main views and puts it behind device authentication. It is not a separate encrypted vault with its own key. Q: Can I put a different password on the Hidden album? A: No. The Hidden album uses your device passcode or Face ID. To protect photos with a different code, use a vault app. ### How to Find and Recover Hidden Photos on iPhone URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/recover-hidden-photos-iphone/ · Updated 2026-10-26 A photo that seems to have vanished may be hidden, recently deleted, still syncing, or stored under a different Apple Account. Check the reversible places first. Avoid erasing the device or changing iCloud settings until you know which case you are dealing with. ## Look in the Hidden collection first Open Photos and find Hidden under Utilities. On current iPhone software, opening the collection requires authentication by default. If the album is not listed, check Settings under Apps, then Photos, and look for Show Hidden Album. Turning that setting on makes the collection visible again; it does not move or delete the photos. If you can open Hidden but do not see the expected image, check that you are looking at the same library and Apple Account used when you hid it. Hidden status can sync through iCloud Photos to devices using that library, but a device with sync off or a different account may show a different set of items. ## Check Recently Deleted If you chose Delete instead of Hide, open Recently Deleted in Photos. Apple says deleted items are kept there for 30 days, unless you permanently delete them sooner. Authenticate to open the collection, select the photo, and choose Recover if it is available. If you use iCloud Photos, deletion usually syncs to the other devices using the library. Recovering the item in Photos should sync the restored status as well. Wait for the library to finish syncing before repeating the action on other devices; a second delete can remove the item again. ## Check the Recovered collection and library sync Apple's Photos app may show a Recovered collection when it finds images on a device that are not currently part of the library. If the expected photo is not in Hidden or Recently Deleted, check whether Recovered is present and review its contents before dismissing or removing anything. Then check the Photos sync setting in Settings, your Apple Account, and the library on iCloud.com/photos. A new device, a paused upload, low storage, or an account mismatch can make the library look incomplete. Keep the iPhone on power and Wi-Fi if it is still syncing a large library, and do not interpret a temporary thumbnail gap as proof that a file is gone. ## If you turned off iCloud Photos If Photos sync was turned off, the iPhone may contain a different local set from the copy in iCloud. Apple provides device-specific options for downloading originals or removing local copies when you turn sync off. Read those prompts carefully and check which copy is stored where before turning sync back on. Avoid switching accounts, signing out, or erasing a device as an early troubleshooting step. First record the Apple Account, whether Sync this iPhone is enabled, and whether originals are downloaded. If the photo matters, make a verified copy before changing the library configuration. ## When there is no recovery copy If a photo was permanently deleted from Recently Deleted and no other device, computer backup, shared copy, or independent archive contains it, recovery may not be possible. Apple cannot restore a file that has been permanently removed from every copy. Be wary of tools or services that promise guaranteed recovery without knowing what backups exist. For future moves, test a small, replaceable photo first. Confirm the destination copy opens, understand how its backup works, and keep a second copy of important material. If you use a vault app, write down its recovery process before importing files. A recovery phrase or backup helps only if it was created and stored before you need it. Q: Where is the Hidden album on iPhone? A: In Photos, look under Utilities. If it is not shown, check Settings, Apps, Photos, and enable Show Hidden Album. Q: Can I recover a photo after deleting it? A: Check Recently Deleted. Apple keeps deleted items there for up to 30 days unless they are permanently deleted sooner. Q: What if a photo is missing from Recently Deleted too? A: Check iCloud Photos, iCloud.com, other devices, computer backups, and shared copies. If every copy was permanently deleted, recovery may not be possible. ### Can You Delete Photos from iPhone Without Deleting from iCloud? URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/delete-photos-from-iphone-without-deleting-from-icloud/ · Updated 2026-10-26 If iCloud Photos is syncing your library, deleting a photo on the iPhone generally deletes it from iCloud Photos and your other synced devices. Do not test this with an important picture. First identify which iCloud feature is active and whether you have a verified copy. ## First check whether iCloud Photos is syncing Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud and Photos. If Sync this iPhone is on, the Photos library is synchronized with iCloud and other devices using the same Apple Account. In that setup, deleting from the iPhone is a library deletion, not just a local-storage cleanup. Apple says edits and deletions made in iCloud Photos reflect across devices. A deleted photo normally appears in Recently Deleted for 30 days, where it can be recovered. After the recovery period, or if you remove it there sooner, it may be permanently deleted. Do not rely on that temporary folder as a backup plan. ## Use Optimize iPhone Storage for space If the main reason for deleting photos is to free iPhone storage while keeping the library, check Optimize iPhone Storage. With this option, full-resolution originals are stored in iCloud while space-saving versions may remain on the device. The original can be downloaded when needed, provided the account and network are available. This is not a device-only delete button. The photo remains represented in your library and may still use some local space for previews or cached data. Storage behavior depends on the device and library. Check Settings and iPhone Storage after enabling optimization, and allow time for uploads or downloads to finish on a reliable connection. ## Turning off sync is a different choice Apple lets you turn off iCloud Photos for one device. Its support instructions tell you to download originals first if you want full-resolution local copies, then switch off Sync this iPhone under the Photos iCloud settings. When sync is off for that device, later changes on other devices no longer sync to it. Read the prompt carefully before choosing an option such as Remove from iPhone. That wording can remove local copies from the device; it does not mean a new independent archive has been created. If you need the photos offline, select the download option and wait until the originals are available before you disconnect or erase anything. ## Safer steps before you remove anything Make a short checklist before a large cleanup: confirm the Apple Account, check the iCloud Photos sync setting, verify that uploads are complete, and identify a second copy of anything important. If you are moving selected photos into another app, open the imported files and confirm that they are complete before deleting the source. Try the process with a nonessential image first. Delete it only if you understand where the deletion appears, then check Recently Deleted and another device using the same library. This small test can reveal whether you are working with a synced library or a device-only collection before you risk irreplaceable photos. ## If a photo has already disappeared Check Recently Deleted in Photos and, if available, iCloud.com/photos. If the item is there and the recovery window is open, choose Recover. Also check whether the correct Apple Account is signed in and whether iCloud Photos has finished syncing. A missing thumbnail may be a sync delay or an optimized original that needs to download. If the item is not in Recently Deleted and no independent backup exists, avoid resetting the device or making repeated setting changes. Look for copies in a computer backup, shared album, message attachment, or another device that was not syncing. Apple's recovery options depend on what was enabled before the deletion; nobody can promise recovery after a permanent deletion without a remaining copy. Q: If I delete a photo from my iPhone, does it delete from iCloud? A: If iCloud Photos is enabled for that library, Apple says deleting a photo removes it from the other devices using iCloud Photos too. Q: How do I save iPhone space without deleting photos? A: Check Optimize iPhone Storage in iCloud Photos settings. It keeps originals in iCloud and may keep smaller device versions, subject to sync and account availability. Q: Does turning off iCloud Photos delete my cloud library? A: Turning sync off for one device changes what syncs to that device. Follow Apple's current instructions and read each confirmation carefully; download originals first if you need local full-resolution copies. ### Are Hidden Photos Saved to iCloud? What Syncs and What Does Not URL: https://vaultbolt.app/guides/are-hidden-photos-saved-to-icloud/ · Updated 2026-10-26 Usually, yes: when iCloud Photos is enabled, Apple syncs the library and its organization across your devices, including the Hidden collection. Hiding does not create a private iCloud folder or remove a photo from the synced library. Here is how to check your setup safely. ## Hidden is a Photos collection, not a separate cloud drive The Hidden collection is part of the Apple Photos library. Hiding an item moves it out of the regular views and into that collection. It does not make a separate iCloud account, upload a second copy to a special vault, or stop the library from syncing. Apple describes iCloud Photos as keeping your photos and videos up to date across your devices. The same library can appear on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and iCloud.com when those devices use the same Apple Account and have iCloud Photos enabled. The exact devices visible to you depend on which ones are signed in and syncing. ## What happens when iCloud Photos is on Apple's current iPhone guidance says a photo you hide is moved to the Hidden collection, and Apple's iCloud Photos guidance says library changes stay up to date across devices. In practice, hidden items remain part of the synced library; the Hidden status is reflected on the devices using that library. This is convenient if you use several Apple devices: you do not need to hide the same picture separately on each one. It also means you should not assume that hiding a photo on a shared iPhone keeps it away from a Mac or iPad signed into the same account. Check the Hidden collection on the devices you use. ## Hiding and deleting are different actions Hiding changes where a photo is shown. Deleting removes it from the library. With iCloud Photos enabled, Apple says deleting a photo on one device deletes it from the other devices using iCloud Photos too. Deleted items can usually be recovered from Recently Deleted for 30 days, after which they are permanently removed. If your goal is to preserve the photo in iCloud but remove a local copy, do not use the Delete button as a storage shortcut. First understand whether iCloud Photos is enabled and whether your device is using optimized storage. The optimized version may be smaller than the original, but it is still represented in the synced library. ## Check which devices are syncing On each Apple device, open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud and Photos. Look for the setting that syncs Photos on that device. The wording can vary by operating system version. Also check the Apple Account shown at the top of Settings; two devices only share a library if the account and sync settings match. You can use iCloud.com/photos as another place to inspect the library. Remember that a web browser session is still access to your Apple Account. Sign out on a shared computer and protect the account with a strong password and two-factor authentication. A Hidden collection does not protect the wider Apple Account from someone who can sign in as you. ## If you need a separate protection model For casual browsing, the Hidden collection may be enough. If you need files stored separately from the Apple Photos library, look for a vault app that explains on-device encryption, recovery, and backup in plain language. An app may use iCloud for encrypted backup, but that is different from iCloud Photos syncing the original library. Before moving anything, test the workflow with a nonessential photo. Confirm the imported copy opens, learn how recovery works, and decide whether you want to delete the source. If you remove a source photo from Photos while iCloud Photos is active, that deletion can propagate to your other devices. Keep at least one verified backup before a cleanup. Q: Do hidden photos sync to iCloud? A: If iCloud Photos is enabled, hidden items remain in the Photos library and their Hidden status syncs across devices using that library. Q: Does hiding photos free iCloud storage? A: No. Hiding changes visibility; it does not delete the photo from the library. Q: Can I hide a photo from iCloud but keep it on my iPhone? A: Not by using the Hidden collection. If iCloud Photos is syncing the library, hiding is a library status, not a device-only copy operation.