# VaultBolt

> VaultBolt is an encrypted, no-account photo, video and file vault for iPhone and iPad. It scans the camera roll on the device for private photos, encrypts them with AES-256-GCM, removes every leftover copy (zero-copies clean-up), and offers decoy and duress vaults, intruder photos, encrypted iCloud backup with a 12-word recovery phrase, and iPhone/iPad sync. Free plan: 3 vaults, 100 photos, 10 videos. Pro: $3.99/month, $17.99/year (7-day free trial) or $37.99 lifetime. Family: $47.99/year or $97.99 lifetime. No ads, no account, no tracking.

## Product
- [VaultBolt Features — Encrypted Photo Vault for iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/features/): All 19 VaultBolt features: private photo scan, zero-copies clean-up, AES-256 encryption, decoy and duress vaults, encrypted iCloud backup and more.
- [How VaultBolt Works — From Camera Roll to Encrypted Vault](https://vaultbolt.app/how-it-works/): See how VaultBolt scans your iPhone for private photos, encrypts them on the device, removes every copy and backs up only ciphertext to your iCloud.
- [VaultBolt Security — AES-256, Secure Enclave & Threat Model](https://vaultbolt.app/security/): How VaultBolt encrypts your photos: AES-256-GCM, Argon2id, Secure Enclave-bound keys, a 12-word recovery phrase, and an honest threat model with stated limits.
- [VaultBolt Pricing — Free, Pro Lifetime $37.99, Family](https://vaultbolt.app/pricing/): VaultBolt is free for up to 3 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos. Pro is $3.99 a month, $17.99 a year or $37.99 once. Family covers six people. No ads on any plan.
- [VaultBolt FAQ — Photo Vault Questions Answered](https://vaultbolt.app/faq/): Answers about VaultBolt: encryption, the private photo scan, decoy and duress vaults, backup and recovery, pricing, iPad and switching from other vault apps.
- [VaultBolt Roadmap — What Ships at Launch and Next](https://vaultbolt.app/roadmap/): What VaultBolt includes at launch on iPhone and iPad, what comes next (secure sharing, stealth mode, AI search) and what is planned later.
- [VaultBolt Demo Vault — See the Encrypted Photo Vault in Action](https://vaultbolt.app/demo/): A five-step tour of VaultBolt: the private photo scan, AES-256 encryption, zero-copies clean-up, decoy and duress codes, and encrypted iCloud backup.

## Features
- [Private photo scan](https://vaultbolt.app/features/private-photo-scan/): An on-device scan groups intimate photos, IDs, cards and screenshots of passwords so you can review and move them in minutes.
- [Zero-copies clean-up](https://vaultbolt.app/features/zero-copies-cleanup/): A guided flow deletes the originals, empties Recently Deleted and checks iCloud Photos, then confirms: 0 copies left.
- [Encrypted on your iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/features/encryption/): AES-256-GCM on the device for every file and the index. Nobody else can open it: not Apple, not a thief, not even VaultBolt.
- [Unlock your way](https://vaultbolt.app/features/unlock-options/): Draw a pattern, type a PIN or passphrase, or use Face ID and Touch ID, with a strength hint as you set it up.
- [Each vault, its own pattern](https://vaultbolt.app/features/hidden-vaults/): Personal, work, travel: every vault opens with its own pattern, PIN or passphrase, and no screen reveals how many exist.
- [Decoy vault and duress code](https://vaultbolt.app/features/duress-mode/): A decoy code opens harmless content. A duress code also removes the real vault's keys from the device, silently.
- [Intruder photo](https://vaultbolt.app/features/intruder-selfie/): Wrong attempts trigger a silent front-camera photo and a time-stamped log, stored encrypted in your vault.
- [Private camera and document scanner](https://vaultbolt.app/features/private-camera/): Photos, videos and multi-page document scans encrypted as you capture them. No original, no clean-up.
- [Encrypted iCloud backup](https://vaultbolt.app/features/encrypted-icloud-backup/): Uploads to your own private iCloud already encrypted, on every plan. Restore anywhere with your 12-word phrase.
- [Recovery phrase](https://vaultbolt.app/features/recovery-phrase/): 12 words, checked when you set them up, that restore your vault on any iPhone without an account.
- [iPhone and iPad sync](https://vaultbolt.app/features/device-sync/): End-to-end encrypted sync through your iCloud, with an iPad layout that uses the whole screen.
- [Quick exit and screen privacy](https://vaultbolt.app/features/quick-exit/): Flip or shake to lock, a cover in the app switcher, and an alert with a one-tap delete when a screenshot is taken.
- [Location and metadata scrub](https://vaultbolt.app/features/metadata-scrub/): GPS, device model and other metadata removed by default when a file leaves the vault.
- [Alternate icons and themes](https://vaultbolt.app/features/app-icons/): Neutral alternate icons and extra themes, with plain-language notifications.
- [No account, no ads, no tracking](https://vaultbolt.app/features/no-account/): No sign-up, no ad networks, no cross-app tracking. Anonymous analytics are opt-in.
- [Secure sharing](https://vaultbolt.app/features/secure-sharing/): End-to-end encrypted shares with expiry, view limits, view-once and revoke. Free to receive.
- [Stealth mode](https://vaultbolt.app/features/stealth-mode/): An ordinary gallery on launch; a secret gesture reveals the unlock.
- [On-device search](https://vaultbolt.app/features/on-device-search/): Search by name, date and type, with on-device content search for Pro coming after launch.
- [Legacy access](https://vaultbolt.app/features/legacy-access/): A trusted person receives chosen files if you stop checking in, with a veto window.

## Comparisons
- [VaultBolt vs Vaultaire](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Keepsafe](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Private Photo Vault](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Apple Hidden album](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.
- [VaultBolt vs SPV](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Calculator#](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Hide it Pro](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Safe Lock](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Secret Photo Album](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.
- [VaultBolt vs PV Secret Photo Album](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Privault](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Encamera](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Obscura](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Inner Gallery](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.
- [VaultBolt vs HiddenVault](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.
- [VaultBolt vs Vaulty](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.

## Full text
- [All site text in one file](https://vaultbolt.app/llms-full.txt)
- [Fact sheet](https://vaultbolt.app/facts/)

## Guides, scenarios and blog
- [Photo Vault Apps That Hide Their Icon on iPhone: What Works](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-app-hide-icon-iphone/): Can a photo vault app hide its own icon on iPhone? What disguised and alternate icons really do, the iOS setting that hides any app, and what to check instead.
- [Keepsafe Review (2026): Is the Popular Photo Locker Private?](https://vaultbolt.app/compare/vaultbolt-vs-keepsafe/review/): An honest Keepsafe review from its App Store listing: what the free and Premium plans include, how it handles encryption, ads and the cloud, and who it suits.
- [How to Blur a Face or Number in a Photo on iPhone (2026)](https://vaultbolt.app/tools/blur-photo/blur-face-in-photo-iphone/): Three ways to hide a face, name or card number in a photo on iPhone: Markup shapes, Clean Up and a private blur tool. Which ones can be undone, and by whom.
- [Deleted iPhone Photos Reappearing? What the Viral Post Got Wrong](https://vaultbolt.app/blog/deleted-iphone-photos-reappearing-viral-story/): A viral post said an iPhone kept 145,000 deleted photos for three years. What holds up, what doesn't, and the three places deleted photos really survive.
- [A Stranger Saw a Private Photo on My iPhone Lock Screen](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/stranger-saw-my-lock-screen-photo-widget/): A private photo showed up on your locked iPhone. Find which feature put it there (Photo Shuffle, StandBy, widgets or a message preview) and switch it off.
- [iPhone Privacy Settings Checklist for Your Photos (2026)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/iphone-privacy-settings-checklist/): A practical checklist of iPhone privacy settings that protect your photos: passcode, Stolen Device Protection, Hidden album, location, app access and iCloud.
- [Zero-Knowledge Encryption Explained for Photo Vaults](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/zero-knowledge-encryption-explained/): What zero-knowledge encryption means, how to tell if a photo vault really is zero-knowledge, and what the company can and can't see.
- [Your Partner Knows Your iPhone Passcode: Keeping Some Photos Private](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/partner-knows-iphone-passcode/): When a partner knows your passcode, the Hidden album isn't private. How to keep some photos to yourself without changing your relationship to your phone.
- [Your Ex Still Has Access to a Shared Album: How to Remove It](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/ex-shared-album-access/): An ex can still see photos in a shared iCloud album or Shared Library. How to remove them, delete shared copies and keep future photos private.
- [Why a Photo Vault Should Move Photos, Not Copy Them](https://vaultbolt.app/blog/why-we-move-not-copy/): Most photo vault apps copy your private photos and leave the originals in Photos and Recently Deleted. Why that defeats the purpose, and how zero-copies clean-up works.
- [Why VaultBolt Will Never Ask for Your Email](https://vaultbolt.app/blog/why-no-account/): VaultBolt has no accounts by design. What that means for privacy, purchases, backup and recovery, and the trade-off we chose on purpose.
- [What Is a Duress Password? Decoy Vaults and Duress Codes Explained](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/duress-password-explained/): A duress password unlocks something harmless when you are forced to open your phone or vault. How duress codes and decoy vaults work on iPhone, and their limits.
- [Stop WhatsApp Saving Photos to Your iPhone Camera Roll](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/stop-whatsapp-saving-photos-to-camera-roll/): WhatsApp, Telegram and other chat apps can save every received photo to your camera roll and iCloud. How to turn it off and clean up what's already there.
- [Stop Private Photos Showing in iPhone Memories and Widgets](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-photos-from-memories-iphone/): Private photos can pop up in iPhone Memories, the Photos widget and Featured Photos. How to remove them, turn off featured content and keep them out for good.
- [Someone Screenshotted Your Private Photo: What You Can Do](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/someone-screenshotted-my-photo/): If someone screenshotted or saved a private photo you sent, here's what you can and can't do, where to get help, and how to share more safely next time.
- [Signs Someone Went Through Your iPhone (and Your Photos)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/signs-someone-went-through-your-phone/): How to tell if someone went through your iPhone or photos: Recently Viewed, Screen Time, recent apps, Recently Deleted and more, plus how to stop it happening again.
- [Shared iCloud or Family Mac: Why Your Photos Show Up Elsewhere](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/shared-family-icloud-photos/): Private photos appearing on a family iPad or Mac? How shared Apple Accounts, iCloud Shared Photo Library and family devices spread photos, and how to stop it.
- [Sending Your iPhone for Repair? Protect Private Photos First](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/iphone-repair-private-photos/): Repair shops may ask for your passcode. How to protect private photos before an iPhone repair, from backups and Repair State to removing sensitive data.
- [Screenshots of Passwords and Codes in Your Camera Roll: Clean Them Up](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/passwords-screenshots-in-camera-roll/): Screenshots of passwords, recovery codes and bank details often sit in the camera roll and iCloud. How to find them, move them somewhere safe and stop taking them.
- [Recently Deleted Photos on iPhone: Why Deleted Isn't Gone](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/recently-deleted-photos-privacy/): Deleted iPhone photos stay in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days and can sync through iCloud. How to really remove private photos, and lock the album.
- [Photo Vault With No Account: Why It Matters and Which Apps Qualify](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-no-account/): Why a private photo vault should never need your email, what an account exposes, and which iPhone vault apps work with no sign-up at all.
- [Photo Vault Lifetime vs Subscription: Which Should You Buy?](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-lifetime-vs-subscription/): Should you pay monthly, yearly or once for a photo vault? The real cost over three years, what happens when a subscription lapses, and which vaults sell lifetime access.
- [Phone Searches at the Border: Protecting Private Photos When You Travel](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/border-crossing-phone-search/): Border agents in some countries can inspect phones. What that means for private photos, how to travel with less on your iPhone, and the legal limits of decoys.
- [Lost or Stolen iPhone: What Happens to Your Private Photos?](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/lost-or-stolen-iphone/): Lost your iPhone? What a thief can and can't reach, how to protect your private photos and vault right now, and how to restore them on a new phone.
- [Kids Use Your iPhone? Keep Private Photos Out of Reach](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/kids-use-my-iphone/): Children borrowing your iPhone can swipe into photos you'd rather they didn't see. Simple ways to keep private photos out of reach while they play.
- [Keeping Medical Photos and Records Private on iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/medical-records-on-iphone/): Photos of prescriptions, test results and medical conditions are sensitive. How to keep medical photos and documents private on iPhone and out of shared views.
- [Introducing VaultBolt: Your Stuff. Locked In.](https://vaultbolt.app/blog/introducing-vaultbolt/): Why we're building VaultBolt, an encrypted photo vault for iPhone and iPad that finds your private photos, moves them instead of copying, and asks for nothing in return.
- [How to View or Hide the Hidden Album on Mac](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/view-hidden-photos-on-mac/): Find the Hidden album in Photos on Mac, unlock it with Touch ID or your password, hide it from the sidebar, and understand how it syncs with your iPhone.
- [How to Transfer a Photo Vault to a New iPhone (Without Losing Files)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/transfer-photo-vault-to-new-iphone/): Move your photo vault to a new iPhone safely: check your backup, restore with your recovery phrase, and avoid the mistakes that wipe vault apps during a phone upgrade.
- [How to Store Passport and ID Photos Safely on iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/store-id-documents-on-iphone/): Photos of your passport, driver's license and bank cards sit in your camera roll and iCloud. How to store ID documents on iPhone safely, and what not to do.
- [How to Share Private Photos Securely From iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/share-private-photos-securely/): Share private photos from iPhone without losing control: strip location, use disappearing messages, avoid cloud links, and what view-once really protects.
- [How to Remove Location From Photos on iPhone Before Sharing](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/remove-location-from-photos-iphone/): iPhone photos can carry GPS coordinates. Turn off location when sharing, stop the Camera recording it, and check any photo's metadata with a free in-browser tool.
- [How to Make a Secret Photo Album on iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/secret-photo-album-iphone/): Make a secret photo album on iPhone with the built-in Hidden album, a locked Photos app or a private vault with its own code. Here's what each one protects.
- [How to Hide or Lock Apps on iPhone (and What It Doesn't Hide)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-apps-on-iphone/): Lock any iPhone app with Face ID or hide it in a Hidden folder in the App Library. What hiding apps protects, what it doesn't, and how vault apps fit in.
- [How to Hide Videos on iPhone (Without Losing Quality)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-videos-on-iphone/): Hide videos on iPhone with the Hidden album, lock the Photos app, or move videos into an encrypted vault, plus how to make sure no copy stays in Recently Deleted or iCloud.
- [How We Compare VaultBolt With Other Photo Vault Apps](https://vaultbolt.app/blog/how-we-compare-apps/): Our method for comparing photo vault apps: sources, what 'not listed' means, how often we update, and how app makers can request corrections.
- [How Do Photo Vault Apps Work? Import, Encryption, Backup Explained](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/how-photo-vault-apps-work/): What actually happens when you move a photo into a vault app: import, encryption, the vault index, unlocking, backup and recovery, explained step by step.
- [Handing Your iPhone to Someone Without Them Seeing Private Photos](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/handing-phone-to-someone/): Showing a photo or handing your phone over? How to stop people swiping into private photos, from Guided Access to locking Photos and using a vault.
- [Forgot Your Photo Vault Password? What You Can (and Can't) Do](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/forgot-photo-vault-password/): Locked out of a photo vault app? What recovery options exist, why secure vaults can't reset your password, and how to make sure it never happens again.
- [Does Deleting a Photo Vault App Delete Your Photos?](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/does-deleting-vault-app-delete-photos/): Deleting a vault app usually deletes everything inside it. What happens to your photos, which vaults keep a backup, and how to remove an app safely.
- [Can You Put a Different Password on the iPhone Hidden Album?](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hidden-album-different-password/): The iPhone Hidden album uses your device passcode or Face ID. Here is why you can't set a separate password, and the options that do give hidden photos their own code.
- [Can Apple See Your Hidden Photos? iCloud, Encryption and ADP](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/can-apple-see-hidden-photos/): Can Apple see the photos in your Hidden album or iCloud? How standard data protection differs from Advanced Data Protection, and how a vault adds its own encryption.
- [Calculator Vault Apps: Are They Safe? (iPhone, 2026)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/calculator-vault-apps/): Calculator vault apps hide photos behind a fake calculator. What the disguise does and doesn't protect, the ad-supported risks, and safer options.
- [Best Photo Vault for iPad (and How to Sync It With iPhone)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/photo-vault-for-ipad/): Use a private photo vault on iPad: what to look for in an iPad vault app, how encrypted sync between iPhone and iPad works, and how VaultBolt uses the bigger screen.
- [Best Photo Vault Apps for iPhone (2026): 9 Compared Honestly](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/best-photo-vault-apps-iphone/): The best photo vault apps for iPhone in 2026, compared on encryption, account, ads, decoys, backup and price, using each app's own App Store listing.
- [Best Keepsafe Alternatives for iPhone (No Ads, No Account)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/keepsafe-alternatives/): Looking for a Keepsafe alternative? Compare photo vaults with no ads, no account and on-device encryption, and learn how to move your photos out of Keepsafe safely.
- [Before Selling or Trading In Your iPhone: Private Photos Checklist](https://vaultbolt.app/scenarios/selling-or-trading-in-iphone/): A checklist for private photos before you sell or trade in an iPhone: back up your vault, sign out of iCloud, erase properly, and avoid deleting iCloud copies by mistake.
- [Are Photo Vault Apps Safe? What to Check Before You Trust One](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/are-photo-vault-apps-safe/): Are photo vault apps actually safe? How to tell real encryption from a PIN screen, what ads and accounts mean for privacy, and the red flags to avoid.
- [Advanced Data Protection for iCloud Photos: What It Does and Doesn't](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/advanced-data-protection-icloud-photos/): Advanced Data Protection end-to-end encrypts iCloud Photos. What it protects, what it misses, how to turn it on and when a vault still helps.
- [AES-256 Encryption Explained (and Why GCM Matters for Photo Vaults)](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/aes-256-encryption-explained/): What AES-256 encryption is, what GCM mode adds, why 'military-grade' means little on its own, and what really decides whether a photo vault is secure.
- [How to Lock Photos with Face ID on iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/lock-photos-with-face-id-on-iphone/): Compare the iPhone Hidden collection, app locking, and separate vaults so you can choose the right Face ID protection for private photos.
- [How to Hide Photos on iPhone Without Installing an App](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/hide-photos-on-iphone-without-an-app/): Use the iPhone Hidden collection, understand what it changes, and check the iCloud and Recently Deleted details before moving private photos.
- [How to Hide Photos on iPhone (2026): Hidden Album, App Lock and Vaults](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/how-to-hide-photos-on-iphone/): Every way to hide photos on iPhone: the Hidden album, locking the Photos app with Face ID, and moving photos into an encrypted vault, with what each one really protects.
- [How to Find and Recover Hidden Photos on iPhone](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/recover-hidden-photos-iphone/): Check the Hidden collection, Recently Deleted, iCloud Photos, and the Recovered collection in a safe order before changing sync or deleting anything.
- [Can You Delete Photos from iPhone Without Deleting from iCloud?](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/delete-photos-from-iphone-without-deleting-from-icloud/): Before removing photos, check iCloud Photos sync and download settings. Deleting from a synced library can delete the image on every connected device.
- [Are Hidden Photos Saved to iCloud? What Syncs and What Does Not](https://vaultbolt.app/guides/are-hidden-photos-saved-to-icloud/): Learn how Apple's Hidden collection behaves with iCloud Photos, which changes sync, and why hiding is different from deleting or making a separate backup.