Comparison
Most photo vaults hide. Very few seal.
Search “photo vault” and hundreds of apps appear. Many only move photos out of sight. Many pay their way with ads and trackers, and some keep copies on their own servers. Here is how to tell hiding from sealing.
Are photo vault apps safe?
Some are. Many are not. A safe vault encrypts on your device with a real cipher, needs no account, has no ads or trackers, and says what it cannot protect. Many free photo lockers only hide files, earn money from ads and tracking, and keep copies on their servers. Check the App Store privacy label before you trust one. Or use a vault built so you do not have to trust it, like Sealby.
Where Typical photo vaults shines
- Free or cheap, and easy to set up
- Fine for keeping casual photos away from shoulder-surfers
- A few reputable ones do encrypt properly — the privacy label will say so
Where it falls short
- Many rely on hiding, not encryption. The photos stay readable on disk and in backups
- Many free tiers include ad and tracking code. That is strange company for private photos
- Apps with an account and their own cloud tie your identity to your library and put copies out of your control
- The app itself advertises its purpose. Anyone who sees it knows you have something locked away
The honest verdict
If the photos are merely untidy, almost any locker will do. If they are genuinely private, demand what most of these apps do not offer: real encryption on your device, no account, no ads, honest limits, and ideally vaults with no stored list or count. That is the bar Sealby was built to clear.
Common questions
How do I tell if a photo vault app is trustworthy?
Five checks. The App Store privacy label shows little or no data collection. The developer explains the encryption (which cipher, where the keys live) instead of saying “military-grade”. No account is required. The business model is visible: you pay for features, not with your attention. And the app says what it cannot protect against. If it is vague on any of these, assume hiding, not sealing.
What’s the difference between hiding photos and encrypting them?
Hidden photos are moved out of view, but they stay readable on the device and in its backups. Anyone with access can open them. Encrypted photos are unreadable without the key, everywhere, including in backups.
Can a photo vault app see my photos?
It depends on how the app is built. If the app has an account and stores or “backs up” your library on its servers, then whoever controls those servers controls the risk. In Sealby there is no account and no server. Keys never leave your device, so there is no one who could look.
Related: Private photos & videos · vs the iPhone Hidden album · vs calculator vaults
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iPhone & iPad · iOS 17+ · Free