Comparison
Most photo vaults hide. Very few seal.
Search “photo vault” and hundreds of lockers appear, most of them free. Free has a cost: many of these apps merely move photos out of sight, fund themselves with ads and analytics, and park copies on someone’s server. Here’s how to tell hiding from sealing.
Are photo vault apps safe?
Some are; many are not. A safe vault encrypts on-device with a real cipher, needs no account, carries no ads or trackers, and states its limits. Many free photo lockers instead just hide files, monetise with ad and analytics SDKs, and store copies server-side. Check the App Store privacy label before trusting one — or use a vault built to need no trust, 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 remain readable on disk and in backups
- Free tiers commonly ship ad and analytics SDKs: strange company for private photos
- Account + provider-cloud designs attach your identity to your library and put copies out of your control
- The app itself advertises its purpose — anyone seeing 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 the category rarely offers: real on-device encryption, no account, no ads, honest limits — and ideally vaults whose existence can’t be proven. 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 (cipher, where keys live) rather than saying “military-grade”; no account is required; the business model is visible (you pay for features, not with attention); and the app states what it can’t protect against. 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 remain readable plaintext on the device and in its backups — anyone with access can open them. Encrypted photos are ciphertext: without the key they are unreadable everywhere, including in backups and to forensic tools.
Can a photo vault app see my photos?
It depends on the architecture. If the app has an account and stores or “backs up” your library server-side, the honest answer is: 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