Guides
Best Private Photo Vault Apps for iPhone (Honest 2026 List)
Over 20 photo vault apps for iPhone compared on encryption, account, decoy and unlock, with honest notes on where each one, ours included, falls short.
Quick answer
The right photo vault for iPhone encrypts your photos with a key that is not your phone passcode, tells you plainly who can reset or recover it, and is honest about backup. Among the apps we checked:
- No account, separate key, coercion features: sigil., Vaultaire and Obscura.
- Pay once: Inner Gallery, Secret Photo Vault, or Cryptomator for files.
- Cloud backup and many platforms: Keepsafe, or an encrypted cloud such as Ente Photos.
- Just out of sight, free: Apple's Hidden album.
sigil. is our app. We list it as the pick for one need, not as the winner, and we say where it's weaker.
How we judged
We asked the same six questions of every app. Facts come from App Store and Google Play listings and official sites; each app has a full comparison page.
- Encryption claim. Does the vendor say how files are encrypted, or is it a PIN screen in front of them?
- Whose key. A separate secret, the phone passcode, an account password, or the vendor?
- Account. An account gives you a recovery path, and also a server-side target.
- Backup. What happens when the phone is lost?
- Coercion. Decoy vault, duress code, hidden vaults.
- Unlock and price. Can biometrics open it? Subscription or one-time?
One distinction matters more than any feature list: hiding is not encrypting. Hiding moves a photo out of view; anyone who gets past the lock screen in front of it sees the file. Encryption turns the file into data that is useless without a key, so the real question becomes where that key lives and who else can produce it. A vault that resets by email, or that opens with the same face that unlocks the phone, is only as strong as that route in.
Quick comparison
Apple Hidden album
Apple Photos Hidden albumBuilt into iOSsigil. vs Apple Photos Hidden album →The free option already on your phone. It unlocks with Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode on iPhone and iPad, and With iCloud Photos, hidden items stay hidden on all your devices. It's the right choice when the goal is keeping photos out of the main grid. It isn't built for the person who knows your passcode or gets your phone unlocked. Details in is the iPhone Hidden album secure.
sigil.: no account, a key that isn't your passcode
sigil.Sign-only unlock, no account, no serverPricing →Every photo is encrypted with a 256-bit key that only the sign you draw on a 5×5 grid unlocks; the sign is hardened with Argon2id and bound to the phone's secure chip (pattern encryption). No account, no server. Nobody has the key, not even us.
- Each sign opens its own hidden vault, with no visible list.
- A free decoy vault, opened by its own decoy pattern, while your other vaults stay hidden; optional self-destruct, also free.
- No Face ID or Touch ID by design, because biometrics can be forced.
- Private camera, location and EXIF stripped on import and export.
Weaknesses: iPhone only (Android planned), no cloud backup yet, and it's a new app with no track record. Forget your sign and lose your recovery phrase, and nobody can get the photos back. Free includes every feature, with 100 photos and documents plus 10 videos per vault, one vault plus the decoy; Pro (unlimited photos and videos, up to 7 vaults) costs €39.99 once, or €19.99 per year (pricing).
Vaultaire
VaultairePattern unlocksigil. vs Vaultaire →
The closest app to ours, built on the same idea of a drawn pattern that unlocks a key: Each pattern opens a separate vault; no visible vault list. On privacy, in the vendor's words: Vendor services never receive readable contents, pattern or keys. Where it's better: Encrypted iCloud backup on by default; multi-device sync is Pro, and it runs on iOS, iPadOS. Its duress pattern is a Pro feature (Decoy vault via another pattern; Pro duress pattern removes other vaults); ours is free. Pricing: US App Store: Pro $1.99/wk, $5.99/mo, $19.99/yr; Family $49.99/yr, with Pro Lifetime $39.99; Family Lifetime $99.99 (US App Store). See sigil. vs Vaultaire.
Obscura
ObscuraOpen-source encryptionsigil. vs Obscura →
A password vault with a strong transparency story: Encryption code published on GitHub (GPL-3.0), and App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected. On keys, the vendor states: Keeps no copy of your password or keys; no password reset (vendor-stated). That means no reset path, the same trade-off sigil. makes. Pro adds 10 vault slots, each with its own password; no vault list (Pro). Published code is a real advantage over sigil., and it runs on iPad too. Note that it also accepts Face ID, and it is young, with a small rating base (28 ratings on the US App Store).
Inner Gallery
Inner GalleryPay oncesigil. vs Inner Gallery →
Built for people who dislike subscriptions: Pay once: Pro Bundle $34.99, Lifetime $99.99, no subscription. It has separate spaces with their own locks, a panic PIN decoy, and Optional iCloud sync, encrypted on device first (paid pack). The disguise option mimics system apps (Can look like Calculator, Notes, Settings or Clock (paid pack)). Its stated encryption is on the device, and unlock can be Face ID or a PIN. If a one-time price and iCloud sync matter more to you than a passcode-independent sign, it's a sensible pick.
Encamera
EncameraOpen sourcesigil. vs Encamera →
Camera-first and open source: In-app camera and lock-screen widget, bypassing Photos. On storage, the vendor says: No third-party servers; storage on device or your own iCloud (vendor-stated). Good for people who want to read the code and keep copies in their own iCloud. No decoy is listed, and it unlocks with Face ID or PIN.
Keepsafe
Keepsafe385K ratingssigil. vs Keepsafe →
The best-known name, with its own cloud: Private cloud: 200 items free, up to 10,000 with Premium. Better than sigil. if you want backup, Android and a way to reset a forgotten PIN. The trade-off is an account (Account tied to an email; login and PIN reset use emailed codes). On key custody, our reading of its claims: Says staff cannot view content; no explicit key-custody claim. Unlock is a PIN pad or Touch ID. Price: US App Store: Monthly Premium $9.99, Yearly Premium $23.99. If you mostly fear losing the phone rather than someone opening it, Keepsafe's backup is the stronger answer.
Private Photo Vault
Private Photo Vault - Pic Safe1M+ ratingssigil. vs Private Photo Vault - Pic Safe →
A long-running local vault with a decoy password, Break-in report with photo and GPS, and an optional Cloud Vault the vendor says it can't decrypt. It works offline without an account and has a huge user base. Unlock is a PIN or a dot pattern, so its strength depends on how long a code you pick; test yours with the password strength checker.
Calculator#
Calculator# Hide Photos VideosCalculator disguisesigil. vs Calculator# Hide Photos Videos →
The best-known calculator disguise. In the vendor's words: Looks and works like a calculator. It backs up to Backup to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, a wider choice than any other local vault here. We could not find an encryption claim in its listing. Recovery: Lost password recovery through your registered email. That helps if you forget the code, and it also means access can be reset through your inbox. Read are calculator vault apps safe.
PIN-lock vaults with big user bases
Popular, familiar, mostly PIN or password locks. Most don't name a cipher in their listing, and several carry a "Data Used to Track You" privacy label.
Privault
Privault77K ratingssigil. vs Privault →
A locker-keypad passcode with a threat-ready second code: Secondary passcode to disclose under threat; Erase-all passcode wipes files. Its listing Describes 'encrypted storage'; no cipher named.
SPV - Secret Photo Vault
SPV - Secret Photo Vault70K ratingssigil. vs SPV - Secret Photo Vault →
PIN lock, local only: No server; device storage only, deleting the app deletes the photos (vendor-stated). App Store privacy label: Data Used to Track You (Identifiers, Usage Data, Diagnostics).
Secret Photo Album
Secret Photo Album39K ratingssigil. vs Secret Photo Album →
Decoy PIN, break-in alerts and premium cloud tied to your email. App Store privacy label: Data Used to Track You (Purchases, Location, Identifiers and more).
PV - Secret Photo Album
PV - Secret Photo Album30K ratingssigil. vs PV - Secret Photo Album →
Free unlimited local storage, with ads, a fake password and a customizable icon. Optional recovery email for a forgotten passcode.
Secret Photo Vault
Secret Photo Vault27K ratingssigil. vs Secret Photo Vault →
One of the few that is cheap and simple to own: Pro Version is a one-time $6.99 in-app purchase. No account, decoy accounts, App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected.
Safe Lock
Safe Lock25K ratingssigil. vs Safe Lock →
Fake gallery behind a fake password, break-in photos, manual export to cloud drives, and App Store privacy label: Data Not Collected.
HiddenVault
HiddenVaultVault + password managersigil. vs HiddenVault →
A vault plus password manager on the phone only (Files kept on the phone; no cloud backup listed). App Store privacy label: Data Used to Track You (Usage Data).
Best Secret Folder
Best Secret Folder13K ratingssigil. vs Best Secret Folder →
Folders behind one app lock and an intruder stopper that plays fake videos; break-in alerts and password recovery are premium. It unlocks with a password, pattern or biometrics.
If you're on Android
sigil. is iPhone only today. On Android:
VaultyAndroid · 408K ratingssigil. vs Vaulty →
The best-known Android vault: free backup to your Google Drive, multiple vaults, a decoy, intruder photos. Be aware of the vendor's own wording: Files are renamed and marked; Vaulty says "This isn't encryption".
LockMyPix332K Play ratingssigil. vs LockMyPix →
Encryption, per the vendor: AES in CTR mode (vendor-stated). Fake vault and disguise are Premium; it is also on iPhone.
Gallery Vault50M+ Android downloadssigil. vs Gallery Vault →
Free with no storage limit, a fake passcode, break-in alerts and an icon that can be hidden. It is on iPhone too, where cloud upload is available.
Hide it Pro1.28M Play ratingssigil. vs Hide it Pro →
Disguise: Android: disguised as a working 'Audio Manager'; iOS: fake crash screen. Encryption is a separate tool for selected files, per its listing.
Encrypted cloud instead
If you want a whole library backed up privately rather than a hidden vault, an end-to-end encrypted cloud fits better. See what is end-to-end encryption for photos.
Ente Photos10 GB free cloudsigil. vs Ente Photos →
A private alternative to iCloud Photos: 10 GB free, end-to-end encrypted, apps on every major platform, account required.
Proton Drive5 GB free cloudsigil. vs Proton Drive →
Photos and files together, with iOS auto-backup of photos and videos in original quality.
CryptomatorOpen sourcesigil. vs Cryptomator →
Open source and file-based. It encrypts files on a cloud you already use, and on iOS it's a one-time purchase. Browsing photos is clunkier than in a gallery app.
Folder LockDesktop + mobilesigil. vs Folder Lock →
Lockers across phone and desktop, synced through your own cloud drive. Useful if your private files live on a computer as much as on the phone.
How to choose
- Out of sight is enough: the Hidden album, with Face ID required to view it.
- People who know your passcode, or who may force you to unlock: a vault with its own key and a decoy vault, such as sigil. or Vaultaire.
- You want open source: Obscura, Encamera or Cryptomator.
- You need cloud backup or password reset: Keepsafe, Vaultaire or Inner Gallery, or an encrypted cloud. Our backup guide covers the options.
- You hate subscriptions: Inner Gallery, Secret Photo Vault, Cryptomator, or sigil. Pro lifetime.
Many people combine two: an encrypted cloud for the library, and a local vault for the few photos that should never sync. All head-to-heads are on the compare hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best private photo vault app for iPhone?
There isn't one winner. For a vault whose key is separate from your phone passcode and needs no account, look at sigil., Vaultaire or Obscura. For cloud backup across devices, Keepsafe or an encrypted cloud such as Ente Photos fits better.
Is Apple's Hidden album good enough?
For keeping photos out of the main grid, yes. It opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your phone passcode, so anyone who can unlock your phone can usually open it too.
Are calculator vault apps safe?
A calculator disguise hides that a vault exists; it is not encryption. Check whether the listing says how files are encrypted, where the key comes from, and who can reset your password.
Which vault apps work without an account?
Several local vaults say they need no account, including Vaultaire, Obscura, Encamera, Inner Gallery, Secret Photo Vault and sigil. Cloud services such as Ente Photos and Proton Drive need one because they store your data on their servers.
Why does it matter if a vault unlocks with Face ID?
Face ID is convenient, but someone can hold the phone up to your face. A vault that opens only with a secret you know, like a PIN, a password or a drawn sign, can't be opened that way.
Can I back up a vault app to iCloud?
It depends on the app. Vaultaire, Inner Gallery and Encamera list encrypted iCloud options, others use their own cloud. sigil. has no cloud backup yet; your recovery phrase restores access, not the photos.