--- title: Mavaul vs Hide Photos Video -Hide it Pro canonical: https://mavaul.com/compare/hide-it-pro/ description: Hide it Pro disguises itself as a crashed app and has a code that makes it look empty. Mavaul encrypts with AES-256 on the iPhone and is built for looking at your photos. format: text/markdown generator: scripts/generate-llms.js --- # Mavaul vs Hide it Pro _By [Diogo Ferreira](/about/), founder & engineer_ Hide it Pro is an old favourite with two clever tricks: a disguise screen that makes the app look like it crashed, and an escape code that opens it looking empty. It collects very little: only crash diagnostics, by its label. What its listing doesn't mention is encryption. Mavaul encrypts every photo with AES-256 on the iPhone, and is built for looking at your photos as well as hiding them. ## At a glance | | Mavaul | Hide it Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Built for | Keeping photos private and enjoying them | Hiding photos and videos behind a lock screen | | Encryption on the phone | AES-256-GCM for every photo and video | Not mentioned | | Account | None | Not stated in the listing | | Unlock | Face ID, Touch ID or a 4-digit vault passcode | Lock screen code | | Decoy and disguise | Decoy mode: a working calculator in place of the lock screen. Calculator, cat or hot sauce icons | Fake-crash disguise screen. Escape code that makes the app look empty | | Viewing | Tap the edges to flick through, pinch to zoom, timed slideshow with a progress hint | Built-in picture viewer and video player | | Big screen | Wi-Fi Share: QR code, then the vault opens in a browser on a TV, laptop or any device on the same Wi-Fi, with slideshow | Not listed | | Backup | Encrypted on the phone, to your Dropbox, Nextcloud or Files (Premium). Mavaul hosts nothing | Its own cloud storage ($9.99 a month), USB export | | Also stores | Photos and videos | Photos, videos, GIFs | | Ads | None | Not stated | | App Store privacy label | Data not linked to you: analytics and crash data. No tracking | Data not linked to you: crash and performance data. No tracking | | Free version | 20 photos and videos, all the locks, Wi-Fi Share | Yes | | Premium | 1,99 € a month, 17,99 € a year, or 49,99 € once | Cloud storage $9.99 a month. Password reset $4.99 (US) | | Devices | iPhone | iPhone and iPad | | On the App Store since | 2026 | 2012, 4.7 stars from about 25,000 ratings (US) | ## Made to look at your photos, not just hide them A vault is also where you go back to the photos. In Mavaul you tap the edges to flick through, pinch to zoom, or start a slideshow. A thin progress hint shows when the next photo is due, and if you swipe away, the show carries on from there. With Wi-Fi Share you scan a QR code and the vault opens on a TV, laptop or any device with a browser on the same Wi-Fi, with a slideshow and a full-screen viewer. Nothing leaves your Wi-Fi. ## Privacy and encryption Hide it Pro's label is lean: only crash and performance data, not linked to you, and no tracking. Mavaul's label also lists no tracking, with anonymous analytics and crash data. The difference is the files: Hide it Pro's listing doesn't mention encryption, and Mavaul encrypts every photo and video with AES-256-GCM. [How Mavaul's encryption works](/features/on-device-encryption/). ## Where Hide it Pro wins - A disguise that makes the app look like it crashed. - An escape code that opens the app looking empty. - Collects only crash diagnostics, by its label. - Its own cloud storage, an iPad app, and a long track record. ## Which one to pick Pick Hide it Pro if you want the fake-crash disguise or an empty-looking escape code, and a cloud you don't manage. Pick Mavaul if you want your photos encrypted on the phone, no tracking, a calculator decoy, and an app that makes your photos nice to look at again, on the phone or on the TV. ## Questions ### Is Mavaul a good alternative to Hide it Pro? Yes, if you want your photos encrypted with AES-256, not just hidden, in a vault built for looking at them. Stay with Hide it Pro if you want its fake-crash disguise. ### Does Hide it Pro encrypt photos? Its listing describes an impenetrable lock screen but doesn't mention encryption. Mavaul encrypts every photo and video with AES-256. ### Does Hide it Pro have a decoy? Yes: a fake-crash screen and an escape code that makes the app look empty. Mavaul's decoy mode is a working calculator in place of the lock screen. ## Sources Hide it Pro facts come from its [US App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hide-photos-video-hide-it-pro/id523488488) and privacy label, checked on October 6, 2026. Privacy labels are filled in by each developer, who is [responsible for keeping them accurate](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/app-privacy-details/). Prices and features change, so check the listing before you buy. Mavaul facts come from [features](/features/), [pricing](/pricing/) and [privacy](/privacy/). App names and icons belong to their owners. Spot something out of date? [hello@mavaul.com](mailto:hello@mavaul.com). ## Try Mavaul [Download Mavaul on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/pt/app/mavaul-photo-video-vault/id6759567727?l=en-GB)