What is a photo vault app?
A photo vault is an app that keeps private photos and videos out of your camera roll, behind its own passcode. The good ones encrypt every file on the phone, so the photos are unreadable without your key. The best ones are also pleasant to use, because a vault is where you go back to the photos, not just where you put them.
What a vault does that Photos doesn't
- Keeps photos out of Photos, Memories, search and iCloud Photos.
- Opens with its own passcode, not the one that unlocks your phone.
- Encrypts each file, if it's a good one.
- Often disguises itself, for example as a calculator.
Do you need one?
If you hand your phone to people, share an Apple Account, or keep photos you'd never want surfaced in a Memory, yes. If you just want a few photos out of your scroll, the Hidden album is enough.
What to look for
- Named encryption, done on the phone. Mavaul uses AES-256-GCM.
- No tracking on its App Store privacy label.
- No account needed, and no cloud you didn't choose.
- A way back in if you forget the passcode, like a recovery key.
- A viewer you'll enjoy: swiping, zooming, a slideshow, a bigger screen.
Questions
Are photo vault apps safe?
The ones that encrypt on the phone and don't track you are. Many only add a lock screen over normal files. Check the listing and the privacy label.
Is a photo vault the same as the Hidden album?
No. The Hidden album is a folder in Photos. A vault is a separate app with its own passcode and, ideally, its own encryption.
What's the best photo vault app?
See our Fall 2026 ranking. We make Mavaul, and we say where each app, ours included, falls short.