3 min read
Hidden album vs photo vault app on iPhone
The Hidden album takes photos off your main grid and opens with your passcode. A vault app like Vault9 encrypts them behind its own lock. Pick by who you hide from.
Photo privacy, explained
Guides
Clear answers for keeping your photos private, backed up and in your hands.
Photo privacy
Hide your photos, lock them, and choose how to keep them private.
3 min read
How to lock photos on iPhone
The built-in way to lock photos on iPhone is the Hidden album. See how it opens, who it keeps out, and how to give photos a lock that is not your phone lock.
2 min read
Photo vault for iPhone with no account
What no account means in Vault9, why it still saves an encrypted copy to your own iCloud storage, and what to check in Photos before you move private photos in.
Who can see your photos
What Apple, your family, apps and other people can see, and how to check.
4 min read
Can anyone see my hidden photos on iCloud?
Yes, three kinds of people can. See who can open hidden photos through iCloud Photos, what to check on your Apple Account, and how to keep a photo out.
3 min read
Can Apple see your hidden photos on iPhone?
With the default iCloud settings Apple holds the keys to your iCloud Photos, hidden ones included. Advanced Data Protection changes that. Here is what each setting means.
3 min read
Can Family Sharing see your iPhone photos? What to check
Family Sharing alone does not open your photo library. A shared Apple Account, a Shared Photo Library or a Shared Album can. Here is how to check each one.
Backup & recovery
Keep a copy you can open, move to a new iPhone, and prepare for a lost secret.
4 min read
Forgot your photo vault password or pattern? What you can do
Whether a reset exists depends on how the app protects your photos. In Vault9 you read your pattern or passphrase from the Emergency Kit, and we cannot reset it.
4 min read
Transfer your photo vault to a new iPhone
Move your Vault9 vault to a new iPhone from the iCloud backup. Find your Emergency Kit first, check the old phone, and erase it only when the new one works.
Encryption explained
How your files are protected, and what you need to open them.
4 min read
Are iCloud Photos encrypted? End-to-end, keys and limits
iCloud Photos are encrypted, but Apple holds the keys by default. Here is what Advanced Data Protection changes, how to turn it on, and what stays outside it.
3 min read
How do photo vault apps work?
A photo vault app copies your photo into its own storage and protects it there. Learn what the key is made from, what stays behind in Photos, and what to ask.
Choosing an app?
Check the privacy, backup and recovery features that matter to you.
Read how to choose a photo vault →Real situations
A partner knows your passcode, a child finds your photos, a thief has your iPhone.
Read the scenarios →Need help with the app?
Find a short answer in the FAQ, see what can go wrong, or write to support.
