Backroom vs Inner Gallery

Inner Gallery has ChaCha20-Poly1305, iCloud sync, a Panic PIN and iPad support. Backroom has AES-256-GCM, pattern vaults, recovery phrases and locked notes.

Inner Gallery and Backroom are close in spirit: encrypted on the device with no account or ads. Inner Gallery adds end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync, a Panic PIN, iPad support and pay-once pricing. Backroom, coming soon to the App Store, adds a pattern per vault, a recovery phrase and locked notes.

Side by side

BackroomInner Gallery

AvailabilityComing soon to the App Store. iPhone.On the App Store, for iPhone and iPad.

What opens itA pattern of at least 6 dots on a 5 by 5 grid.Face ID or PIN. Each space can have its own lock.

EncryptionAES-256-GCM on each file, with a random key for each vault.ChaCha20-Poly1305, per its listing.

Where files liveOn your iPhone, and in your device backups in encrypted form if you make them. No cloud sync.On the device, with optional end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync.

AccountNone.None, per its site.

Forgotten codeA 12-word recovery phrase for each vault. Lose the pattern and the phrase, and nobody can open that vault.The listing and site do not describe a recovery phrase. Encrypted exports are available.

If someone pressures youA different pattern opens a different vault, and the app shows no list of vaults. No duress mode.Panic PIN that opens a decoy space, a $9.99 purchase.

DisguisePaid plan: alternate icons and a working calculator screen. The name under the icon stays Backroom.Icons that look like Calculator, Notes, Settings, Clock or Phone.

Ads and dataNo ads and no analytics.No ads or analytics, per its site. Apple label: identifiers and user content, not linked to you.

Code and reviewSource code is unpublished. No outside review has been completed.No published source or audit is mentioned on its listing or site.

PriceFree: 50 photos and files, 5 videos and 10 notes in each vault. Paid: $1.99 a week, $19.99 a year or $39.99 once.Free: 2 spaces, 50 photos. One-time packs from $9.99, $34.99 Pro Bundle, $99.99 Lifetime.

Inner Gallery facts checked October 31, 2026 against its own listing or site, US prices. See Sources below. Apps change, so check before you buy.

What Inner Gallery does that Backroom does not

Sync is the big one. Inner Gallery encrypts photos on your device before they reach iCloud, so you can set up a new device with your PIN. It also runs on iPad, unlocks with Face ID, exports spaces as encrypted or plain ZIP files and shows EXIF data with a map. Its Panic PIN opens a decoy space. Backroom has none of these.

If you want our take on metadata without any app, the photo metadata tool runs in a browser.

What Backroom does differently

Backroom opens with a drawn pattern on a 5 by 5 grid, and any pattern of at least 6 dots can make a vault. The app shows no list of them. A 12-word phrase for each vault gives you a written way back if you forget a pattern, and vaults hold files and encrypted notes as well as photos and videos. Its camera keeps photos out of your camera roll.

Pricing shapes

Inner Gallery sells one-time packs, so you pay for the parts you want. Backroom has one paid plan at $1.99 a week, $19.99 a year or $39.99 once. Both free plans have no ads, with limits: 2 spaces and 50 photos on Inner Gallery, and 50 photos and files, 5 videos and 10 notes per vault on Backroom.

Privacy labels

Inner Gallery’s site says it has no analytics or third-party code, and its Apple privacy label lists identifiers and user content as not linked to you. Backroom has no analytics. Backroom’s own App Store label will appear when it reaches the store.

Frequently asked questions

Is ChaCha20-Poly1305 better than AES-256-GCM?

Neither is a clear winner. Both are widely used authenticated ciphers, and how an app handles keys matters at least as much as which of the two it picks.

Does Backroom have a Panic PIN?

No. Backroom has no duress mode. A second pattern can hold ordinary photos, but nothing happens automatically when you draw it.

Which is cheaper to own?

Inner Gallery's $34.99 Pro Bundle or its smaller packs can cost less than Backroom's $39.99 one-time plan, depending on what you need. Inner Gallery has no subscription, and Backroom offers one alongside its one-time price.