Are photo vault apps safe?
Some encrypt your files, and some only hide them behind a PIN. How to check a vault app yourself, using its listing, privacy label and recovery options.
It depends on the app. Some encrypt files and describe exactly how, and others put a PIN screen over ordinary files. Before you trust one, look for a named cipher, a clear statement on where files live, a privacy label you are comfortable with and an honest explanation of what happens if you forget your code.
Vault apps are an odd category. You give your most private pictures to a developer you have never heard of, based on a logo with a padlock. A few minutes of checking changes those odds.
Read the listing with these questions
Does it name its encryption? “AES-256” says something. “Bank level” says little.
Who holds the key? Look for words that explain whether your secret derives the key. If a developer can reset your code by email, they, or someone with your email, may have a path in.
Where do files live? On the phone, in the developer’s cloud or both. A cloud copy gives you recovery in exchange for more exposure.
Who has checked it? Open source and independent audits both let other people verify claims. Their absence does not make an app bad, but it means you are relying on its word.
What does it collect? Scroll to App Privacy on the App Store page. Read whether data is used to track you. Ads inside a privacy app deserve a second thought.
How does it make money? Know the price and what happens to your files if a subscription ends.
Test it yourself
- Add a test photo.
- Force quit and reopen.
- Delete the original and check that the vault copy still opens.
- Try the forgotten password flow, reading what it promises.
- Try exporting.
After that, delete the app and check that your test photo is gone. Knowing this before you need it is the point.
Where Backroom stands
Backroom encrypts each file with AES-256-GCM, has no account, no analytics and no ads, and stores everything on your iPhone. Its limits: no outside review so far, source code unpublished, no cloud copy, no screenshot blocking. The encryption page lists what the design does not defend against, and the comparisons show how other apps answer the same questions.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when an app says military grade?
On its own, very little. It is a marketing phrase, and it does not tell you which cipher is used or who holds the key. Look for details.
Is Backroom audited?
No. The code has not had an outside review, and we publish that on every comparison page. We describe the design and its known limits so you can judge it.
Can Apple's review guarantee a vault's encryption?
App Review looks at many things, and we are not aware of Apple verifying a vault's encryption claims for users. Treat App Store presence as no evidence either way.