Frequently asked questions

Vault is an iPhone and iPad app that hides your private photos, videos and notes in a secret album locked with your own 4-digit code or Face ID. It also includes a private browser. On the App Store, it's listed as Photo Vault, published by Vault Studio.

Install Vault and choose your code. Tap import and pick the photos and videos you want to hide from your library: they're added to a private album that only opens with your code or Face ID. Vault then offers to delete the originals from the Photos app. Deleted photos go to the Photos app's Recently Deleted album, so empty it too if you don't want copies left there.

Yes. Vault is free to download, and the free version lets you hide photos, videos and notes and use the private browser, with a limited number of albums and items. Vault Premium removes those limits and adds the decoy profile, emergency shortcuts, intrusion reports, trash recovery, alternate icons and iCloud sync.

No. There's no sign-up and no email to give. Install the app, choose your code and your vault is ready.

Vault works on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17.4 or later.

No. Vault is made for iPhone and iPad only.

The Photos app can hide photos itself: open Photos, touch and hold a photo or video, tap Hide and confirm. It moves to the Hidden album, which iOS 16 and later lock with Face ID or Touch ID (source: Apple Support).

In the Photos app, tap Collections, then Hidden under Utilities. If you can't find it, open Settings, tap Apps, then Photos, and turn on Show Hidden Album (source: Apple Support).

In the Photos app, the Hidden album is listed by name under Utilities, and Apple shows it by default: anyone who opens your Photos can see that you're hiding something. Vault's albums appear nowhere in Photos, so nobody can even suspect they exist. They open with a code of Vault's own, separate from your phone's, and Vault adds private notes, a private browser, an optional calculator disguise and, with Premium, a decoy profile, intrusion reports and emergency shortcuts.

The Photos app protects its Hidden album with Face ID or Touch ID. To give your photos a code of their own, separate from your iPhone's, keep them in Vault: your private album only opens with your Vault code, or with Face ID if you turn it on.

With iCloud Photos, a photo you hide in the Photos app is hidden on your other devices too (source: Apple Support). Photos you move into Vault and delete from the Photos app leave iCloud Photos: Vault keeps them on your device, or in your own iCloud account if you turn on Vault's iCloud sync.

Yes. Vault hides videos as well as photos, and plays them right in the app.

Yes. Vault has a built-in camera for photos and videos, which saves them straight to your vault.

Yes. Create private albums and sort your photos and videos into them. The free version includes a limited number of albums; Premium removes the limit.

Yes, since Vault 2.7. In Vault's private browser, touch and hold a photo or video on a web page and choose the album to save it to: it goes straight into your vault, without passing through your Photos library. Some sites stream their videos in a way that can't be saved.

Yes. Photos and videos stored on your device open right in the app, even offline.

Yes. Vault includes private notes, behind the same lock as your photos. You're asked to confirm before a note is deleted, so you won't erase one by mistake.

Deleted photos and videos stay in Vault's trash for 28 days before being erased. Restoring an item from the trash is a Premium feature.

No. Your photos, videos and notes stay on your device, or in your own iCloud account if you turn on sync. They're never sent to Vault Studio's servers, which only handle the subscription catalog and purchase checks.

When you use iCloud sync, your notes, bookmarks and intrusion reports are end-to-end encrypted by iCloud. Your photos and videos are stored in your iCloud account with Apple's standard protection, and end-to-end encrypted if you turn on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud.

Vault records every failed unlock attempt in an intrusion report, with the date, the time and the code entered. If you turn on the option, it also takes a photo with the front camera. Viewing intrusion reports is part of Vault Premium.

Vault can't reset your code, and Vault Studio has no access to it. If you've turned on Face ID, it still opens your main profile, and once you're in you can see your codes in Vault's settings. Otherwise there's no way to recover it, so keep your code somewhere safe.

The decoy profile is a second vault with its own code and its own content. If someone forces you to open Vault, enter the decoy code: they see the fake vault, and your real photos stay hidden. It's a Premium feature.

With Vault Premium, flip your phone face down, tap the screen four times or shake it, and Vault reacts instantly: it switches to the decoy profile, locks, closes or opens a search page, as you choose.

Yes. Vault locks again every time you leave it and hides its content in the app switcher.

No ads and no advertising tracking. Vault uses Firebase to measure app usage and crashes, for example the number of items in a vault or the lock method chosen, but never the content of your vault.

If you turn it on, Vault opens on a real, working calculator. Type your code as a calculation and press the equals key: your vault opens. To anyone else, the screen looks like a regular calculator.

Yes. Vault Premium offers 12 alternate home-screen icons, including calculator, camera and files designs.

Yes. By default, Vault stores everything on your device, without iCloud. iCloud sync is optional and part of Vault Premium.

Yes. With iCloud sync (Premium), your vault stays up to date on all your iPhones and iPads signed in to the same iCloud account. Since Vault 2.7, Settings show the sync status clearly.

Turn on iCloud sync in Vault (Premium) before you switch. On your new iPhone, sign in to the same iCloud account and install Vault: your vault syncs back from iCloud.

Without iCloud sync, deleting Vault also deletes the content stored in the app on your device. With iCloud sync turned on, your vault stays in your iCloud account and comes back when you reinstall Vault with the same account.

Premium removes the free version's limits on albums and items and adds the decoy profile, emergency shortcuts, intrusion reports, trash recovery, 12 alternate icons and iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad.

Premium costs $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year on the US App Store, and new users can try it for free first. Prices vary by country and are set by Apple.

Subscriptions are managed by Apple. On your iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, choose Vault and tap Cancel Subscription. Premium stays active until the end of the current billing period.