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PrivateRoll

Comparison · Built-in

PrivateRoll vs Apple Hidden Album

The Hidden album is already on your iPhone, so why use anything else? It comes down to one question: who else knows your passcode?

At a glancePrivateRollApple Hidden Album
Separate secret from your phone passcode Yes No
Files encrypted by the app itself Yes Partly
Decoy vaults Yes No
Kept out of Photos search, Memories and widgets Yes Partly
Built-in camera that skips the camera roll Yes No
Stores documents and any file type Yes No
Copies on your other devicesNeverWith iCloud Photos
Already installed No Yes
PriceFreeFree

Details about Apple Hidden Album come from its public documentation and can change between versions. Check the current version before deciding.

Choose Apple Hidden Album if…

  • Nobody else knows your iPhone passcode.
  • You only want to tuck a few photos out of the main grid.
  • You'd rather not install another app.

Choose PrivateRoll if…

  • A partner, child, or coworker knows your passcode or sees you type it.
  • You need a vault that can't be opened by whoever has your phone unlocked.
  • You want documents, videos, and notes in the same encrypted place.

The passcode problem

The Hidden album is locked with Face ID or your device passcode. That's a reasonable default, but it means anyone who knows your passcode, or can watch you enter it, can open the album. For many people that's exactly the person they want to keep out.

PrivateRoll uses a separate pattern that has nothing to do with your phone's lock. Knowing the passcode gets someone onto your home screen, and that's all.

Where your photos actually live

Hidden photos are still part of your Photos library. They sync through iCloud Photos to every device on the account, including a shared family iPad or Mac. Unless Advanced Data Protection is turned on, iCloud Photos uses Apple's standard data protection, which means Apple holds the encryption keys.

PrivateRoll files are encrypted on your device with a key only your pattern can produce, and they never leave that device.

The honest take

If your main concern is a stranger scrolling past a photo, the Hidden album may be all you need. If your concern is someone who already has access to your phone, it isn't designed for that. Read more in Hidden album vs. a photo vault.

Try PrivateRoll free

Encrypted on your iPhone or iPad. No account required.

Coming soonTo the App Store

Your photos deserve a lock that actually locks.

PrivateRoll is free. No account, no email, no tracking. Just a pattern only you know.

Coming soon to the App Store