Guides

Privacy & encryption, explained plainly.

How-tos and explainers for keeping photos and files private on iPhone, whichever app you use.

How-to

From the built-in Hidden album to a fully encrypted vault, here's every way to hide photos on iPhone and what each one really protects against.

Switching vault apps means exporting your most private photos. Here's how to do it without leaving copies in Photos, Files or iCloud.

Every photo can carry GPS coordinates that reveal where you live. Here's how to strip them before sharing, and stop them being saved at all.

Repair shops may ask for your passcode. Here's how to hand over your phone without handing over your private photos.

Apple's Hidden album and a dedicated vault both keep photos out of sight. Only one keeps them away from people who know your passcode.

Zero-knowledge means the company storing your data can't read it. Here's how that works, why it matters, and what it costs you.

Apple Notes can lock notes with end-to-end encryption. It's a solid tool, with some limits you should know about before trusting it with photos.

Hidden photos still sync. Here's which devices they appear on, how they're protected, and how to keep them off a shared iPad or Mac.

Each unlock method fails in a different way. Here's how patterns, PINs, passwords and biometrics compare, and how to make each one stronger.

Calculator vault apps promise disguise. Some deliver real encryption; others just move files to a hidden folder. Here are the warning signs.

Veilbox is free to download. No account, no email, no tracking. Just a pattern only you know.