Private Photo Vault review

Private Photo Vault is the best-known dedicated vault on the US App Store, with a 4.8 rating from about 1 million ratings. Its listing covers the locks most people want: a password, PIN or pattern to open the app, separate passwords for individual albums, a decoy password and a face-down lock. A break-in report records a photo and GPS location of anyone who tries to get in. Its website says photos and videos are AES encrypted on the phone. The paid Cloud Vault adds encrypted backup and a Space Saver, and the company says the Cloud Vault password is never backed up to its servers, so staff cannot view your files. The flip side is that a forgotten Cloud Vault password locks you out of that backup, and the free version does not back up at all. Premium in-app purchases on the US App Store start at $6.99. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not test each app.

Who it is for

people who want a classic locked vault with decoy and break-in features

Price

Free download; Premium in-app purchases from $6.99 on the US App Store.

Private Photo Vault Premium $6.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• App entry protected by password, PIN or pattern lock
• Password-protected albums
• Break-in report with a photo and GPS location
• Decoy password and face-down lock
• Encrypted Cloud Vault backup that the company cannot view

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Most-rated vault here: 4.8 from 1M US ratings
• Strength: Cloud Vault password is never sent to the company's servers
• Strength: Private web browser that saves photos straight into the vault
• Weakness: Free version does not back up to Cloud Vault
• Weakness: A forgotten Cloud Vault password means the backup cannot be opened
• Weakness: Rated 16+ on the US App Store

Key facts

• App Store rating: 4.8 from 1M ratings
• Age rating: 16+
• App size: 176.1 MB
• Decoy password: Yes
• Platforms: iPhone and iPad

Where it ranks

Private Photo Vault is No. 2 in our Best Photo Vault Apps verdict.