VAULTAGE GUIDES
Private-by-design guides for iPhone.
Plain-language advice about keeping personal photos, videos, and files under your control. Built-in iOS options first, no scare tactics, no cloud upsell.
Photos
How to hide photos on iPhone
Hide photos on iPhone with the built-in Hidden album, lock it with Face ID, and learn when a separate encrypted vault with its own password is the better choice.
How to permanently delete photos on iPhone
Delete photos permanently on iPhone: empty Recently Deleted, understand iCloud Photos and backups, and safely remove originals after moving photos to a vault.
How to hide photos on iPad
Hide photos and videos on iPad with the Hidden album, lock it with Face ID or Touch ID, and use a separate vault on a shared family iPad.
How to hide videos on iPhone
Hide videos on iPhone with the Hidden album, lock them with Face ID, or move them to an encrypted vault with its own password. Plus how to record straight into a vault.
How to keep private photos out of Memories, widgets, and search
Stop private photos appearing in iPhone Memories, Featured Photos, the Photos widget, Lock Screen shuffle, and search results.
How to lock the Hidden album on iPhone
Turn on the Face ID lock for the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums on iPhone, hide the Hidden album itself, and understand who can still open it.
How to keep photos private in a Shared Library
Using iCloud Shared Photo Library with family? Move photos to your personal library, stop the camera sharing automatically, and keep private photos out entirely.
How to stop WhatsApp saving photos to your iPhone
Turn off Save to Photos in WhatsApp for all chats or one chat, clean up photos it already saved, and keep private media out of your camera roll.
Files
How to keep files private on iPhone
Lock and hide private documents, scans, PDFs, and downloads on iPhone. Find every copy, use the built-in options, and know when an encrypted file vault helps.
Where to keep passport and ID scans on your iPhone
Keep scans of your passport, ID card, and driving licence private on iPhone. Avoid the camera roll, scan straight into an encrypted vault, and keep a safe backup.
Compare
How to choose an encrypted photo vault for iPhone
A checklist for choosing a private photo vault app on iPhone: where files are stored, who holds the keys, account and recovery trade-offs, and what the privacy label tells you.
Vaultage vs the iPhone Hidden album
An honest comparison of Apple's Hidden album and Vaultage's encrypted vault: who can open each, iCloud sync, backups, files, and when the built-in option is enough.
Vaultage vs locked notes
Can you hide photos and documents in a locked note on iPhone? How Notes locking works, its limits for photos and files, and when an encrypted vault is better.
Local vs cloud photo vaults
Should your private photo vault sync to the cloud or stay on your iPhone? The privacy, recovery, and convenience trade-offs, explained without the marketing.
Situations
Before you sell or trade in your iPhone
A privacy checklist before selling, trading in, or giving away an iPhone: back up photos and vaults, transfer them, and erase the device properly.
Lending your iPhone without sharing your photos
Hand your iPhone to someone, or to a child, without exposing your photos. Use Guided Access, lock apps with Face ID, and keep private photos in a separate vault.
Before you hand your iPhone in for repair
What to do with your photos and private files before an iPhone repair: back up, decide whether to share your passcode, and protect anything sensitive.
Security
Discreet mode: a vault that does not look like one
Vaultage can show a working Calculator or Clock while the vault is locked, and use an abstract Home Screen icon. How it works, how to unlock it, and what it does not do.
How Vaultage protects your vault
How Vaultage encrypts photos, videos, and files on your iPhone: AES-256-GCM, a key tied to your device, no account or server, and the limits of what any vault can protect.
How to back up your vault and move it to a new iPhone
Make an encrypted Vaultage backup, store it safely, and restore it on a new iPhone or iPad. Why the vault is not in iCloud backups, and what to do before you switch phones.
PIN vs password vs pattern for your vault
Choosing how to lock a private photo vault on iPhone: how a six-digit PIN, a password, and a pattern compare for security, speed, and being watched.
Why Vaultage cannot reset your vault password
Why a truly private vault has no "forgot password" button, what that protects you from, and how to avoid losing access to your own vault.