A vault app is one that can keep your private photos, videos, and messages safe from prying eyes. To access the trove, the user must input a password. In some cases, these apps are disguised as other types of apps, such as a calculator or calendar, to make it harder to detect. Other apps have a fake cover page that looks like an empty folder or an error message, for example. Vault apps often don't show up in your recent apps and you can block some from automatically adding an icon to your home screen. These apps are often used for securing photos, such as nude pictures or other sensitive subjects, and hiding or disguising the app makes it harder to know where to look should someone get their hands on your unlocked phone. Here are the nine best vault apps for keeping your personal photos and other data between the sender and recipient — and no one else.
Lock Photos Photo Secret Vault for iOS has an app icon that's labeled Disk as a sort of disguise. When you launch the app, you create a password, which you can't reset. You can have it emailed to you, so you don't forget it, but the message comes from your email address, and doesn't mention the app.
In addition to photos and videos, you can also store audio and other files, such as PDFs in the vault app. You can even set up a decoy password that sends users to decoy data to fool anyone who might be watching.
Free Download – Private Photo Vault for PC, Windows 7,8,10 and Mac. This is a photo safe that keeps all of your private pictures and videos. Set passwords and lock on them to give complete protection to it.
Finally, you can also lock folders with a separate password for extra protection. The premium version has a 3-day trial and includes break-in alerts, cloud back up, and takes away ads. What We Like. App icon is labeled Disk. Can set up decoy password What We Don't Like. Free version is ad-supported, which can get annoying. AppLock lets you password-protect apps, including social media, messaging, and gallery apps as well as incoming calls.
Extra protections include an option to hide the icon from any home screens or add a cover to the app, such as an error message that says 'Unfortunately, AppLock has stopped.' You can also enable a random keyboard when entering your password so onlookers can't easily guess it. Applock is free, with no premium upgrades. What We Like. Can disguise the app with a blank screen or error message. Locks your favorite photo and messaging apps What We Don't Like. No passcode requirement; we were able to use our screen unlock code.
The Best Secret Folder app icon even fooled us since it says BestSF and looks like a travel app. (We initially thought it was bloatware on our spare iPhone.) Once we realized our mistake, we chose an unlock option (pattern, PIN, password, or fingerprint) and entered the app. The interface, which looks like a bank vault, is fun, if not subtle, and you can add a cover that looks like an empty folder if someone launches it. (We almost fell for that too.) Other features include Snoop Stopper, which snaps a photo when someone inputs the wrong code, and the option to shut the app down when the phone is face down. You can send yourself the passcode for safekeeping, but the email mentions the app, which doesn't feel secure. A pro plan ($1.99) takes away ads and includes compatibility with Google Drive, Dropbox,. What We Like.
Captures photos of anyone who tries to break in and record their location (if enabled). Can't reset password. Icon looks like a travel app What We Don't Like. You can have password sent to you by email with app name the body. Free version is ad-supported, which can be distracting. As its name spells out, Gallery Lock hides your pictures from would-be snoops. A stealth mode hides the app icon, and the camera will take a shot of anyone who inputs the wrong password three times in a row.
Gallery Lock is free, so features like break-in attempt tracking and stealth mode don't require an upgrade to a premium plan. What We Like.
Stealth Mode hides launch icon. The front-facing camera takes a photo after the third failed password attempt What We Don't Like. No passcode requirement; we were able to use a 4-digit code of the same number.
Easily remembered, broadly repeated passwords are for suckers. Writing them down to type back in, or copy/pasting them each time is not only a hassle, it's a disaster waiting to happen.
Security just isn't easy and convenient enough for most people, most of the time. Unless you have a great password manager app! From generating super strong, unique, pseudo-random passwords, to auto-filling logins and credit card info, a great password manager means you really can have it all — security and convenience. Here are the best ones! 1Password is one of the most popular password management solutions around and for good reason. It's widely available, on just about any platform you could think of, and it lets you store far more than just passwords.
You can store usernames, credit card information, addresses, bank account numbers, software licenses, and tons more. You can even use the built-in Security Audit to see how strong your passwords really are.
The Watchtower feature also lets you know if any of your accounts are vulnerable. With a ton of great features and cross-platform compatibility out the wazoo, 1Password is easily one of the best password management solutions around. $64.99 - LastPass. LastPass might just be the most popular password manager around, thanks to the fact that it's free, as well as a host of great features.
You can store usernames and passwords and sync everything across all of your devices (cross-platform too!). You can even create secure notes and favorite the important ones — you can also add photos and custom audio to each note. You get offline access to your vault and can even log in to Safari and Chrome extensions online. The handy emergency access feature also lets you give trusted family members a way to access your vault in an emergency while declining access during a waiting period if outside access isn't necessary.
LastPass is free to download and a yearly subscription to LastPass Premium is $11.99, which gets you unlimited sync across an unlimited number of devices, a shared family folder, premium multifactor authentication options, and priority tech support. Free, with in-app purchases - DashLane. DashLane is your password manager and your secure digital wallet. Not only does DashLane remember all your passwords, but it auto-fills your passwords on any website and generates and saves new passwords as you browse. This manager also checks the strength of all of your passwords and monitors all of your accounts for security breaches. The one-click password change feature is handy and a convenient way to replace weak and vulnerable passwords.
You can also sync and share passwords between you and your contacts and even manage their access to shared passwords and notes, setting up emergency access to certain passwords and notes in case you're unavailable. DashLane is free to download and use, and you can subscribe to a year of its premium service for $39.99, 3 years for $99.99, and 5 years for $149.99. Free, with in-app purchases - Keeper. Keeper's great for saving and storing just about anything you need to keep secure. You can save private file, photos, videos, passwords (duh), and you can encrypt everything and even control the logout timer in case you forget to sign out. Along with safe storage, it comes with great customization options, like the ability to customize template and fields, as well as the ability to add custom background themes to style your personal vault the way you like it.
Keeper is free to download, and you'll get local password storage for one device, as well as email support. For $29.99 per year, you'll get unlimited password storage, unlimited sync across an unlimited number of devices, unlimited secure cloud backup, fingerprint login, and more!. Free, with in-app purchases - EnPass. EnPass is the best way to go if you prefer a completely free password manager. The Mac desktop app has all the features and there are no subscription charges or sign-up required. You can store just about anything with backup and restore options, just in case. It also features a strong password generator and Password Audit, which scans for old, weak, and duplicate passwords.
EnPass's auto-lock feature causes EnPass to lock itself when not in use or when a device is lost, which is great since you get cross-platform compatibility and can sync across all of your devices. If you're making the switch from another password manager, you can even import your passwords and data for a seamless transition. EnPass is totally free — no subscription required for premium features!. Free - iCloud Keychain. We can't forget about Apple's default password management solution, iCloud Keychain. If you have, you've got it built right in. And if you have an iOS device running, iCloud Keychain should sync your passwords pretty seamlessly across OS X and iOS with little effort on your part.
There's definitely some work to be done on Apple's part, but it's a good start. If you're running OS X Mavericks or above and value simplicity above all, give iCloud Keychain a try.
Built into OS X See also:. Your picks? Are you using an awesome password manager app we didn't mention? Let us know in the comments below! Originally published June 2014. Updated October 2016.