Real encryption, not a hidden folder
Every photo and video is encrypted with AES-256-GCM before it enters the vault. Thumbnails, file names and album names are encrypted too.
Private · Encrypted · Offline
Looks like a calculator.
Keeps your photos safe.
Photo Vault opens as a real, working calculator. Type your PIN and press = three times, and it opens an AES-256 encrypted vault for your photos and videos. Nothing ever leaves your phone.
Free · No ads · No account · Android 9 and newer
- Encryption
- AES-256-GCM
- Internet permission
- None
- Accounts & ads
- None
- Minimum Android
- 9.0
How it works
Three steps, no sign-up, no tutorial to remember.
- 1
Install — it opens as a calculator
The app starts as a working calculator: add, subtract, percentages, decimals. Turn on “Disguise as calculator” in Settings and it is named Calculator on your home screen, too.
- 2
Choose a PIN
On first launch you pick a 4–8 digit PIN. It is never stored; it protects the key that protects your vault. Optionally add fingerprint or face as a second step.
- 3
Type the PIN, press = three times
That is the whole secret handshake. The calculator becomes your vault. Tap the lock icon and it is a calculator again.
PIN → = = =
Everything a private gallery needs
Built like a gallery app, locked like a safe.
Nothing leaves your phone
The app has no internet permission at all. No cloud, no accounts, no analytics, no ads — it is technically unable to upload anything.
Albums, favorites, trash, search
Organize privately. Deleted items wait in the trash until you empty it. Search by name, album, date or type — on the device only.
Zoom and play videos inside
Pinch to zoom, swipe between items, see details. Videos play straight from the encrypted file; nothing is decrypted to disk.
Biometrics and auto-lock
Fingerprint or face as a second step after the PIN. Auto-lock immediately or after 30 s, 1 min or 5 min. Screenshots are blocked inside the vault.
Restore to gallery any time
Take any item back out of the vault. The decrypted copy is verified before anything is removed — the same way imports are verified before originals are deleted.
Security you can inspect
No marketing words — this is what actually protects your files.
No security is absolute. Keep a device lock enabled, keep your PIN private, and remember: there is no PIN recovery — by design, not even for us.
Key hierarchy
A hardware-backed Android Keystore key wraps a PIN-derived key, which wraps a random vault key, which derives a unique key for every file. Your PIN itself is never written anywhere.
Authenticated encryption
Files are stored in chunked AES-256-GCM containers with an authenticated header. A tampered or corrupted file fails its integrity check instead of decrypting silently.
Brute-force resistant
After four wrong PINs, every further attempt waits progressively longer — 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes, up to an hour. The vault is never wiped.
Nothing in your backups
Android backups are disabled and extraction rules exclude everything, so encrypted files never end up in a cloud backup.
Invisible to the system
FLAG_SECURE blocks screenshots and screen recording inside the vault, and vault content is hidden from the recent-apps screen.
Verified transfers
Every import is fully decrypted and checked before you are asked whether to remove the original. Restoring to the gallery works the same way in reverse.
A closer look
The same screens you will see after installing.
A real calculator on the outside
Your photos, encrypted
Albums, favorites and a safety net
Zoom, swipe, play videos
Locked down, your way
Nothing leaves your phone
Light, dark and your language
Questions people ask
What if I forget my PIN?
The vault cannot be opened — by you or by anyone else, including us. This is deliberate: a recovery path would be a backdoor. Choose a PIN you will remember and, if in doubt, keep restoring important items to your gallery.
Where are my files stored?
In the app's private storage on your phone, encrypted. No copy exists anywhere else. The app has no internet permission, so it cannot upload anything even if it wanted to.
What happens if I uninstall the app?
The vault and its keys are deleted with it, and there is no backup. Use “Restore to gallery” first for anything you want to keep.
Can the app show up as “Calculator” on my phone?
Yes, if you want. It installs as Photo Vault; turn on Settings → Privacy → “Disguise as calculator” and the home-screen name and icon become Calculator. Anyone scrolling through your apps sees a normal calculator, and it really works as one. The vault only appears after your PIN and pressing = three times.
Does biometric unlock replace the PIN?
No. Fingerprint or face is an optional second step after the PIN, never a replacement. Your biometric data never reaches the app — only the system's yes/no.
Which Android versions are supported?
Android 9 (API 28) and newer. Android 9 is the floor because it brings the hardware-backed Keystore, platform BiometricPrompt and HEIF decoding the app relies on.
Is it free? Are there ads?
Free, no ads, no tracking, no in-app account. Photo Vault has nothing to sell about you.
Your photos are yours.
Install Photo Vault and move your private pictures behind a calculator today.
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.photovaultapp.app