The best apps to hide photos on Android in 2026
What to look for in an app to hide photos, then how Hidey, Keepsafe, LockMyPix, Gallery Vault, Vaulty and others compare on encryption, backup and recovery.
· 9 min read
There are hundreds of apps on Google Play that hide photos, and most promise the same things: a PIN, a disguise, "military-grade" protection. The differences that matter are underneath. Here's what to look for in an app to hide photos on Android, then how the best-known photo vaults compare, going by each developer's own Google Play listing and help pages, checked on 27 October 2026. One disclosure first: Hidey is our app.
What to look for
- Encryption you can check. A vault should encrypt your photos, not just move or rename them, and say how. Our guide to checking a vault's encryption shows how to tell the difference.
- A backup, and who can open it. Without one, a lost phone takes your photos with it. With one, it matters whether it lives in storage you control and what someone with your account could do.
- A way back in. Every vault needs some recovery, set up before you forget anything, and each one is a door someone else could try.
- What's free. Most vaults keep some features, or no ads, for a paid plan, so check what the free version really includes.
At a glance
| App | Encryption, as described | Backup | Forgotten PIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidey | AES-256-GCM on your phone, documented | Your own Google Drive, encrypted first (free) | Google reset after 24 hours, or a recovery key (Pro) |
| Keepsafe | "Military-grade encryption" | Keepsafe's Private Cloud | A code sent to your verified email |
| LockMyPix | AES, in CTR mode | Not described in its listing | Recovery email or a second password, if set up |
| Gallery Vault | "The hidden files are all encrypted" | None: files stay only on your phone | Reset by email |
| Vaulty | No method named; files are renamed, often obfuscated | A folder you can see in your Google Drive | Your security question |
| Private Photo Vault | "Advanced encryption" | Its encrypted Cloud Vault | Not described in its listing |
| Hide It Pro | Encrypted on your device, its website says | Free cloud backup | Not described in its listing |
1. Hidey
Hidey encrypts each photo, video and file you hide on your phone with AES-256-GCM, checks the encrypted copy, then deletes the original, and the details are on our security page. It opens with its own PIN or password, separate from your screen lock, or your fingerprint.
- Backup: free, to a hidden folder in your own Google Drive, encrypted before upload, and it restores on any Android phone.
- Getting back in: with backup on, you can reset a forgotten PIN through Google after a 24-hour wait, which means whoever controls your Google account could too, unless you turn on zero-knowledge mode (Pro), which swaps that reset for a recovery key.
- Free: hiding photos, videos and files, the backup, a calculator disguise, a secure camera and a private browser. Pro adds hidden vaults with their own PIN, intruder selfies, the Clock, Weather and Notes disguises, auto-hide folders and no ads.
2. Keepsafe
Keepsafe locks photos behind a PIN, pattern or fingerprint and describes its protection as "military-grade encryption". Its backup and sync go to Keepsafe's own Private Cloud rather than storage you own, with more of it in Premium. Premium also adds album locks, break-in alerts, a fake PIN and no ads. A forgotten PIN is reset with a code sent to your verified email, as our guide to vault app recovery explains, and our Hidey vs Keepsafe page goes into more detail.
3. LockMyPix
LockMyPix is unusually specific about its encryption: its listing says it uses AES in CTR mode. It unlocks with a PIN, password, pattern or fingerprint. Premium adds face unlock on some phones, a fake vault, SD card storage, a disguise as a calculator or radio, intruder selfies and no ads. Its listing doesn't describe a backup, and getting back in needs a recovery email or a second password that you set up beforehand.
4. Gallery Vault
Gallery Vault says its hidden files are all encrypted, and it can hide its own icon, keep break-in alerts and use an SD card. Its FAQ is clear that files are stored only on your phone, not online, so you need to back them up yourself before you move to a new phone or reset it. A forgotten passcode is reset by email.
5. Vaulty
Vaulty's help says hidden files are renamed and, in many cases, obfuscated, in a Documents/Vaulty folder, without naming an encryption method. Its free backup goes to a folder in your Google Drive that you can see, and Vaulty says anyone who can sign in to your Google account can open that folder. It syncs both ways, so deleting a file from Drive deletes it from your phone too. Our Hidey vs Vaulty page compares the two.
6. Private Photo Vault
Private Photo Vault, from Legendary Software Labs, locks photos behind a PIN, pattern or fingerprint and describes "advanced encryption". Album locks, break-in alerts and a fake PIN are Premium features, and it offers an encrypted Cloud Vault of up to 50 GB. Its listing doesn't say how you reset a forgotten PIN.
7. Hide It Pro
Hide It Pro hides behind a working Audio Manager: press and hold its title to open the vault. Its listing offers free cloud backup. Our guide to Hide It Pro covers backing it up and moving it.
Calculator vaults and built-in options
If you want the vault to look like a calculator, our list of calculator vault apps compares them. Your phone may also have a hiding place built in: Google Photos' Locked Folder, Samsung's Secure Folder, Private Safe on OPPO, realme and OnePlus, or Android's Private space. They share the same gaps: most open with your screen lock or work on one brand only, and their backups are either missing or off unless you turn them on.
How to choose
Look for the three things a PIN screen can't show you: encryption you can check, a backup you control, and a way back in that you've set up before you need it. Hidey has all three, with the backup and the calculator disguise free. Whatever you pick, our guide to what a vault app is explains how they work, so you know what to check in any app before you trust it with your photos.