Private Photo Vault is one of the most popular vault apps on the App Store, with about a million ratings. It hides photos and videos behind a PIN, a password or a pattern. DotSafe works in a different way: there is no wrong pattern, no ads and no data collection.
The short answer
| Feature | DotSafe | Private Photo Vault |
|---|---|---|
| No account | Yes | YesCloud Vault needs one |
| No ads | Yes | NoAds in the free version |
| No trackingApp Store privacy label | Yes | NoUsage data |
| Unlock | Pattern | PIN, password or pattern |
| Every pattern opens a vaultNo wrong code | Yes | No |
| Break-in report | No | YesPhoto and location |
| Decoy vault | YesAny vault | YesDecoy password |
| Duress pattern | YesFree and Pro | Not listed |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256 |
| Backup | Your iCloudPro | Developer's cloudPremium, with an account |
| Documents and files | Yes | Not listed |
| Logins, cards and IDs | Yes | Not listed |
| Runs on | iPhone, iPadand iPhone Duo | iPhone, iPadMac and Vision Pro |
Where Private Photo Vault is the better choice
- A long history. It has been on the App Store for many years, and many people use it.
- Break-in reports. If someone enters a wrong PIN, it takes a photo and records the location. DotSafe cannot do this, because no pattern is wrong.
- More places. It also runs on Mac and Apple Vision Pro. DotSafe runs on iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo.
Where DotSafe is different
- No wrong pattern. A PIN screen tells a person that you have something to hide, and a wrong PIN tells them that they did not find it. In DotSafe, each pattern opens a vault, and nothing shows how many vaults you have. See How plausible deniability works.
- No ads and no tracking. The free plan of DotSafe has no ads, and the app collects no data.
- Your backup stays in your iCloud. With Pro, DotSafe encrypts a vault on your device, then keeps the copy in your own iCloud. We have no servers.
- More than photos. Keep documents in folders, and logins, cards and IDs as records, in the same vault.
- A duress pattern. A second pattern erases all vaults on the device, then opens an empty vault.
Which one to choose
If you want an app that many people use, with break-in photos, Private Photo Vault is a good choice. If the risk is that someone makes you open the app, or you do not want ads or tracking, choose DotSafe. How to choose a photo vault app has eight questions to ask of any vault app.
Sources
We checked these pages on 2 November 2026. Apps and their privacy labels change. If something on this page is wrong, write to dotsafe@mobiusly.com and we will correct it.
- Private Photo Vault on the App Store, including its privacy label
- privatephotovault.com: security
- privatephotovault.com: Cloud Vault
