1. Is it encrypted on your phone?
Photos should be encrypted before they’re saved, with keys that stay on your device. Look for specifics (like AES-256), not just “secure”.
2. Does it need an account?
An account means the company knows who you are and may hold your data. A vault that works without sign-up collects less.
3. Is the PIN separate from your iPhone passcode?
If the vault opens with your device passcode, it protects no more than the Hidden album.
4. Who can open the backup?
Cloud backup is essential (phones get lost), but check whose cloud it is and who holds the key. Best: encrypted on your phone, stored in your own iCloud, opened only with a key you hold. How Ghost’s backup works.
5. Does it remove location and other hidden details?
Most vaults store photos as they are, location included. If you’ll ever export or share from the vault, metadata removal matters. What EXIF data is.
6. What happens under pressure?
Some vaults have a decoy PIN that opens a fake vault. Ghost’s Panic PIN shows an empty vault and erases the real one on that phone.
7. What does it track, and what does it cost?
Check the App Store App Privacy section: “Data Not Collected” is the best answer. Then check the price: free limits, subscription, and whether there’s a one-time option.
How Ghost answers
Encrypted on your iPhone (AES-256-GCM, keys protected by the Secure Enclave). No account. Its own 6-digit PIN. Encrypted backup to your own iCloud with a recovery key only you hold. Location and camera details removed on import. Panic PIN. No ads or tracking. Free for 100 photos, 10 videos and 10 files; Ghost Plus is $2.99/month, $19.99/year or $29.99 once.