# Private Docs Vault: Photo Lock — Hide Photos, Videos & Files

> Hide Photos, Videos & Files (iPhone/iPad app by JHIH YUN CHEN.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-docs-vault-photo-lock/id6811581165 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [JHIH YUN CHEN](https://appshunter.io/developer/6811581287)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 4 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan)
- Released: 2026-09-17
- Data updated: 2026-09-24
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-docs-vault-photo-lock/id6811581165/reviews.md

## What is Private Docs Vault?

Private Docs Vault is a local encrypted vault with no backdoor. Add photos, videos, PDFs or any file and it is encrypted immediately with AES-256-GCM. It opens only after Face ID / Touch ID plus the 6-digit vault PIN you choose.

Fully offline
No server, no uploads, no analytics, no ads or trackers. The only network use is App Store purchase verification, handled by iOS.

Real encryption, not just hiding
Every file is encrypted in chunks; file names and the index are encrypted too. The key lives in the iOS Keychain and is released only with biometrics plus your vault PIN. Five wrong PINs in a row destroy everything.

What you get
• Add from Files or Photos; originals are never modified
• Built-in camera: photos and videos encrypted directly, never touching the photo library
• Video streams while decrypting, PDF text search, Markdown reader
• Folders, search, sorting, favorites and recents
• Multiple vaults: different PINs open different vaults, and the app never reveals how many exist
• Auto-lock delay, automatic blackout during screen recording and mirroring
• Password-protected AES zips that open in 7-Zip and friends
• Encrypted backups to Files or iCloud Drive
• iPad split-view layout

The free plan stores 5 GB. Buy “No Storage Limit” once to remove the cap (files stay on your device, so free space is the real limit) and get password zips, batch export and encrypted backups. It is a one-time purchase: no subscription, nothing renews, and you can restore it for free on other devices with the same Apple Account.

Important
Forgetting your vault PIN, turning off your device passcode, deleting the app or switching phones makes the content unrecoverable. That is by design: there is no backdoor. Make encrypted backups regularly.

Privacy policy: https://musicloveai.github.io/filevault-site/privacy.html

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Storage Limit | $4.99 | one-time |



## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.3.1 — 2026-09-24

- Fixes a lock-screen issue where Face ID could report a failure right away and start a countdown, locking you out of your own vault.
- Face ID is now handled entirely by iOS, the same way banking apps do it: if Face ID fails, the system lets you enter your device passcode instead. The app no longer keeps its own retry lockout.
- If you were stuck in that countdown, updating clears it immediately.

### 1.3 — 2026-09-21

- Updated App Store listing and minor improvements.
- Everything from 1.2: drag and drop import, whole-folder import, new encrypted backup format, Zip64, backup reminders.

### 1.2 — 2026-09-19

- Tap the current tab again to jump to your newest item.
- Faster photo viewing: the viewer shows the thumbnail instantly and swaps in the full-size image.
- New default backup format: everything including file names is encrypted (AES-256-GCM, 600,000-round key derivation); choose zip if you need to open it on a computer.
- Password-protected zips now support files larger than 4 GB (Zip64); zip and backup passwords require 12+ characters with a strength meter.
- Add whole folders from Files (subfolders included), or drag and drop files and folders into the vault.
- Backup reminder when your vault grows, and a clearer unlock screen with no technical error codes.

### 1.1 — 2026-09-18

- Importing very large files (multi-GB videos, archives) no longer runs out of memory.
- If an import is interrupted, the partial file is removed and no longer takes up space; leftovers from earlier interrupted imports are cleaned up automatically the next time you unlock, or manually from Settings.
- Add from Files now accepts folders: the whole folder is imported and its subfolders are recreated in the vault.
- Deleting now always asks for confirmation, because deleted files cannot be recovered.

### 1.0 — 2026-09-17

No release notes.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-24.*