Comparison

Time Lock vs Oobada

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Time Lock

Send messages that reveal themselves only at a specific time or for a limited duration. Enhance conversations with timed secrets or exclusive meeting details. It's a fun way to build anticipation and curiosity.

Highlights
  • Send timed messages
  • Set message visibility duration
  • Share secrets
  • Exclusive meeting details
  • iMessage integration
  • Send message reminders
Features
Read full description

Thank you for your support. Over a million time locks have been created! -- With time lock, you decide when your message will be visible an for how long. It's a cool new way to spice up your conversations and make your friends curious about the message. Share secrets in a group and only make them visible for a couple of seconds. Or share details on where to meet and make it more exclusive. It's really fun, try it out. The app integrates perfectly with iMessage, it's super easy to use. Because we don't want your messages to be forgotten, we have added a button to quickly send a reminder. Want to remove the app? Follow the instructions here: www.bit.do/del-app

About

Oobada

Features
Read full description

CREATE YOUR OWN SECRET LANGUAGE Oobada turns everyday texting into an adventure of secret codes and hidden messages. Create custom cipher languages and share encrypted communications that only you and your inner circle can understand. Want a language only your family can decode? Create it here. 10 CIPHER MODES Go beyond simple letter swaps with ten powerful cipher engines. Substitution mode is free for everyone. Premium unlocks Caesar Shift, Reverse Text, Vowel Scramble, Atbash, Vigenere, ROT13, Rail Fence, Morse Code, and Affine. Each mode offers a unique way to transform your messages, from keyword-based shifting to mathematical formulas. MAPPING PRESETS Get started instantly with 6 pre-built substitution presets including Military Phonetic (NATO), Morse Code, Binary, Leet Speak, Pigpen, and Braille Dots. Or use Generate for Me with multiple creative styles like shuffled letters, emojis, symbols, and mixed combinations. ENCRYPT AND DECRYPT INSTANTLY Switch seamlessly between encrypt and decrypt modes. Type your message and watch it transform in real time. Switch languages and your text auto-retranslates on the spot. Your recent translations are saved with both the original and encrypted text for easy reference. SHARE WITH FRIENDS Export your languages as text keys or QR codes. Friends scan or paste to import instantly. Create sticker cards from your encrypted messages with five visual themes. Send encrypted texts directly via SMS without leaving the app. IMESSAGE EXTENSION Encrypt and decrypt messages directly inside the Messages app. Select a language, type your message, and insert it right into the conversation. HOME SCREEN WIDGET Add a Word of the Day widget to your home screen in small, medium, or large sizes. A new word is encrypted daily using your selected language. The large widget shows a character-by-character breakdown of how the cipher works. HIDDEN TEXT MODE Enable privacy mode in Settings to mask your input with dots as you type. Hold the eye icon to peek at your text. Perfect for when someone is nearby and you want to keep your message private. ICLOUD SYNC Sync your cipher languages across all your Apple devices. Create a language on your iPhone and use it on your iPad. Enable in Settings with Premium. PREMIUM FEATURES Unlock the full Oobada experience with a one-time purchase. No subscriptions. Unlimited custom languages All 10 cipher modes Letter, number, and punctuation mapping 6 mapping presets iCloud sync across devices Send SMS directly Sticker card sharing iMessage extension Emoji and symbol generation modes Extended message length PERFECT FOR Families creating fun secret communications Friend groups sharing coded messages Couples sending private notes Students building study group codes Teachers demonstrating cryptography concepts Anyone who wants private conversations in plain sight PRIVACY AND SECURITY Your languages and messages stay completely private. Oobada is a fun cipher app and is not intended for professional-grade security use. All encryption happens locally on your device. We never see your messages or language mappings. Share only what you choose with who you choose. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Time Lock3 screens
Oobada4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Oobada at Free against Time Lock's $0.99. Time Lock's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Oobada is free to download; Time Lock costs $0.99 up front. Time Lock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Oobada sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Time Lock ships an update every 10 months, Oobada every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Time Lock versus Oobada: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTime LockOobada
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating2.8 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 9 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFanatic DevelopmentAaron Austin

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Time Lock

One-time1
  • Unlimited MessagesFree
1 purchases

Oobada

One-time1
  • Premium Features$4.99

Questions

Is Time Lock free?
Time Lock costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Oobada free?
Oobada is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Time Lock or Oobada have ads?
Neither Time Lock nor Oobada shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Time Lock or Oobada?
Time Lock ships an update every 10 months, and Oobada every 9 months. Most recently, Time Lock was updated on October 12, 2026 and Oobada on October 7, 2026.

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