Comparison

TempCam vs Ephemeral Trace

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

Head to head
About

TempCam

Capture private photos that automatically disappear after a set time. Images are stored securely within the app, not in your device's gallery. Face ID adds an extra layer of protection for your sensitive snapshots.

Highlights
  • Self-deleting photos
  • No gallery storage
  • Customizable timers
  • Face ID security
  • No sign-up required
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Take private photos that delete themselves. TempCam stores images only inside the app — never in your gallery. Set a timer and your photos disappear automatically. No sign-up, no backups, just quick and secure snapshots for receipts, notes, or private moments. TempCam supports Face ID for an extra layer of security. Only you can access your private photos inside the app. Even if someone opens your phone, your photos stay protected.

About

Ephemeral Trace

Features
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Photos that delete themselves. Ephemeral Trace is a private camera for photos and videos that only need to exist for a while. Choose an expiry before you shoot. Each capture counts down, then deletes itself when time runs out. No cloud. No account. No tracking. FOR PHOTOS THAT HAD ONE JOB A receipt you need until tonight. A whiteboard after the meeting. A parking spot. A document you are sending once. A serial number. The Wi-Fi password at a rental. Take the photo. Use it. Let it go. SET THE TIMER BEFORE YOU SHOOT Choose 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 24 hours. Pro adds custom timers up to one year and Keep Forever when a photo really should stay. TIME, MADE VISIBLE Every capture has a live countdown and a decay ring that empties as time runs out. Short timers burn hot. Long ones run cool. If a capture expires while you are looking at it, it flares once and dissolves. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No accounts • No analytics or tracking • No advertising identifiers • No cloud storage or servers • No crash reporting • Photo Library access is Add Only. The app can save a photo when you ask, but it cannot read your existing library. Your media stays on your iPhone. ENCRYPTED, THEN GONE Captures live in the app's private storage, protected by iOS Data Protection. When a timer ends, the file and its encryption key are removed together. Captures are excluded from iCloud and iTunes backups, so a capture does not outlive its timer inside a backup. There is no trash, Recently Deleted folder, or undo path. A LIBRARY THAT EMPTIES ITSELF See what is still alive at a glance. Long-press any item to extend its timer, change its expiry, move it, share it, save it to Photos, or delete it early. FOLDERS WITHOUT THE PILE-UP Organize captures into folders with identity colors and custom covers. Choose a default folder and shoot straight into it. The free version includes up to two folders. ONE-TIME PRO Pro unlocks: • Keep Forever • Custom timer presets up to one year • Unlimited folders • Biometric gallery lock with Face ID, Touch ID, or Optic ID • All future Pro features One purchase. No subscription. Ever. Free includes unlimited photo and video capture, all four standard timers, automatic deletion, decay rings and countdowns, long-press actions, up to two folders, gallery filters, statistics, and export to Photos. Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Ukrainian. Your privacy is not a feature. It is the foundation.

Screenshots

TempCam4 screens
Ephemeral Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TempCam at none against Ephemeral Trace's 1. Ephemeral Trace's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Ephemeral Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TempCam asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TempCam ships an update every 6 months, Ephemeral Trace every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 18, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 5 level
TempCam versus Ephemeral Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempCamEphemeral Trace
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJongHyeok ParkEphemeral Trace LDA

In-app purchases

None

TempCam

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Ephemeral Trace

One-time1
  • Ephemeral Trace Pro$9.99

Questions

Is TempCam free?
TempCam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ephemeral Trace free?
Ephemeral Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TempCam or Ephemeral Trace have ads?
TempCam shows ads; Ephemeral Trace does not.
Which is updated more often, TempCam or Ephemeral Trace?
TempCam ships an update every 6 months, and Ephemeral Trace every 2 weeks. Most recently, TempCam was updated on September 18, 2026 and Ephemeral Trace on September 18, 2026.

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