Comparison

TempSnap 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

TempSnap

Automatically delete photos and videos after a set expiration date. This app helps declutter your device by managing temporary media like screenshots and expired images. It operates entirely offline, ensuring your privacy.

Highlights
  • Set expiration dates for media
  • Auto-delete expired content
  • Supports photos, screenshots, and videos
  • 100% offline operation
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
Read full description

Too many temporary photos or screenshots cluttering your album? This app helps you clean them up! • Set an expiration date for photos—auto delete when expired • Works with photos, screenshots, and videos • 100% offline, keeping your privacy safe Feedback: to@day.app

About

Ephemeral Trace

Features
Read full description

Photos and videos that delete themselves. Ephemeral Trace is a private camera for media that only needs to exist for a while. Choose a timer before you shoot or import. Each item counts down, then deletes itself when time runs out. No account. No analytics. No tracking. FOR PHOTOS THAT HAD ONE JOB A parking spot. A whiteboard after the meeting. A guest Wi-Fi card. A locker number. A document you are sending once. Capture it. Use it. Let it go. CAPTURE OR IMPORT Shoot in the app, pick specific photos and videos with Apple's system picker, or send them from another app with the Share sheet. Ephemeral Trace cannot browse your photo library. If you pick an item stored only in iCloud, Apple may download that item first. SET THE TIMER FIRST Choose 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 24 hours. Every item shows a live countdown and a decay ring. Local notifications can warn you before time runs out. USE WHAT IT SAYS Copy the text in any photo. Point the camera at a QR code, or open a photo that has one, and a button joins the Wi-Fi network, saves the contact, adds the event to Calendar, or opens the link. Show Code puts a ticket's code on screen, flat and bright, for the scanner. When a ticket or coupon shows its end time, the app can offer that moment as the photo's expiry. One tap applies it. FIND WHAT IS STILL HERE Search your notes and folder names, or by date, like “yesterday” or “September”, then filter by type, expiry, folder, or whether an item has a note. With Pro, Text in Photos reads the words in your photos on your iPhone, so you can find a receipt, label, or whiteboard without uploading anything. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No accounts • No analytics or tracking • No advertising identifiers • No crash reporting • No app-operated cloud storage or servers Media stays in the app's private storage, protected by iOS Data Protection. When expiry completes, the file and its encryption key are removed together. Media is excluded from iCloud and iTunes backups, so a capture doesn't outlive its timer inside a backup. There is no trash, Recently Deleted collection, or undo path. A LIBRARY THAT EMPTIES ITSELF See what is still alive at a glance. Extend an expiry, move an item, add a note, share it, save it to Photos, or delete it early. Statistics show how much you have already let go. FOLDERS WITHOUT THE PILE-UP Organize media into folders, choose a default folder, and capture straight into it. The free version includes up to two folders. ONE-TIME PRO Pro unlocks: • Keep Forever • Custom timers up to one year • Unlimited folders • A Face ID or Touch ID gallery lock, plus individually locked folders • Text in Photos: search the words in your photos • Folder rules that file new photos by their text • Redact the numbers, codes, faces, and lines of text it finds, or draw a box over anything else, before you share or save a photo • Straighten a receipt, ticket, or page • A custom accent color One purchase. No subscription. No ads. Free includes unlimited capture, the four standard timers, automatic deletion, expiry warnings, import, notes, search, filters, statistics, text and QR code actions, widgets, the Open Camera control, up to two folders, and export to Photos. Your privacy is not a feature. It is the foundation.

Screenshots

TempSnap3 screens
Ephemeral Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ephemeral Trace at every 11 days against TempSnap's every 3 weeks. TempSnap's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. TempSnap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ephemeral Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TempSnap ships an update every 3 weeks, Ephemeral Trace every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TempSnap versus Ephemeral Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempSnapEphemeral Trace
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer丰 黄Ephemeral Trace LDA

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TempSnap

One-time1
  • Full Access$2.69
1 purchases

Ephemeral Trace

One-time1
  • Ephemeral Trace Pro$9.99

Questions

Is TempSnap free?
TempSnap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ephemeral Trace free?
Ephemeral Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TempSnap or Ephemeral Trace have ads?
Neither TempSnap nor Ephemeral Trace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TempSnap or Ephemeral Trace?
TempSnap ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ephemeral Trace every 11 days. Most recently, TempSnap was updated on October 30, 2026 and Ephemeral Trace on November 5, 2026.

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