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 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

TempSnap3 screens
Ephemeral Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

TempSnap and Ephemeral Trace are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 18, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
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 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB3 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 2 weeks. Most recently, TempSnap was updated on September 18, 2026 and Ephemeral Trace on September 18, 2026.

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