Ephemeral Trace vs Rika
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Ephemeral Trace
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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.
Rika
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With just two phones, one becomes the camera and the other becomes the remote. Rika is a remote camera app: mount one phone, then watch its live view and shoot from the other. No more asking strangers, no more running back and forth to check the framing. Take couple photos with both of you in them, and group shots where nobody is left out. ā How it works 1. Open the app on both phones and pick a role ā one is the camera, one is the remote 2. Scan the QR code on the camera phone with the remote phone to connect instantly 3. Set the camera phone on a tripod or shelf, then shoot while watching the live view ā Features Ā· Remote viewfinder ā frame your shot while watching the mounted phone's live view Ā· Full remote control ā shutter, timer (3/5/10s), zoom, brightness, lens switch, and flash Ā· Instant pairing ā no sign-up, just one QR scan. Works even on LTE, not only on the same Wi-Fi Ā· Aspect ratios ā 3:4 / 9:16 / 1:1 / Full, saved exactly as you see them Ā· In-app album ā photos are sent to the remote phone automatically; save only the ones you love to both phones ā Privacy first Ā· Videos and photos are never stored on a server ā they travel encrypted, directly between your two phones Ā· The screen is shared only while connected via QR; once disconnected, nothing can be viewed or controlled Ā· No sign-up, no account ā Perfect for Ā· Couple photos on your trips Ā· Family and group shots where the photographer is never missing Contact: kyi910705@gmail.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rika at none against Ephemeral Trace's 1. Rika also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Ephemeral Trace's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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
Both are free to download. Ephemeral Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Rika asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Ephemeral Trace | Rika |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | ā |
| Ads | No ā better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No ā better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod ā better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.1 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ephemeral Trace LDA | Yong-il Kim |
In-app purchases
Ephemeral Trace
- Ephemeral Trace Pro$9.99
Rika
No in-app purchases









