UMBR vs mono
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UMBR
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Sharing photos shouldn't mean losing them. Once a photo leaves your phone, anyone can photographed with a camera, screenshot or screen-recorded. Until now, you just had to hope nobody would. Umbr is different. Powered by the iPhone's latest on-device AI chips, your media becomes SmartPhotos™ and SmartVideos™ - protection is woven into every pixel by Apple's Neural Engine. When someone tries to screenshot, screen-record, or capture your content with another phone, they don't get a clean copy. They get damage. FINALLY, EMBARRASSING MOMENTS WITHOUT FEAR That cringey selfie. The karaoke clip. The photo your friend keeps threatening to leak. With Umbr, even if they try to copy it - the copy won't survive. POWERED BY APPLE METAL - Apple Neural Engine - Our protection model runs on the iPhone's on-device AI chip. Fast, private, never on a server. - ProMotion 120Hz - Frame alternation timed to ProMotion displays so capture attempts get garbled output, not a clean copy. - Apple CryptoKit - AES-256-GCM end-to-end encryption with split-key sharing. The same standard Signal and WhatsApp use. - App Attest - Hardware-attested device identity. No accounts, no passwords - your iPhone proves itself. - Designed for iOS 26 with Liquid Glass throughout. YOU STAY IN CONTROL - Set view limits - one view, three, five, or unlimited - Choose how long links last - 1 hour to 90 days - Revoke access anytime, even after sending - Report abuse with one tap - Your media never leaves your iPhone unprotected BEING HONEST No app is 100% uncopyable, and we won't pretend otherwise. What we will say is this: Umbr is the most serious protection ever built into a consumer sharing app, and it works against the ways photos actually get stolen - screenshots, screen recordings, and someone pointing another phone at your screen. Determined attackers with specialized equipment may still find ways. For everyone else, Umbr is the strongest protection there is. PHOTOSENSITIVITY NOTICE SmartPhotos™ and SmartVideos™ use rapid frame alternation (up to 120Hz on ProMotion displays) to keep your content protected. Most people don't notice it. If you have photosensitive epilepsy or sensitivity to flicker, this app may not be safe for you. Reduce Motion users see a static frame; protection is reduced in that mode. PRIVACY POLICY & TERMS Read our full privacy policy and terms at umbr.link/privacy and umbr.link/terms. QUESTIONS? contact@umbr.link - we respond within 24 hours.
mono
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the app to have that conversation. one line. two people. mono is an encrypted 1-to-1 messaging app. you can have only one conversation at a time — no chat lists, groups, channels, or feeds. you connect via a unique, ephemeral 18-character key that rotates every 180 seconds. no matchmaking, stranger discovery, or public directory. no one can reach you unless you deliberately shared a key with them. no registration, no identity no name, email, phone, or personal data. no profile picture, no history, no trace — nothing tied to your real identity. radical privacy every message is end-to-end encrypted — only you and the other person can read it. not mono, not any server, not anyone else. ephemeral messages only the last 15 messages stay visible. the rest is permanently deleted. cut the line either person can cut the line — everything is deleted for both, instantly and permanently. screenshot protection (iphone and mac) messages, keys, photos, videos, and files stay hidden from screenshots and screen recordings. optional protection face id, passcode, keyword lock, and an emergency panic pin. 36-hour rule after 36 hours of inactivity, the entire conversation is permanently deleted for both. no notifications no badges, no banners, no sounds. no extras just text, images, videos, and files. no calls, video calls, or voice notes. view once images, videos, and files open once per person, then lock for good.
Screenshots
Verdict
UMBR and mono are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | UMBR | mono |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | — | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Aaratus, inc. | Steve Urrego |
In-app purchases
UMBR
No in-app purchases
mono
No in-app purchases









