Decoy vs LockBoard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decoy
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The iPhone's own Notes app can't live on your Lock Screen. Decoy can, and nobody else can read it. Appointments, medication, errands you'd rather not explain. The Lock Screen is the surface you glance at most, and it's also the one other people see most. So some things never made it there. While your phone is locked, Decoy looks like a blank card, or whatever text you chose in advance. The moment Face ID passes, your real notes appear. ■ Made for ・Writing things down and then never looking at them again ・Living or working around people who glance at your screen ・Appointments and errands you'd rather keep to yourself ■ What it does ・Works as a to-do list, or as plain notes ・Reminders at the time you set ・Repeats daily, on weekdays, weekly, monthly ・Separate lists for separate parts of your life (Pro) ■ How it's built ・No ads ・Everything stays on your device by default. iCloud sync is there if you want it ・No accounts, no sign-in A note on what this is not: once Face ID or your passcode has been entered, anyone holding your phone can read your notes. Decoy hides things from the people around you, not from someone with your unlocked phone. Keep passwords and PINs in a dedicated password manager. Decoy Pro is a one-time purchase. It removes the note limit and adds per-note reminders, separate lists, and control over how things look while locked. Terms of Use: https://suzukimari.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://suzukimari.com/privacy-policy.html
LockBoard
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LockBoard keeps your notes on your Lock Screen wallpaper — always visible, zero effort. The fundamental weakness of to-do apps: they only work if you open them. LockBoard turns your note itself into your wallpaper, so it catches your eye every time you pick up your phone. Like a sticky note on the fridge, it works without you even trying — on the screen you look at more than any other. ■ Just write and close - Open → write → close. That's all - The wallpaper image refreshes automatically the moment you close the app - One board only. No lists to manage, nothing to organize ■ What you see is what you get - The preview shows exactly what your Lock Screen will look like - Backgrounds: 6 calm solid colors, 6 gradients, or a photo you love - Adjust text size, vertical position, and a readability backdrop - The layout stays clear of the Lock Screen clock and bottom buttons ■ How it works (one-time setup, about 2 minutes) iOS doesn't let apps change your wallpaper directly. LockBoard pairs with Apple's official Shortcuts app to update it. All you set up the first time: add the ready-made shortcut with one tap, assign it to a button on your Lock Screen, and write your first note from that button. The in-app wizard walks you through it screen by screen — about 2 minutes. After that, you can jot things down straight from the Lock Screen button. To have edits you make inside the app applied automatically too, you can go on to set up the optional "when the app closes" automation. ■ Great for - Keeping this week's goals in sight without relying on willpower - Anyone who could never stick with a to-do app - Shopping and packing lists you can check at a glance - Words you live by, always in view - Drilling facts for exams and certifications ■ 7-day free period and pricing - Try every feature free for 7 days (168 hours) after your first successful shortcut action - The free period does not start a subscription or charge you automatically - After it ends, you can still view and copy your memo, share the wallpaper, and keep your current Lock Screen wallpaper in place. A purchase is required to write new content or update the wallpaper - $2.99 monthly / $14.99 yearly / $39.99 lifetime - Monthly and annual plans renew automatically after purchase until canceled. You can cancel anytime in App Store settings. The price shown on the purchase screen is the price that applies ■ Privacy - Your notes and photos never leave your device - No personally identifiable data is collected. In addition to anonymous usage statistics, RevenueCat processes purchase status, purchase history, and a random anonymous ID to provide purchases. This data is not linked to you or used for tracking - Your free-period start time is synced through Apple's iCloud KVS within your own iCloud account so it carries across reinstalls and device changes - No account required
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LockBoard at none against Decoy's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Decoy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. LockBoard asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Decoy | LockBoard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | — | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mari Suzuki | Tatsuya Hirano |
In-app purchases
Decoy
- Decoy Pro$4.99
LockBoard
No in-app purchases









