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Is FileGuard Safe?

FileGuard privacy label · by One Wave AB · checked November 2026

  • Nothing linked to you
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Used to track you
0types

None declared

Linked to you
0types

None declared

Not linked to you
3types
Short answer

On the label it is low-risk: FileGuard collects some data but says none of it is linked to you or used for tracking. None of it falls in Apple's most sensitive categories (health, financial, location, contacts or your own content). In total the label lists 3 data types; 51% of private photo apps we checked declare tracking.

At a glance

FileGuard privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Not linked to you
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.

Verdict from the label
Not linked to you

FileGuard collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking.

Try it

Did FileGuard ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what FileGuard's developer declared.

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Not on the label

Location is not on FileGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

User Content is not on FileGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

Contacts is not on FileGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not declared on the label

FileGuard declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.

Not on the label

Health & Fitness is not on FileGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.

Line by line

What FileGuard collects, explained

Data typeWhat it coversWhere to limit it
IdentifiersNot linked to you An account ID, screen name, customer number or a device-level ID such as the advertising identifier. Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking: turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track, or tap Ask App Not to Track when prompted.
Usage DataNot linked to you What you tap, open and view inside the app, plus which ads you have seen. There is no single iOS switch. Look for an analytics or personalised-ads toggle in the app's own settings.
DiagnosticsNot linked to you Crash logs, launch times, hang rates and energy use. Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements › Share With App Developers controls what Apple passes on; the app's own crash reporting is separate.
Reading the label

What FileGuard's label means for you

FileGuard's label has 3 types under “Data Not Linked to You”. A data type can appear in more than one section when it is used for different purposes — for example, identifiers used for both analytics and advertising.

Every type on FileGuard's label is in the “not linked” section, so the developer says the data is stripped of anything that identifies you before it is used. That is typical of anonymous analytics and crash reporting. Not linked is still collected: the data leaves your phone.

None of the data types fall into the categories most people consider sensitive: health, financial information, precise location, contacts, browsing history or the content you create.

Private-photo apps promise to keep pictures out of your main library. The label shows what leaves the phone; it cannot show whether the hiding is a real lock or just a separate folder. Check whether the app needs full Photos access or works with selected photos, and whether hidden items still appear in iCloud Photos.

Among the 85 private photo apps in our snapshot with a label, 51% declare tracking, 61% collect data linked to you and 18% say they collect nothing. FileGuard lists 3 data types, about the same as the average of 3.1 for this group.

Photo and video apps usually request access to your photo library. iOS lets you share only selected photos, which keeps the rest of the library — and its location metadata — away from the app.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for FileGuard

  1. 1

    Tracking

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.

  2. 2

    Photos

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos. Limited Access lets you pick exactly which pictures the app can see; Add Photos Only lets it save without reading your library.

  3. 3

    Lock the app

    On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.

  4. 4

    Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › FileGuard › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Cross-app tracking

Does FileGuard track you?

No tracking declared

There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on FileGuard's label.

Does FileGuard track you? Full answer and how to stop it →

iOS 18 and later

Lock FileGuard behind Face ID

  1. Find FileGuard on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. FileGuard now asks for authentication every time it opens.

The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not FileGuard has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.

Lock or hide FileGuard: step-by-step guide →

From the App Store record

About FileGuard

DeveloperOne Wave AB
App Store categoryPhoto & Video (also Utilities)
Latest version3.0.1, released December 2024
First releasedApril 2014
RequiresiOS 13.0 or later
Size14 MB
Age rating17+
Languages1 (EN)
Bundle IDcom.onewave.lockedphotosvideoscalc

The current version shipped in December 2024, over a year before our snapshot. Older apps can lag behind iOS privacy features such as limited photo and contact access.

Also by One Wave AB: Private Vault Store Files, Lock Your Notes, Contacts Backup + Transfer.

Read with care

What the label cannot tell you

  • A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what FileGuard sends.
  • It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
  • Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
  • Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
  • Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.

The question to ask FileGuard's developer: Are my pictures stored only on this phone, or uploaded?

How it compares

FileGuard vs similar private photo apps

Data types listed on each App Store privacy label
Tracks youLinked to youNot linkedCollects nothing

Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.

Checking another app?

Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.

App privacy checkerCompare two appsBrowse 4,500 apps
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All private photo apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect identifiers → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your FileGuard privacy checklist

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

Quick quiz

True or false?

  1. Q1FileGuard's privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on FileGuard's label.

  2. Q2Apple tests every app to confirm its privacy label is accurate.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.

  3. Q3FileGuard collects Identifiers.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    True: Identifiers appears on its label, in the Not Linked to You section.

  4. Q4Data “Not Linked to You” is never sent off your iPhone.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.

  5. Q5Tapping “Ask App Not to Track” can stop an app from working.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.

Questions people ask

FileGuard privacy FAQ

Is FileGuard safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, fileGuard collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does FileGuard track you?
No. FileGuard's label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does FileGuard collect?
Identifiers, usage data and diagnostics. None of it is linked to your identity.
Who makes FileGuard?
One Wave AB, according to the App Store. It was first released in April 2014 and the current version is 3.0.1.
Can I lock FileGuard with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold FileGuard's icon and choose Require Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode). This is an iPhone feature and works for most downloaded apps, whether or not the app has its own lock.
How does FileGuard compare with other private photo apps?
Across 85 private photo apps with labels in our snapshot, 51% declare tracking and 18% say they collect no data. FileGuard lists 3 data types against an average of 3.1.
Are my pictures stored only on this phone, or uploaded?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in FileGuard's privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Check whether the app needs full Photos access or works with selected photos, and whether hidden items still appear in iCloud Photos.
How do I delete my data from FileGuard?
Apps that let you create an account must also let you start account deletion from inside the app (an App Store rule since June 2022). Deleting the app from your iPhone alone does not delete data already sent to the developer.

For photos and documents you choose to keep apart from your main library, see VaultForYou.

Facts on this page come from FileGuard on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction