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Is Secure Folder Safe?

Secure Folder privacy label · by Huynh Thuy · checked November 2026

  • Nothing linked to you
  • Recently updated
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
2types
Short answer

On the label it is low-risk: Secure Folder 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 2 data types; 51% of private photo apps we checked declare tracking.

At a glance

Secure Folder 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

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

Try it

Did Secure Folder ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what Secure Folder'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 Secure Folder'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 Secure Folder'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 Secure Folder'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

Secure Folder 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 Secure Folder'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 Secure Folder collects, explained

Data typeWhat it coversWhere to limit it
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 Secure Folder's label means for you

Secure Folder's label has 2 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 Secure Folder'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. Secure Folder lists 2 data types, fewer than 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 Secure Folder

  1. 1

    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.

  2. 2

    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.

  3. 3

    Notifications

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

Cross-app tracking

Does Secure Folder track you?

No tracking declared

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

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

iOS 18 and later

Lock Secure Folder behind Face ID

  1. Find Secure Folder 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. Secure Folder now asks for authentication every time it opens.

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

Lock or hide Secure Folder: step-by-step guide →

From the App Store record

About Secure Folder

DeveloperHuynh Thuy
App Store categoryPhoto & Video (also Utilities)
Latest version5.2, released October 2026
First releasedApril 2019
RequiresiOS 15.0 or later
Size34 MB
Age rating17+
Languages33 (AR, CA, HR, CS, DA, NL, EN, FI…)
Bundle IDcom.huynhthuy.privatephotovault

The current version shipped in October 2026, so the app is actively maintained and its label is likely current. Labels are updated by developers when practices change.

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 Secure Folder 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 Secure Folder's developer: Are my pictures stored only on this phone, or uploaded?

How it compares

Secure Folder 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.

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All private photo apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect usage data → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your Secure Folder 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. Q1Secure Folder's privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on Secure Folder'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. Q3Secure Folder collects Usage Data.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    True: Usage Data 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

Secure Folder privacy FAQ

Is Secure Folder safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, secure Folder 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 Secure Folder track you?
No. Secure Folder's label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does Secure Folder collect?
Usage data and diagnostics. None of it is linked to your identity.
Who makes Secure Folder?
Huynh Thuy, according to the App Store. It was first released in April 2019 and the current version is 5.2.
Can I lock Secure Folder with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Secure Folder'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 Secure Folder 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. Secure Folder lists 2 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 Secure Folder'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 Secure Folder?
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 Secure Folder on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction