Real encryption · No tracking · No subscription

Your private
photo vault.

Hide your photos and videos behind military-grade encryption. No accounts, no cloud, no data collection. Pay once, no subscription.

Get Obscura Free How it works
Military-Grade Encryption AES-256-GCM with 600,000-round PBKDF2 key derivation on every photo, video, and database
Fully Offline Zero network access required. Works on a plane, underground, anywhere
$9.99, Own It Forever Pay once, own Pro permanently. No annual fees, no subscription to cancel
No Account, No Email No sign-up, no login, nothing to create. Open the app and go

How Obscura works

Three steps. Everything happens on your device.

1

Set a password

Create a vault with your own password. It never leaves your device and is never stored anywhere.

2

Import your photos

Move photos and videos from your camera roll directly into the vault. The originals can be deleted from Photos.

3

They're encrypted instantly

Every file is protected with AES-256-GCM the moment it arrives. No server call, no cloud upload, no account sync. Without your password, the files are unreadable binary data to anyone, including us.

What most photo vault apps don't tell you

The category is full of vague claims. Here's the honest difference.

Most photo vault apps
Obscura
✗Store photos on a remote server
✓Everything stays on your device
✗Require an account to function
✓No account, no email, no login
✗Include analytics or tracking SDKs
✓Zero data collection, zero telemetry
✗Charge $40–120 per year
✓$9.99 once, own forever
✗Vague "military-grade" claims, cipher never named
✓Named cipher: AES-256-GCM with 600K PBKDF2 rounds
✗Password recovery exists, meaning there is a back door
✓No recovery = no back door. Privacy is mathematical

* Based on publicly listed pricing and features of the top-ranked photo vault apps in the App Store as of March 2026.

Encryption

Encryption that doesn't cut corners

Every photo, video, and database is protected with AES-256, the same standard used to protect classified government information.

✓ 600,000 rounds of PBKDF2 key derivation. Brute force attacks are computationally infeasible.
✓ Videos decrypted in memory during playback, never written to disk unencrypted
✓ Face ID and Touch ID unlock via Secure Enclave key storage
✓ Auto-lock with configurable timeout. Failed attempts trigger progressive delays: 5s, 15s, 30s, 60s, then 5 minutes
✓ Keys are wiped from memory using memset_s() the moment the vault locks. No key material lingers
✓ All 10 vault slots are checked in constant time on every unlock. A timing attack cannot reveal which slot you use
✓ The vault database is padded with random data on every lock. Its size on disk reveals nothing about how many photos are stored inside
256-bit AES-GCM key size
600K PBKDF2 rounds
0 Data collected
10 Hidden vault slots
Obscura encrypting and saving photos with AES-256-GCM
Hidden Vaults

Plausible Deniability.

Obscura maintains 10 encrypted vault slots at all times. Only your password unlocks your real vault.

For true deniability, create a second vault and fill it with photos you are comfortable sharing. If anyone asks to see your photos, enter that password instead. They see a real, unlocked vault with real content. Your private vault is never mentioned, and nothing reveals it exists.

10 hidden vault slots in Obscura, all cryptographically indistinguishable

From the founder

Why Obscura exists

I built Obscura after realising the photo vault apps at the top of the App Store either send your photos to a server, charge $120 a year for the privilege, or both. There was no app that worked the way privacy actually works: completely offline, no account, no analytics, and a price you pay once.

So I built it. If something isn't working or you have a question, email support@orlio.io. I read every message.

Andrew, Founder

Everything Obscura does.

Security at the core. A full set of photo tools. All offline. All encrypted.

Security

AES-256 Encryption

Every photo, video, and database entry encrypted with AES-256. Keys stay on your device.

Face ID & Touch ID

Biometric unlock stored in the Secure Enclave. Your biometrics never leave your device.

Plausible Deniability

10 vault slots, all cryptographically identical. No one can tell which slots hold your real photos.

Tools

Built-in Photo Editor

Crop, rotate, flip, and create collages without ever leaving the encrypted vault.

Duplicate Detection

Automatically find and clean up duplicate photos in batches.

Live Photo Extraction

Extract individual frames from Live Photos directly inside the vault.

Backup & Access

Encrypted Export

Export your vault as an encrypted .obscura file. Safe to store in iCloud or anywhere.

Auto-Lock

Configurable timeout and progressive rate limiting protect against unauthorized access.

Fully Offline

Zero internet required. No servers, no accounts, no way for anyone to see your photos.

Start free. Upgrade when ready.

Full encryption is free. Pay once to remove every limit.

Most photo vault apps charge $40–120 per year. Obscura costs $9.99 once.*

Free
$0
Start today, no credit card needed
✓ AES-256 encryption
✓ Face ID & Touch ID
✓ Photo editing & collages
✓ Auto-lock & rate limiting
✓ Duplicate detection
× Up to 50 photos (not unlimited)
× Single vault only
× No folder passwords
× No vault export
Download Free
Pro, one-time purchase
$9.99
Pay once. Own forever. No subscription.
✓ Everything in the free tier
✓ Unlimited photos & videos
✓ 10 vaults for plausible deniability
✓ Folder-level passwords
✓ Encrypted vault export & import
Upgrade to Pro · $9.99

Download free, upgrade to Pro inside the app

* Based on publicly listed subscription pricing of the top-ranked photo vault apps in the App Store as of March 2026.

Common questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask before downloading.

What happens if I forget my password?
Your photos cannot be recovered. There is no reset, no back door, no recovery email. This is by design. We cannot be compelled to hand over your data because we simply don't have it. Write your password down and store it somewhere safe.
Does Obscura connect to the internet?
Never, for photos. The app requires zero network access to function. Your password never leaves your device.
Can Obscura employees see my photos?
No. Your photos are encrypted on-device before anything happens with them. There is no server, no account system, and no technical mechanism to access your data. We don't know you exist.
Is my vault included in iCloud Backup?
Yes, by default. iCloud Backup is what iOS uses to back up your entire phone (apps, settings, and data) so you can restore everything when switching to a new device or after a loss. Obscura's vault data is included in that backup automatically. Because every file is already encrypted on your device before the backup runs, whatever ends up in iCloud is encrypted binary data. Without your vault password it is unreadable to anyone, including Apple. To exclude the vault from iCloud Backup: Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups > [your device] > Show All Apps > toggle off Obscura Photo Vault.
What is plausible deniability and why does it matter?

Plausible deniability means you can truthfully open your vault under pressure without exposing your private photos.

Obscura keeps 10 encrypted vault slots active at all times. Create a decoy vault, add some photos you are comfortable sharing, and protect it with a separate password. If you are ever asked to unlock your phone, enter the decoy password. The person sees a real, unlocked vault with real content. Nothing on screen reveals that another real vault exists.

Encrypted. Offline.
Yours.

Your photos are private by design, not by promise. Free to start. $9.99 to unlock everything, once.

Download Obscura Free