Calculator Vault Apps: How They Work and What They Hide

Phone steps follow Apple and Google help pages, and menu names differ by version. Mac steps use macOS 14 and later names.

How a calculator vault works

This guide explains the idea in general terms. It does not rate or describe any named app. Other names for the same thing are calculator lock, calculator hide app and app hider.

1. The app icon and name look like a calculator.
2. Opening it shows a calculator that does sums.
3. You enter a code you chose during setup. The details of how you enter it differ by app.
4. The app then opens its hidden area, where photos, videos or files are listed.
5. Behind the calculator is an ordinary vault app. Everything in what a vault app is applies to it.

What the disguise protects, and what it does not

The disguise also makes it harder for you to judge the app. A normal vault app has a store page that says what it does. A disguised one hides its purpose on purpose, so read the store page, the developer name and the App Privacy section before you install. Apple says developers supply the App Privacy answers themselves.

Choose the code with care

Pick a code that differs from your phone passcode. Apple says a locked iPhone app opens with your passcode, so a person who knows it can reach a lot already. Do not use a birthday or a pattern others can guess. Write any recovery key on paper, not in a photo or note on the same phone.

What matters more than the disguise

• Encryption. Does the developer explain what encrypts the files and how the key is made?
• Readable copies. Does the app leave previews, thumbnails or temporary files in the open? On a Mac you can look with the hands-on vault test.
• Recovery. What happens if you forget the code? See forgot vault password.
• Backups. Does the app send your files to a server, and are they encrypted first?
• The download. Install only from an official store. The download safety guide shows what to check.

Questions the icon cannot answer

A calculator skin is a small part of the app. The questions that decide whether your files are safe are about the rest of it. If the store page and the developer's site do not answer these, treat the app as unproven:

1. Does the developer say how files are stored on the device?
2. Is there a recovery option, or a clear statement that none exists?
3. Does the app need an account, and what does it upload?
4. Does it ask for permissions it does not need to store a photo?
5. Can you export your files again without paying?

Built-in options with no disguise

Both Apple and Google include ways to hide photos and apps. None of them is a calculator.

• iPhone Hidden album. Locked by default. Face ID or Touch ID opens it.
• iPhone lock or hide an app. Recent iOS versions can require Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to open an app, or move it to a Hidden folder in App Library. Apple notes that hidden apps still show in places such as Screen Time and App Store purchase history. Apple also lists Calculator among the built-in apps that cannot be locked.
• Android Locked Folder and Private space. Locked Folder holds photos and videos behind your screen lock. Private space (Android 15 or later) hides apps while it is locked.

Steps are in how to hide photos. The how-to for the calculator route is in hide photos with a calculator app.

On a Mac

The same questions apply on a Mac. A Mac has the Photos Hidden album and encrypted disk images, which need no disguise. See photo vault options on Mac. Hiding that something exists is a different goal from encrypting what it holds, and you need the second one first.