Free Photo Vault App: What Free Costs and How to Cancel

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

Try the options that need no extra app

You may not need a new app. These come with your device or with the Google Photos app. Steps are in how to hide photos.

What you give up: the Hidden album and Locked Folder use your device unlock, not a password of their own. Neither page describes a recovery key of its own, and Apple does not describe the Hidden album as a separate encrypted store. If you need that, you need a vault that encrypts.

What "free" can mean in a vault app

Review and cancel an App Store subscription on a Mac

1. Open the App Store

   Open the App Store app on your Mac.

2. Open your account

   Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar. Use the same Apple Account that bought the subscription, and sign in if asked.

3. Open Account Settings

   Apple's own pages word this step a little differently by version. Look for your name, then Account Settings.

4. Find Subscriptions

   In the Manage section, click Manage next to Subscriptions. If you have more than one, click Edit.

5. Cancel

   Select the subscription, click Cancel Subscription and confirm. If there is no Cancel button, or you see an expiry message in red text, Apple says the subscription is already canceled.

Apple says that if you do not want a free trial to renew, you should cancel at least 24 hours before it ends. After you cancel, check the date Apple shows for the subscription, so you know how long access lasts.

On an iPhone

Open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, tap the subscription and tap Cancel Subscription. You may need to scroll down.

On Android

Open subscriptions in Google Play, select the subscription, tap Cancel subscription and follow the instructions. Google says you keep access for the time you already paid for, and that uninstalling the app does not cancel the subscription. Cancel first, then delete the app.

If you want your money back

Apple says some purchases might be eligible for a refund, and that eligibility varies by country or region. Sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com, choose to request a refund, pick a reason and select the item. Apple says to wait 24 to 48 hours for an update. A refund request and a cancellation are separate actions, so do both if you want both.

Before you put photos in a free app

1. Import one dummy photo and export it again.
2. Find the recovery option. See forgot vault password.
3. Compare the plan limits with how many items you have.
4. Check the download source. See vault app download safety.
5. On a Mac, run the hands-on test.
6. Keep your originals until all of this is done.

Free routes on a Mac

On a Mac the Hidden album costs nothing extra. An encrypted disk image from Disk Utility also needs no extra app; the private photo vault guide builds one. The photo vault app guide compares the other options. For how vault apps differ in general, read what a vault app is.