HypaVault vs Hide It ProWhich Keeps Your Photos Private?
HypaVault encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM and carries no advertising, while Hide It Pro names no encryption method and shows ads on Android.
Meets these 10 privacy basics
The Short Answer
Hide It Pro is a long-running hider with a clever Audio Manager disguise and an escape code, but it doesn’t say how it encrypts your files, and a 2022 academic study of its older Android version 8.4 didn’t find file encryption. Its Android version carries ads, and its developer sells cloud storage and a $4.99 password reset. HypaVault encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM and its own key, works without an account, carries no advertising, and adds a duress passcode that erases your other vaults when you’re forced to unlock. If privacy is why you want a vault, HypaVault is the stronger choice.
- HypaVault encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM and carries no advertising, while Hide It Pro names no encryption method and shows ads on Android.
- A 2022 University of Illinois study of Hide It Pro’s older Android version 8.4 listed it among seven apps whose PINs and recovery emails researchers could read in plain text.
- HypaVault’s duress passcode erases your other vaults when you’re forced to unlock, while Hide It Pro’s escape code is advertised only to make the app look empty.
Feature by Feature
The 10 things that decide whether a vault really keeps your files private.
| Feature | HypaVault | Hide It Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Files encrypted on the phone | YesAES-256-GCM, with a key for every file | PartlyClaimed without detail; a 2022 study didn’t find it |
| Works without an account or email | YesA passcode and a recovery phrase, nothing more | PartlyPIN opens it; reviews describe email sign-in for backup |
| Files stay on your phone | YesEncrypted on the phone; it leaves only when you send it | PartlyOptional cloud backup; developer sells cloud storage |
| Ad-free | YesPaid for by Pro, never by advertising | PartlyAndroid listing says Contains ads; iPhone shows none |
| Duress passcode that erases data | YesOpens an empty vault and erases the rest | NoNone advertised; escape code makes it look empty |
| Decoy or empty vault | YesThe duress passcode opens an empty vault | YesEscape code makes the app look empty |
| Calculator or clock disguise | YesWorking calculator or alarm clock, with matching icon | YesAudio Manager on Android; crash screen on iPhone |
| Separate hidden vaults | YesUp to three, none aware of the others | PartlyEscape code only; separate vaults not listed |
| Encrypted backup you keep | YesOne encrypted .hypa file per vault, checked before it's saved, kept where you choose | PartlyCloud backup; whether it’s encrypted isn’t stated |
| Pay-once option | Yes$39.99 once, or $24.99 a year | Not statedNo lifetime tier named on either listing |
What You'll Pay
Hide It Pro's prices as listed in the US stores, checked 27 October 2026.
HypaVault
- Free
- A full encrypted vault, with limits
- Yearly
- $24.99 a year, after a 3-day free trial
- Pay once
- $39.99, with no renewals
Hide It Pro
- Download
- Free on both stores, with in-app purchases
- Cloud storage
- $9.99 on iPhone, described as an optional monthly subscription
- Password reset
- $4.99 on iPhone; the listing doesn’t state a billing period
- Android
- In-app items from $1.49 to $6.99; Google Play doesn’t show their names or periods
Where They Really Differ
Encryption, in Reality
Hide It Pro
Hide It Pro’s website says your data “is encrypted and safely stored on your device”, but no algorithm is named, and the Google Play listing describes encryption as a separate tool for your “most important files”. A 2022 academic study from the University of Illinois (WPES ’22), which tested the older Android version 8.4, didn’t count it among the 5 of 20 vault apps that used encryption to protect files. Today’s Android version is 8.8.1, so those findings may not reflect the current app.
HypaVault
Every file, name, folder, note and thumbnail is encrypted on the phone with AES-256-GCM before it's saved, each file with its own random 256-bit key. A copy of the files is unreadable without your passcode and the phone's own device key.
Account Dependency
Hide It Pro
The vault opens with a PIN or password, without a sign-up. The listings don’t say whether a recovery email is required, and reviewers describe signing in with an email or Google account to back up and restore their files. The App Store also lists a $4.99 Password Reset purchase.
HypaVault
Setup is a 6-digit passcode and a 12-word recovery phrase. You never give HypaVault an email or a phone number, so there's no login to phish and your vault never depends on a company sign-in.
Ads and Data
Hide It Pro
Google Play labels the Android app “Contains ads”, and its privacy policy says it uses a third-party ad SDK that may collect your IP address, device type and session data. Its Google Play data safety section declares device IDs and approximate location shared for advertising or marketing, and says data isn’t encrypted in transit. The iPhone listing doesn’t indicate ads, and its privacy label lists only diagnostics.
HypaVault
HypaVault is paid for by people who choose Pro, never by advertising. Its only outside service is RevenueCat, which records purchases and never sees your vaults.
Protection Under Pressure
Hide It Pro
Hide It Pro offers an escape code that makes the app look empty “in case someone finds out”. It’s described as hiding your files, not erasing them, and neither listing advertises a passcode that erases data.
HypaVault
A second passcode for when you're forced to unlock. It looks like a normal unlock and opens an empty vault, while every other vault on the phone is erased in one silent step. Your backups bring them back later.
What People Say About Hide It Pro
Recurring themes in public App Store and Google Play reviews and discussions, checked 27 October 2026. Follow the links to read them.
Files Missing After Updates
Reviewers on both stores report albums suddenly turning up empty after an update or reinstall, especially after the May 2024 iPhone update and on Android in 2026.
Correct PIN Rejected, Then a Reset Fee
Several reviewers say the app stopped accepting their PIN and asked them to buy a password reset, $4.99 on iPhone or about 200 rupees on Android. Some say the paid reset didn’t work.
Paid Cloud Backup Unreliable
Subscribers report backups that stop running, restores that fail and cloud storage that switches itself off.
Unanswered Emails and Lost Purchases
Reviewers say their emails to support go unanswered, and that purchases don’t carry over when they move to a new phone.
Disguise Gone After the iPhone Rewrite
Long-time iPhone users say the 2024 rewrite dropped the disguise screens, such as the calculator and audio start screens, along with other features.
Why HypaVault Is the Better Choice
- Files encrypted on the phoneAES-256-GCM, with a key for every file.
- Works without an account or emailA passcode and a recovery phrase, nothing more.
- Files stay on your phoneEncrypted on the phone; it leaves only when you send it.
- Ad-freePaid for by Pro, never by advertising.
- Duress passcode that erases dataOpens an empty vault and erases the rest. Hide It Pro doesn't offer this.
- Separate hidden vaultsUp to three, none aware of the others.
- Encrypted backup you keepOne encrypted .hypa file per vault, checked before it's saved, kept where you choose.
- Pay-once option$39.99 once, or $24.99 a year.
HypaVault vs Hide It Pro: Questions
What people ask when choosing between HypaVault and Hide It Pro.
For privacy, yes. HypaVault encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM, works without an account, carries no advertising, and its duress passcode erases your other vaults if you’re forced to unlock. Hide It Pro names no encryption method, shows ads on Android, and its escape code is advertised only to make the app look empty.
Its website says your data is encrypted on your device, but Hide It Pro doesn’t name an algorithm, and its Google Play listing describes a separate encryption tool for your most important files. A 2022 University of Illinois study of the older Android version 8.4 didn’t count it among the 5 of 20 vault apps that encrypted their files. HypaVault encrypts every photo with AES-256-GCM before it’s saved, each with its own random 256-bit key.
Not to open the vault, which uses a PIN or password. Reviewers describe signing in with an email or Google account to use its cloud backup, and the listings don’t say whether a recovery email is required. HypaVault has no sign-up and no email: setup is a 6-digit passcode and a 12-word recovery phrase.
On Android, yes. Its Google Play listing says “Contains ads”, and its privacy policy says it uses a third-party ad SDK; the iPhone listing doesn’t indicate ads. HypaVault carries no advertising, and nothing in it reports what you do.
Not one that erases data. Its escape code makes the app look empty if someone finds out, but it’s described as hiding your files, not erasing them. HypaVault’s duress passcode looks like a normal unlock, opens an empty vault and erases every other vault on the phone in one silent step; your backups bring them back later.
Hide It Pro is free to download. On iPhone it sells a $9.99 cloud storage upgrade, described as an optional monthly subscription, and a $4.99 password reset; on Android, Google Play lists in-app items from $1.49 to $6.99 without naming them, and the app shows ads. HypaVault is $24.99 a year after a 3-day free trial, or $39.99 once, and carries no advertising.
Yes. Export them from Hide It Pro to your photo library or Files, then import them into HypaVault, which imports the photos, videos and documents you choose. Once they’re in HypaVault, delete the originals and the exported copies if you want them kept only in HypaVault.
The App Store lists a $4.99 Password Reset purchase, and Android reviewers report a reset fee of about 200 rupees; some say the paid reset didn’t work. HypaVault gives you a 12-word recovery phrase instead. It’s shown once and never stored, and nobody, including Cyberdunes, can recover it, so keep it somewhere safe.
More Comparisons
HypaVault vs Keepsafe
Keepsafe says it “can technically view or share your personal data in limited cases,” while HypaVault encrypts every file on your phone with AES-256-GCM in a vault that opens only with your passcode.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs Private Photo Vault
HypaVault is ad-free and encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM, while Private Photo Vault’s free version shows ads and tests of older versions found photos stored readable.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs Privault
HypaVault documents its AES-256-GCM encryption and carries no advertising, while Privault calls its storage “encrypted” without naming a method and shows ads in its free version.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs SPV
HypaVault encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM, while SPV’s listing promises PIN protection but makes no claim to encrypt your files.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs Secret Photo Album
HypaVault encrypts every file on your phone with AES-256-GCM, while Secret Photo Album promises “encrypted” storage without saying how.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs PV Secret Photo Album
PV Secret Photo Album is ad-supported and names only “AES,” while HypaVault is ad-free and encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM.
See the ComparisonSwitch from Hide It Pro to HypaVault
Start free on iPhone, iPad or Android. Choose a passcode, write down your recovery phrase, and move your private files into a vault that's encrypted on your phone.
HypaVault is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Anuj Tenani (App Store) and Goaffpro, legal name ARV TECH (Google Play). Hide Photos Video -Hide it Pro (App Store) and Hide Photos, Video and App Loc (Google Play) and its app icon are trademarks of their owner, shown only to identify the app. Details about Hide It Pro come from its store listings, website and public reviews, checked 27 October 2026. Prices and features can change; check the store listing for the latest.
Sources
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hide-photos-video-hide-it-pro/id523488488
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id523488488?see-all=reviews
- https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=523488488&country=us
- https://itunes.apple.com/us/rss/customerreviews/page=1/id=523488488/sortby=mostrecent/json
- https://itunes.apple.com/us/rss/customerreviews/page=2/id=523488488/sortby=mostrecent/json
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hideitpro&hl=en_US&gl=US
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/datasafety?id=com.hideitpro&hl=en_US&gl=US
- https://hideitpro.com/
- https://hideitpro.com/privacy_policy.html
- https://gangw.web.illinois.edu/vault.pdf
- https://doi.org/10.1145/3559613.3563204