Hide Photos & Videos on Android [Top Secret Apps]

In today’s world, where smartphones are practically extensions of ourselves, loaded with both personal and professional content, it’s no surprise that keeping certain files, photos, and videos private has become essential.

Whether it’s sensitive banking info, emails, or sweet vacation pics of your kids, your device is a vault of your digital life. I remember once handing my phone to a coworker just to show a game I was hooked on while bored in a queue at a store, only to panic when they started swiping.

That was my wake-up call. We use these internet-connected, cloud-connected devices for everything—checking the weather, browsing through settings, or reading the latest forecasts. From locking mechanisms like pin codes, fingerprint sensors, to facial recognition systems, we try hard to keep our data safe. Yet, nothing beats having apps that smartly hide photos, videos, and even audio behind extra layers of security.

These tools ensure that your phone doesn’t become a gateway for someone else to access your unlocked world. Think of it this way: just as you’d never leave your house without keys, you shouldn’t leave your files vulnerable in this online era. The place for your private content isn’t just any random folder—it’s a locked vault disguised in plain sight.

Top 10 Apps to Hide Photos & Videos on Android

1. Hide Photos, Video and App Loc

When I first discovered Hide It Pro, I was intrigued by how the app cleverly disguises itself as an innocent audio manager, letting you control volume levels while secretly acting as a powerful locker to hide sensitive photos, videos, and even files on your Android device.

This clever design, complete with disguise options like a calculator, helps hide apps or content without raising suspicion. What sets it apart is how it supports secret chatting, private web browser use, and even hides SMS, messaging, and calls—all while being encrypted, hidden, and optionally backed up to Google Drive for added peace of mind. The best part? No need for a rooted phone.

I especially like the crash feature, which makes the app show a fake crash screen while loading, giving you cover if someone snoops. It even automatically locks when you close it or shake your phone, and you can set lock preferences as you like.

The free version is great for casual use, but for those who want to remove advertising, a one-time in-app purchase of $3.99 makes it seamless to download and use regularly. Props to the developer for creating such a thoughtful security tool that gives users full view control without compromise.

Also Read For Top 10 Android Anti-Theft Apps

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2. Vaulty : Hide Pictures Videos

I’ve used many privacy tools, but Vaulty stands out for how smoothly it lets you hide photos, videos, and sensitive files behind biometrically-locked folders, offering serious encryption and the ability to back up everything to Google Drive—a real lifesaver if your device gets lost or stolen.

What impressed me most was its clever disguised mode that transforms into a fake calculator or stock price lookup app, so no one suspects you’re protecting personal documents like a birth certificate, driver’s license, or property deeds.

For added protection, decoy vaults can hold fake secrets, keeping curious friends out of your real content. While the UI may feel a bit dated in some elements, especially on a test device, the selfie camera snap triggered by a wrong password attempt is a genius touch.

You can lock everything using a pin or biometric locks, and though the free download is great for most, the premium features—like unlimited storage and extra-secure vaults—are worth the subscription if you’re serious about privacy.

The $9.99 cost removes in-app ads and gives full use without limitations, which I found completely fair for the level of secured data handling it offers.

Also Read For Best Call Recording Apps for Android

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3. LockMyPix

When I first tried LockMyPix, what really stood out was how seriously it takes privacy—everything from photos, videos, to sensitive documents is encrypted using AES encryption, making it one of the most secure options I’ve tested. It doesn’t just lock your content; it offers a full disguise mode, letting the photo app appear as a calculator, timer, radio app, or even a notepad, helping you quietly store content away from prying eyes.

The app supports biometric unlocks, and its ability to create fake vaults adds another layer of deception for potential intruders. You can even take pictures directly from within the vault and save them to SD-card storage if needed.

Though the free download gives you access to essential features, it caps you at 50 encrypted items unless you go for premium features, which fall behind a paywall.

To unlock unlimited files, remove in-app ads, and get full access, you’ll need a subscription—either $9.99 monthly, $23.99 yearly, or a $149.99 lifetime license, which I personally found fair considering the robust protections. The purchase screen is simple, and once upgraded, it quietly does its job without calling attention, which is exactly what a locked vault should be.

Also Read For Best VPN Apps for Android

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4. Private Photo Vault – Keepsafe

I’ve relied on Keepsafe for years because it does more than just lock photos and videos—it builds an ecosystem of private albums that can each be protected with individual passwords using pin code, pattern unlocks, or biometrics, which adds a serious layer of control.

Even in the free version, you can download and use it with basic passcode protection, but upgrading to a premium account truly unlocks the full potential: private cloud storage with 10,000-item capacity, trash recovery for deleted items, and no in-app ads.

I especially appreciate the fake pin and decoy vault options, ideal when you need a convincing disguise. Features like break-in alerts if the password is incorrectly entered just once add peace of mind, and even the interface is customizable with a theme to make it feel like your own.

You get Premium access complimentary for 31 days, which is a great way to test before committing to a subscription—either $9.99 monthly, $23.99 yearly, or a $149.99 lifetime license.

Having my albums and images backed up and fully unlocked makes it my go-to app for protecting personal media.

Also Read For Best Call Recording Apps for Android

Android App

5. Safe Gallery (Gallery Lock)

Safe Gallery might not have the flashiest design—it’s got a bit of a dated user interface—but when it comes to locking photos, videos, and even audio, it’s surprisingly powerful. I started using it after wanting to hide images I’d downloaded from websites, and its ability to lock albums with pin codes, patterns, or biometrics immediately impressed me.

It even includes a clever stealth option that hides the app from the phone’s home screen, which helps it stay completely out of sight. What really stood out, though, was the quirky Easter egg—a Flappy Bird clone disguised as “flappy app” under a mysterious blue button marked “DON’T CLICK”; it’s a surprisingly difficult game but adds a playful twist most photo-hiding apps don’t offer.

If you forget your password, the backup hint question comes to the rescue, and locked folders can be easily created without needing any premium subscription.

The app is free to download and use, but if you want to remove in-app ads permanently, you can either watch a short ad video for 24 hours of clean usage or go for the in-app purchase of $3.99, which removes ads completely. It’s simple, effective, and just works without being overcomplicated.

Also Read For Top 10 Apps for Screen Mirroring

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6. Calculator Photo Vault

Calculator Photo Vault looks just like a regular calculator app, but behind that disguise lies one of the most clever privacy features I’ve ever used—it only opens the vaults when you enter your secret four-digit or eight-digit pin code followed by the equals sign, keeping your content invisible to others.

This app takes online security seriously too, offering an in-app browser with private browsing using engines like DuckDuckGo, Qwant, Search Encrypted, and even Google, depending on your search engine preference.

I especially appreciated the theme manager and fingerprint unlock for quicker access, and the added protection where intruders trigger selfies taken silently if the unlock password is wrong or a fake password is entered.

You can also set a backup question in case you forget pin, and I still remember the default fallback being something like 11223344—oddly specific, but effective. The app blocks screenshots, adapts to system time, and offers full control even with in-app ads, though some were intrusive ads or unskippable videos unless you go premium.

I eventually upgraded via subscription—either $0.99 monthly, $3.99 yearly, or a one-time $14.99 lifetime license—to remove ads, unlock all premium features, and switch menus seamlessly. It’s a simple yet powerful tool that does exactly what it promises.

Android App

7. Private Photo Vault

Private Photo Vault has become a staple private photo app on both iOS and Android for users who want to lock their photos and videos behind serious security options. I started with its free download just to test the basic features, but soon realized how useful its password-protected albums, passcodes, and biometric unlock really were.

What makes it even smarter is the use of a decoy passcode that opens fake photo vaults, a perfect trick to fool a would-be-snooper. I once tried it on a friend who snooped, and the app’s break-in reports not only caught a picture of them but also logged the GPS coordinates of my device at that moment.

You can even navigate a built-in in-app browser for downloading content like pictures and videos from any website, all within the app. Premium subscribers get access to cloud vault support, syncing files, unlimited album creation, wireless photo transfer between computer and phone over a Wi-Fi network, and full removal of in-app ads.

Though the premium subscription costs $6.99 monthly or $39.99 yearly, it’s well worth it to unlock all premium features and enjoy peace of mind that your content is truly secure.

Android App

8. Hide Pictures & Videos – FotoX

FotoX is one of those rare gems that not only helps you hide photos and videos from prying eyes but also adds a surprisingly intelligent twist to privacy. I’ve used it to keep private albums safely locked behind biometrics, pattern, or pin code, and what truly caught my attention was its fake app crash unlock feature—it makes the app appear broken until you secretly log in.

Every time there’s an unlock attempt, a selfie taken with the time, date, and device info gives you instant accountability. With device administrator permissions and high-level permissions, protected albums are practically impossible to delete unless you remove the app manually.

What’s impressive is how saved images and saved videos can be shared discreetly through the sharing menu, even after call or after message events, letting you share images with family you just spoke to without ever opening the Photos app.

The free version is solid to download and use, but I eventually upgraded to the $1.99 monthly subscription for the 5GB cloud backup, premium themes, and removal of in-app advertising, which made everything smoother and distraction-free.

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9. Clock The Vault

Clock The Vault adds a touch of secret-agent-level genius to privacy by disguising itself as a regular clock face widget, where you actually unlock your vault by rotating the clock hands to a preset time—it’s subtle, slick, and brilliant.

I’ve used it to lock not just photos and videos, but also audio, document files, folders, notes, and even contacts, all under one secure roof. The password system feels intuitive yet secure, and the in-app private browser adds a layer of secure browsing when needed.

You can even lock apps on your phone, adding another shield of privacy. While the app is free to download and use, it includes in-app advertising, like full-screen video ads that disappear after a short ad video or automatically close after five seconds. Still, I found it worth it to pay the $5.49 in-app purchase to remove them completely.

The settings tab is neatly organized, and subtle triggers keep the app usable without drawing attention. Whether you’re protecting private photo albums or navigating between screens, it does the job quietly and efficiently.

Android App

10. Nova Launcher

While not a traditional vault app, Nova Launcher on Android gives you stealthy control over how your phone behaves by allowing you to hide apps completely from the app drawer using just a few taps—ideal for making photo-hiding tools invisible to anyone casually browsing your device.

I personally switched from the stock launcher because I wanted something more customizable, and Nova Launcher delivered with features like custom app icons and the ability to lock screens or layouts, making it much harder for someone else to access anything without knowing where to look.

By long-pressing the home screen, tapping the Settings icon, and navigating to App & widget drawers, you can find the Hide apps checkbox to make selected tools hidden—even from search results.

The tiny arrow in the top left of the drawer lets you return easily to the selected apps, but only if you know how. While the core version is free to install and use, unlocking full privacy tools requires Nova Launcher Prime, a one-time $4.99 fee, which I paid without hesitation given how discreetly I could pin important icons and stay in control for a limited time or long term.

Conclusion

When it comes to protecting your most personal content on Android, the best apps to hide photos and videos offer more than just password protection—they deliver smart features like biometric unlocks, fake vaults, cloud backup, stealthy disguises, and even fun extras like secret games or hidden launchers.

Whether you prefer a specialized vault like Vaulty or Keepsafe, a multifunctional app like Hide It Pro or FotoX, or even a clever launcher like Nova Launcher, each tool brings its own layer of security tailored to different privacy needs.

From basic users looking for a free download to power users investing in premium subscriptions, these apps empower you to stay in control, keep intruders out, and make sure your photos, videos, and files remain private—no matter who’s handling your device.