Check the design behind the label
Read how encrypted photo vaults work and whether vault apps are safe for the full evaluation. NullVault’s encrypted storage documents the protected copy; the original gallery copy remains a separate concern.
A screen lock and a storage transformation are not the same thing
An interface-only gallery lock controls access to a view without encrypting the underlying files. Some apps called gallery locks also encrypt storage, so the product name alone does not establish which design you have.
An encrypted vault transforms the stored content, so the underlying files are unreadable without the key regardless of which app opens them. The difference only becomes visible when something bypasses the interface.
How interface-only locks fail
If the imported files remain as ordinary images in a public folder, then a file manager, a different gallery app, a media index, a connected computer, or a system backup can reach them without ever meeting the lock screen.
That is the risk of an interface-only design. Check the actual product documentation before attributing this behavior to a particular app.
Find out where the files actually went
If an ordinary file browser can open the imported private copy without vault authorization, the interface lock is not protecting that copy. Conversely, failing to find the file does not prove encryption: operating-system app isolation can also hide it from other apps.
Import a non-sensitive test image, then look for it through a different app, through the device's own file browser, and in any backup the phone produces.
What to verify in either case
- Locate where imported files actually live on the device.
- Check whether filenames, metadata, and thumbnails are protected, not only file bodies.
- Test behaviour after backgrounding, a full reboot, an export, and a restore.
- Confirm what happened to the source copy in the original gallery.
Two copy-management mistakes to avoid
- Equating a PIN prompt with encryption because both require a code.
- Forgetting to check whether the source-gallery copy remains after import.
Where encryption still stops
A genuine vault protects stored content while it is locked. It does not protect what is on screen while you are looking at it, and it does not reach copies that already left.
The distinction between the two categories matters, but neither one removes the need to audit where else the photo exists.
A fictional example
Maya starts with a non-sensitive test: “Locate where imported files actually live.” Next, Maya follows the second check: “Check whether filenames, metadata, thumbnails, and contents are protected.” This fictional scenario demonstrates the decision process; it is not a report of product testing.
Common mistakes
- Equating a PIN prompt with encryption
- Ignoring source-gallery copies
What this workflow does not change
- Equating a PIN prompt with encryption
- Ignoring source-gallery copies
Questions people ask
Can a gallery lock be enough?
It may deter casual browsing, but it is a different boundary from encrypted storage.