Protect & encrypt
How to Protect Your Photos if Someone Knows Your Passcode
Updated 2 min read
Most people who look through someone else's phone did not hack it — they watched the passcode being typed, or were simply told it. If that has happened to you, changing the code helps, but it does not solve the problem for good. This guide sets up layers that keep private photos safe even when someone can unlock the phone itself.
Start by locking down the phone
Step 1: Change your device passcode
Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Change Passcode. Use Passcode Options to pick a custom alphanumeric code, which is much harder to read over a shoulder.
Step 2: Review enrolled faces and fingerprints
Check for an Alternate Appearance you did not set up in Face ID, or extra fingerprints in Touch ID, and reset them if needed.
Step 3: Turn on Stolen Device Protection
It requires Face ID or Touch ID, not just the passcode, for sensitive changes when you are away from familiar locations.
Put private photos behind a second passcode
A device passcode protects everything a little; a vault passcode protects a few things a lot. Keep the photos that matter in an encrypted vault with a code that is different from your phone's and that you never type in front of anyone.
Have something to show if you are pressured
Sometimes the risk is not secrecy but pressure: someone insisting you open the app in front of them. Refusing draws attention. A decoy vault lets you comply without revealing anything.
Know when someone has tried
Repeated wrong guesses trigger lockouts that grow from 30 seconds to 30 minutes and survive force-quitting. If you would rather lose the vault than have it opened, you can also enable Emergency Erase, which destroys the encryption keys after 10, 15 or 20 consecutive failures.
SnapLockr features in this guide
Passcode & Face ID
Lock the vault with a 6-digit PIN or a passphrase. A Face ID or Touch ID match releases the key itself, so it is a cryptographic lock rather than a screen to skip past.
Decoy Vault
A second PIN opens a separate, innocuous vault. If you are ever pressured to unlock, your real content stays hidden.
Break-In Alerts
Silently photographs anyone who enters the wrong passcode. Repeated guesses trigger escalating lockouts that survive force-quitting the app.
AES-256-GCM Encryption
Every photo, video, thumbnail and piece of recognised text is encrypted on your device. Your passcode is never stored in any form, so there is nothing to extract.
Frequently asked questions
What is a decoy vault?
A second, separate vault that opens when you enter a decoy PIN. It can be empty or contain harmless albums you set up, so you can unlock the app under pressure without revealing your real content.
How do break-in alerts work?
When someone enters the wrong passcode, SnapLockr can quietly capture a photo with the front camera and record the time. You see these the next time you unlock the vault.
Is the decoy vault a Premium feature?
The decoy PIN is included for everyone. Premium lets you customise the decoy vault with your own albums and photos.