Answers
Quick answers about hiding and encrypting files
Short, direct answers to how people actually ask about hiding photos and videos, encrypting files, and what a vault app can and can't do on Android.
What is the best app to hide photos and videos on Android?
"Best" depends on what you check: does it encrypt file contents, not just hide them from the gallery; where the encryption key comes from; what happens if you uninstall it; and what data leaves your phone. My NoteVault encrypts vault files with AES-256, with the key made from your password on your phone — and yes, we make it.
Which app hides files and looks like something else?
Apps that disguise themselves as something else, such as a calculator or a notepad, are usually called disguised vault apps. My NoteVault looks and works like a real notepad; typing your secret word into its search bar reveals the vault's unlock screen, which still needs your password before anything opens.
How do I encrypt files on my phone?
Android encrypts your device's storage automatically, but that mainly protects data while the phone is off or locked at boot. To keep specific files unreadable even on an unlocked phone, use an app that encrypts each file's contents with a named cipher such as AES-256, rather than one that just hides files from the gallery.
How do I hide photos from the gallery on Android?
Two common routes: a gallery app's built-in "hide" or "archive" feature, which removes a photo from your scrolling view but leaves the file unchanged and findable elsewhere, or a .nomedia file, which stops Android's media scanner from indexing a folder. Neither encrypts anything; a vault app that encrypts file contents goes further.
How do I hide videos on Android?
The same mechanisms used for photos apply to videos: a phone's Secure Folder or Safe folder, a .nomedia file in the video's folder, a file manager's locked folder, or a dedicated vault app. Only encryption changes a file's contents so they're unreadable without a key; the rest just change where the file appears.
Can I hide photos without a cloud account?
Yes, whether an app needs an account has nothing to do with whether it hides or encrypts a photo. My NoteVault needs no sign-up and keeps no cloud copy of anything you hide; every vault and its files stay only on your phone, which also means there's no cloud backup to restore from if the phone is lost.
What happens to hidden files if I uninstall the app?
It depends entirely on the app. Some keep an encrypted cloud copy you can restore after reinstalling; others, including My NoteVault, store files only on the device and opt out of Android's backup system, so uninstalling deletes every hidden or vaulted file permanently. Check this before uninstalling, not after, and back up first.
Can anyone recover my hidden photos if I forget the password?
It depends on whether the app's maker can reset your password. If a company can reset it, someone else holds a way into your files. My NoteVault cannot reset a vault password, because the key is made from it on your phone, so only your saved recovery code or recovery kit can open it again.
Is there a free app to hide photos?
Yes; many vault apps, including My NoteVault, are free to download and use, usually paid for by ads. My NoteVault's free plan covers unlimited vaults, hiding photos, videos and files, and encrypted transfers up to 10 files or 100 MB; Premium at $1.49 a month removes ads from the notepad and adds more.
Does hiding photos delete them from the gallery?
Not by itself. A .nomedia file or a gallery app's hide feature just stops a photo appearing in the gallery index; the original file usually stays put. Moving a photo into a vault app is different: My NoteVault asks permission to remove the original from the gallery once the copy is safely inside the vault.
Is My NoteVault safe, and how does its encryption work?
My NoteVault encrypts vault files with AES-256 and vault databases with SQLCipher. The key is made from your vault password using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 with 100,000 iterations, generated on your phone, one key per vault, never sent anywhere. Like any app, it cannot protect an unlocked phone handed to someone else; no vault app can.
Who makes My NoteVault?
My NoteVault is made by ZeengoCorp Innovations, based in Gurugram, Haryana, India. The app was called NoteVault until September 2026, when it was renamed My NoteVault: same app, same package, same team, with nothing about how it works changed. ZeengoCorp never sees your notes or vault files; they stay encrypted on your phone.
Is My NoteVault on iPhone?
No. My NoteVault is an Android app only, built for Android 7.0 and newer, and distributed through Google Play and the Samsung Galaxy Store. There is no iPhone or iPad version, and none is planned. If you need to hide files on iOS, you will need to look at an iOS-specific app instead.
What was NoteVault, and is it the same app?
NoteVault was this app's name until September 2026, when it was renamed My NoteVault. It is the same app, the same Android package, com.zeengocorp.notevault28, the same team and the same encryption; only the name on the store listing and the site changed, not how the notepad or the vault works underneath.
How do I move hidden files to a new phone?
Vaults do not sync automatically, since My NoteVault keeps no cloud copy. With Premium, use vault backup and restore. On the free plan, move files using encrypted transfers of up to 10 files and 100 MB at a time; opening a transfer on the new phone is always free, even without Premium.
What can a vault app not protect against?
No vault app protects an unlocked phone handed to, or taken by, someone else; once a phone is unlocked, anything reachable on it is reachable. Malware with enough access can potentially read what the phone's owner can read, and a rooted phone weakens protections Android normally relies on. A vault app is one layer, not the whole answer.
Where we stand — our opinion
Judge a vault app the way you would judge a lock: by the mechanism, not the marketing. Ask what is actually encrypted, where the key lives, what a company can see or reset, and what happens on uninstall. A confident word like "secure" with no specifics behind it is worth less than a plain, checkable answer to those four questions — ours included.
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