9 Best Apps to Hide Pictures and Videos on Android

Well, assuming that your klepto friends constantly succeed in stealing your cell phone, you’ll probably want to prepare some contingencies for whatever they plan to do with it.

That’s where this app comes in to protect your secret apps and photos! And that’s what I’ll cover in this post.

We analyzed many apps to understand which ones can protect your photos and are with good feedback.

Primarily, we looked at private browsing, easy resetting password, data security and application virtualization engine.

Some of the apps do have their ups and downs, but they’re trustworthy enough that you won’t have to look over your shoulder so much anymore.

It’s a strange but funny concept in that you’re using a single app to hide multiple apps. But, it’s an effective strategy.

Especially if your phone can’t hide your photos and videos without apps. So, let’s get right into it.

The Best App to Hide Pictures and Videos on Android

For an app to win the “Best App to Hide Pictures and Videos on Android” award, it comes down to what you believe works for you.

In most cases, the best app to hide apps would be Nova Launcher simply because of its ease of use. It’s one of the apps I listed below, but more on that later.

However, Nova Launcher doesn’t give you exactly what you’re looking for because it needs you to replace your phone’s stock launcher.

That can be inconvenient for anyone who prefers their stock launchers, or aren’t confident in messing around with their phones.

And some phones simply may or may not support third-party launchers.

So, you could use Toolwiz AppLock instead: quite possibly the only free app available for Android that is open–source.

In the FAQ section of the post that talks about how you can hide apps without rooting or disabling them, I mentioned that an app is bound to be trustworthy if it’s open–source. That stays true for the most part.

Apart from a few in-app purchases — which act purely to support the developers — everything that comes with Toolwiz AppLock can be used for free.

It turns out that these features are no different from those of its competitor apps.

Unfortunately, FOS applications tend to be outdated since:

• Maintaining and updating them takes resources
• There is a lack of financial backing for the developers to make that happen so often

Even so, their lack of marketing is good in a way; they don’t become a target for lurkers.

Apart from the Play Store, you could extract the official files from the Toolwiz AppLock GitHub repository and make a build yourself!

This is especially useful for anyone who can dig through code, and add in their own functionalities to the app. You’ll find the app’s specification details below.

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
2.9 MegaBytes	4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and Above	Camera, Contacts, Device and App History, Device ID and Call Information, Identity, Phone, Photos and Videos, Storage, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	$1.00 per item	Play Store

This is all based on what we believe is the best bang for our buck. And for an app that’s free, ToolWiz AppLock provides a lot for what you’d usually pay for!

It’s truly an underrated gem.

Now, what about alternatives?

That’s your cue to move on to the list of the…

Top 9 Apps to Hide Pictures and Videos on Android

Alas, only few cell phones come with any sort of privacy protection feature. Sure, there’s the lockscreen, but that’s not enough sometimes.

What if you need to trust someone to use your phone if you’re not around? And what if the best app to hide photos and videos that I talked about above — Toolwiz AppLock — doesn’t help?

Guess what? It’s not the only privacy app there! Having said that, many privacy apps claim to be good.

So, it’s difficult to tell the trusted apps from the ones riding the marketing bandwagon.

That’s why I created a list of the top 9 apps to hide pictures and videos on Android that you can trust.

Don’t ignore the specification tables for each of them!

They’ve got some crucial information you’ll need, such as what access they require, how much space they need, and so on.

And who knows?

Maybe one of them might turn out to be your personal best app for Android to hide pictures and videos!

1. App Hider by Hide Apps (NO ROOT)

Possibly the most well-known app for hiding apps on Android, App Hider has proved to be a reliable tool for many Android users.

Their developer — Hide Apps (NO ROOT) — are privacy aficionados for Android, so any product released by them is worth trying.

The pro features of App Hider allows you to hide apps, hide photos and videos, runs cloning features for multiple accounts, disguises itself as a calculator to fool any Peeping Tom, and supports 64-bit systems (which you will need!).

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
12 MegaBytes	5 (Lollipop) and Above	Calendar, Camera, Contacts, Device and App History, Device ID and Call Information, Identity, Location, Microphone, Cell Data Settings, Phone, Photos and Videos, SMS, Storage, Wearable Sensors, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	$2.00 per itemLite/Paid	Play Store

2. Privacy Master by Nuotec Studio

Privacy Master is a pretty legit app if you want to try your hand with something that favors being easy on the eyes, and your phone’s storage.

Some of its prominent features include encrypting any pictures or videos you have, hiding social media apps you’ve got installed, and private browsing with tracking protection; that last one is always a godsend.

Try it out for yourself and see if it’s worth it!

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
6 MegaBytes	4.4 (KitKat) and Above	Contacts, Device and App History, Identity, Location, Phone, Photos and Videos, Storage, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	$1.00-$13.00 per item	Play Store

3. Clock – Secret Vault by Gallery Vault

A unique feature of this app is its Clock Vault replacement feature.

You can replace the app’s icon with another icon, such as a clock, the weather forecast, or a calculator. Not something its competitor apps can do!

So, if you want an app that can hide things in absolutely plain sight, then Clock Secret Vault is for you!

Other features include de–registering from the list of Recently Used Apps, an easy file management system, and protection from being uninstalled by your spooky friends.

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
14 MegaBytes	4.1 (Jelly Bean) and Above	Camera, Contacts, Device ID and Call Information, Identity, Location, Phone, Photos and Videos, Storage, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	Approx. $1.00 per item	Play Store

4. Smart Hide Calculator by IDSstudio

Although I did mention that the Clock Secret Vault app above can do much more in terms of disguise, the Smart Hide Calculator app can not only disguise itself as a calculator, but also work as one.

That already makes it one of the best apps to hide pictures and videos on Android.

Another cool feature is resetting the password.

In case you do forget it, you can type “123456789+987654321”, and submit a second password, which you can use to log back into the vault and access your secret files.

There are two caveats to the app, though: 

• Hiding and unhiding apps requires you to root your phone. This isn’t necessary when it comes to secret photos and private videos.
• Uninstalling the app without restoring your hidden data will delete everything from your phone, so be careful!

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
3.5 MegaBytes	2.3 (Gingerbread) and Above	Photos and Videos, Storage, Miscellaneous	No	Play Store

5. Notepad Vault by Hide Apps (NO ROOT)

Another app from the developers of Hide Apps, the Notepad Vault app will keep what you’re hiding behind the guise of a harmless notepad app!

This free app has no in-app purchases, so any features it comes with are fully accessible. (So, it really is free!)

The downside is that the app doesn’t offer any subtle ways to contain information.

For instance, the phone’s tracking history can detect the app as “Notepad Vault”, which is a dead giveaway.

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
11 MegaBytes	5 (Lollipop) and Above	Calendar, Camera, Contacts, Device and App History, Device ID and Call Information, Identity, Location, Microphone, Cell Data Settings, Phone, Photos and Videos, SMS, Storage, Wearable Sensors, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	No	Play Store

6. Private Zone by Private Zone Ltd

Private Zone is a pretty special app.

Unlike the others, this app contains an excellent feature that captures the face of an intruder who’s trying to break into your phone’s hidden contents.

But it doesn’t provide much in the way of the art of subtlety. For instance, activities surrounding the app — such as Recently Used Apps — are recorded by your phone.

Another trade-off is that it locks your private apps and secret photos and videos away from peeking eyes, but it doesn’t exactly “hide” them.

But, this can be circumvented by disguising the app as a calculator.

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
23 MegaBytes	4.1 (Jelly Bean) and Above	Camera, Contacts, Device and App History, Identity, Location, Photos and Videos, Storage, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	$5.00-$125.00 per item	Play Store

7. Parallel Space by LBE Tech

Parallel Space has an interesting take. Why?

Well, the functionalities are based off of multiDroid, which is the first application virtualization engine on Android.

That means that you can download any app you’d like through Parallel Space.

“Okay, but what’s so special about that?” Think of it as an alternate dimension on which anything you do is not recorded in the main dimension.

So, a single app (like WhatsApp) can run two different accounts; one would be active on your main environment, and the other via Parallel Space.

Now, deleting the app will delete any data you’ve stored in it. But, that’s the point of maintaining anonymity after all.

If you’re familiar with virtual machines, then you’ll know that Parallel Space operates in a similar fashion, only without the sophisticated setup.

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
11 MegaBytes	Device Dependent	Calendar, Camera, Contacts, Device and App History, Device ID and Call Information, Identity, Location, Microphone, Cell Data Settings, Phone, Photos and Videos, Storage, Wearable Sensors, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	$1.00-$10.00 per item	Play Store

8. C Launcher by C Launcher Team

This is one of the two apps on this list that’s a launcher for Android.

If you’re feeling tired of your phone’s stock launcher, then C Launcher will spice things up for you. What’s cool about C Launcher is that it provides an additional layer of security for you.

Underneath all the theme-related features it boasts, the launcher implements a “hide in plain sight” approach to your data security.

You can use simple gestures to either lock your apps, or hide them.

It sounds corny when you read it, but… it really is as easy as 1-2-3!

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
13 MegaBytes	4.1 (Jelly Bean) and Above	Camera, Contacts, Device and App History, Device ID and Call Information, Identity, Location, Phone, Photos and Videos, Storage, Wi-Fi Information, Miscellaneous	$2.00 per item	Play Store

9. Nova Launcher by TeslaCoil Software

Nova Launcher’s that second app I implied above that’s an Android launcher.

This app is possibly the most trusted, the most downloaded, and the most favored launcher on Android thus far.

It packs so many features, it can take you by surprise a few times. It’s got dark modes, grid positioning, speed optimization, minimalist design… you name it!

It’s also respectful of the user’s data in that you could hide your apps from prying eyes if you’d like.

Even though it’s not stated anywhere on the store page, I see that as a good thing since it’ll keep unsuspecting individuals away.

App Size	Operating System	Needs Access To	In-App Purchases	Store Page
Device Dependent	Device Dependent	Identity, Location, Phone, Photos and Videos, Storage, Wi-Fi Information, Device Administration, Miscellaneous	$1.00-$13.00 per item	Play Store

What Is Your Verdict?

As far as software is concerned, nothing is 100%.

Still, weighing your options and preferences would help you get closer to what could be the best app to hide pictures and videos on Android.

If not, then you’ve still got some of the best apps you can get your hands on to address any privacy concerns you may have.

I’d love to know your conclusive thoughts on them. Have you tried any of these apps?  Do the permissions justify their use?

Do you find them too invasive? Or would you rather look for more FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software) solutions?

Perhaps, you’ve got your own list of best apps to hide pictures and videos on Android. (Share them if you do!)

Whatever your thoughts may be, they’re worth putting in the comments below. Let’s take the conversation a lot further if we can!