HushkeeperPV – Secret Photo Album vs Hushkeeper
PV – Secret Photo Album is a feature-heavy vault with fake-password protection, phone-to-phone Nearby Drop, Wi-Fi transfer and optional backups to Dropbox, Google Drive, Box or OneDrive. Here's how it compares with Hushkeeper.
Updated
Short answer. PV is packed with transfer options and an "Emergency Switch" that jumps to another app when you put the phone face down. It shows ads, declares identifiers and usage data used to track you, and charges separately for cloud sync. Hushkeeper has no ads or tracking, publishes its encryption, and includes encrypted iCloud backup in the free tier.
Facts about PV come from its US App Store listing as of November 2026. It's a different app from BPMobile's Secret Photo Album, which we compare separately.
At a glance
| PV – Secret Photo Album | Hushkeeper | |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 4.7 from about 30K ratings | Launching soon on the App Store |
| Developer | Haibin Jiao (photovault.cn) | Hushkeeper |
| Encryption | Says data and transfers are encrypted; algorithm not named | AES-256-GCM on the device; method published |
| Unlock | Passcode, Face ID, Touch ID | 5×5 pattern (PBKDF2, 600,000 iterations) |
| Decoy access | Fake-password protection | Unlimited hidden vaults that can't be counted; duress pattern (Pro) |
| Break-in alerts | Not stated on the listing | Not offered |
| Cloud backup | In-app cloud (Cloud Sync needs Super membership); Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive with Pro | Encrypted iCloud backup, free and on by default; daily versions kept 30 days |
| Account or email | No sign-in described; optional recovery email | None needed |
| Forgot your code | Recovery email | Recovery phrase (yours to keep) |
| Ads | Yes; a paid Ad Free option removes them | No ads in any tier |
| Tracking (privacy label) | Identifiers, usage data | No tracking, no account |
| Disguise | Custom icon; Emergency Switch jumps to another app when placed face down | Calculator, Notes, Weather or Clock icon (Pro) |
| Sharing | Nearby Drop (phone to phone), Wi-Fi transfer to a PC | Separate encrypted vault with expiry, open limit, export block (Pro) |
| Price | Free; Pro $3.99/month, $17.99/year, $41.99 permanent; cloud plans $12.99–$79.99/year | Free tier; Pro $1.49/week, $4.99/month, $16.99/year or $34.99 once |
| Languages | 12 | 5 |
"Not stated on the listing" means the App Store page doesn't say; it doesn't mean the app lacks the feature. Privacy labels are declared by each developer.
Backups: several clouds, several prices
PV's listing describes its own in-app cloud, where Cloud Sync needs a Super membership ($29.99 or $79.99 a year by storage), separate auto-backup plans ($12.99 or $49.99 a year), and backups to Dropbox, Google Drive, Box or OneDrive with Pro. It also says files are stored on the device and are lost if you delete the app without a backup. Hushkeeper keeps one model: an encrypted backup in your own iCloud, free and on by default.
Ads and tracking
PV contains ads (removable with a paid option) and its privacy label declares identifiers and usage data as used to track you, plus your email and user ID linked to you. Hushkeeper has no ads and no tracking in any tier.
Panic features
PV's fake password and its Emergency Switch are both quick ways out of an awkward moment. Hushkeeper's answer is uncountable vaults and a duress pattern (Pro) that opens a harmless vault and removes the others from the device, while their encrypted backups stay safe.
Sharing
PV's Nearby Drop sends files phone to phone, and Wi-Fi transfer moves them to a computer. Hushkeeper's sharing (Pro) creates a separate encrypted vault with a 9-word phrase, and you set the expiry date, the open limit and whether exports are allowed, and can revoke it anytime.
When PV is the better choice
- You want Nearby Drop and Wi-Fi transfer to a PC.
- You'd use the face-down Emergency Switch.
- You want backups to Dropbox, Google Drive, Box or OneDrive.
When Hushkeeper is the better choice
- You don't want ads or tracking.
- You want encrypted backup without a separate cloud plan.
- You want sharing with expiry, open limits and revoke.
- You want the encryption method published.
Before you switch vaults
Whichever app you pick, move files across while the old vault still opens, check every album on the new side, then delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. Our guide to moving a photo vault without losing anything covers the order, and the best private photo vault apps for iPhone roundup compares the bigger names side by side.
Sources
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