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Silo vs calculator-disguise vault apps
| Silo | Calculator-disguise vault apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Where encryption happens | On the phone, before anything is written to storage. | Varies. Many apps lock the screen with a code and store files as ordinary files. Some encrypt on the phone.How to check: Read the app's store listing and privacy page for the words encrypted, cipher or key. Vague wording such as military-grade is a reason to ask. |
| Files encrypted at rest | Yes. XChaCha20-Poly1305 with 256-bit keys, and no decrypted copy is written to storage. | Varies. Where it isn't stated, assume the code guards the screen and not the files.How to check: Ask the developer in writing whether the files are encrypted in storage and with what. |
| What opens it | A PIN of 6 or more digits, or a passphrase (Pro), plus optional face or fingerprint unlock. | Usually a secret code typed into the calculator. Face or fingerprint unlock often available.How to check: Open the app and see what the first screen asks for. |
| Disguise | None. It opens to a lock screen, and it isn't built to look like another app. | Yes. The icon and first screen look like a calculator or similar utility.How to check: Look at the home screen icon and the app's name. |
| Account needed | No. There is no sign-up, no email and no server account. | Varies. Some need an email for backup or recovery.How to check: Try setup in airplane mode and see whether it wants an email address. |
| Works offline | Yes. | Usually, for what is stored on the phone.How to check: Open a saved item in airplane mode. |
| If you forget the code | Your 12, 6 or 2-word recovery phrase. Nobody can reset it for you, including Silo. | Varies. Some offer an email reset, which means the company or whoever holds your email can also reset it. Some offer nothing.How to check: Search the app's help page for forgot, reset or recover. |
| Verified import | Yes. Each item is read back and compared before Silo offers to remove the original. | Usually not described. Originals are often left or removed without a check.How to check: Import one test photo and look for any step that confirms the copy before removing the original. |
| Export everything | Yes, on any plan, including after a plan ends. | Varies. Some export one item at a time, and some charge for it.How to check: Try getting ten photos back out, in their original quality. |
| Published format and decrypt tool | Yes. The format is public, and a free independent tool reads a vault copy plus your phrase. | Usually no. Files can only be opened by the app. |
| Backup and who holds the keys | Arriving with launch: encrypted on the phone, then sent to your own cloud storage. Silo's developer cannot read it. | Varies. Some back up to the company's servers, where the company may hold the key.How to check: Find out where the backup goes and whether you or the company holds the key. |
| What happens on uninstall | The vault lives inside the app, so removing the app removes it. Export first, or keep a backup. | Varies. Often the same, so photos are lost. Some keep files in a place that survives.How to check: Uninstall a test copy with one photo inside and see whether the photo is still in your library. |
| Ads and tracking | No ads. Diagnostics are off unless you agree in setup. | Free versions often show ads, and some include advertising or analytics tools.How to check: Read the privacy label in the store listing. |
| Price | Free for up to 100 photos and 10 videos. Pro from $1.99 a week, $19.99 a year or $39.99 once. | Free with ads, with paid upgrades. Varies. |
Calculator-disguise apps solve a real problem: sometimes the risk isn’t a stranger, it’s a person who picks up your phone and sees an app called Vault. A calculator icon doesn’t raise questions.
Why people choose them
- Discretion. The app doesn’t announce what it holds.
- They’re easy to find. There are many, and most are free to start.
- Setup is quick. A code, and you’re in.
Where a disguise is the better choice
If your main worry is the home screen, a disguise does something Silo does not. In a household where the mere presence of a vault app invites questions, a plain-looking icon is a real advantage. Choose a disguise app if hiding that you have an app matters more than anything else, and be sure to check what the app does to your files.
Where it falls short
A disguise is not encryption. The disguise changes what the app looks like. What happens to your photos is a separate question. Many apps in this category protect the screen with a code and keep the files as ordinary files inside the app’s storage. Others encrypt properly. You can’t tell from the icon, and store listings often use words like “military-grade” without saying how.
A disguise only lasts until it is noticed. App lists, storage settings, purchase history and a calculator that opens to a lock can all give it away. Once noticed, only the lock and the encryption are left.
Recovery can be a back door. An email reset is convenient. It also means someone with access to your email, or the company itself, may be able to get in.
Free versions often come with ads and data collection. An ad tool inside an app that holds your private photos is something to look at closely.
Uninstalling can lose everything. If the app keeps your files inside itself and you remove it, they may go with it.
How to check any app in this category
You don’t need to take anyone’s word, including ours. Four tests, all on your own phone:
- Import one test photo and see whether anything confirms the copy before offering to remove the original.
- Uninstall a test copy and see whether the photo is still in your library.
- Use the app in airplane mode, and see whether it works without signing in.
- Search the help pages for “forgot” and see who can reset your code.
How to decide
Start with the threat. If it is someone browsing your home screen, a disguise helps and a plain lock is enough for a quiet photo or two. If it is someone who could get your phone and look properly, or if you are storing IDs, medical papers or anything that would do harm if copied, the encryption matters far more than the icon.
Then check the exit. Whatever you pick, make sure you can get everything back out, and know what happens if you lose the code.
What Silo does differently
Silo makes no attempt to hide itself. It encrypts files on the phone, opens with your PIN or passphrase, and has a recovery phrase and no account. The format is public, with a free tool that can open a vault copy without the app.
Questions
Do calculator vault apps encrypt photos?
Some do and many don't. The disguise is about hiding the app, not protecting the files, so check what the app says about encryption and whether it names a cipher.
Is a disguised app harder to find on my phone?
It is harder to spot at a glance. It won't stay hidden from someone who checks your app list, storage use or purchase history, and the disguise only matters until it is noticed.
Can I make Silo look like another app?
No. Silo has no disguise. It relies on encryption and a lock screen, not on hiding that it is installed.
How can I test whether a vault app encrypts my files?
Ask the developer in writing, read the privacy page, and look for a published description of the format. A published format and an independent tool are the strongest signs.