Photo Vault No Longer Free? Get Your Photos Out First
If your photo vault app now asks for a subscription, or your premium plan ran out, get your photos out before you do anything else. Open the vault, export everything to a safe place, count it, and only then decide whether to pay, switch or stop using a vault.
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What do I need to know?
- Do not delete the old app yet. With many vault apps, deleting the app deletes the photos stored inside it.
- Export while you can still unlock it. Limits can change again with the next update.
- Pay for what you need, not for panic. A free plan may be enough once you know how many photos you really keep.
Why did my vault stop being free?
Apps change their plans. A feature you used for free can move behind a subscription in an update. A trial or a paid year can also end quietly. Your App Store receipts show which one it was.
To check on iOS 27, open Settings → your name → Subscriptions (Apple). An expired subscription is listed there with a Renew option. If you paid once in the past, look in the app's settings for Restore Purchases before paying again.
How do I get my photos out?
Every app is different, but the safe order is the same.
- Back up your iPhone first. If something goes wrong, you can go back.
- Open the vault and look for Select All, Export or Save to Photos.
- Export in small batches if the app is slow. Large videos can take a while.
- Count what arrived. Compare the number in the vault with the number exported.
- Check videos play and full-size photos open, not just thumbnails.
- Move the exports somewhere private straight away. In Camera Roll they are visible to anyone with your passcode.
If the app blocks export unless you pay, one month of the subscription may be the cheapest way out. Cancel it in Settings → your name → Subscriptions as soon as you have your files.
Our guide on getting photos out of a vault app covers the share sheet and Files routes in more detail.
What should I look for in the next vault?
- A free plan with clear limits. You should know the numbers before you start.
- A pay-once option. A one-time purchase cannot lapse at renewal time.
- Real encryption, not just hiding. Ask where the key lives.
- A backup you can restore yourself, without an account at the developer.
How does Cryptile's free plan work?
Cryptile is free for 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos in total. Encrypted iCloud backup and the recovery phrase are included on the free plan. If you need more, Plus is $19.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $39.99 once. The prices are the same every day, and each purchase is for one person.
To bring exported photos in:
- Open Cryptile and draw a new pattern. It opens a new, empty vault.
- Write down the 9-word recovery phrase on paper.
- Tap Add → Photos & videos and pick the exported photos.
- Let Cryptile delete the originals, then empty Recently Deleted in Photos.
If you have more than 100 photos, start with the ones that matter most. Then decide whether the rest need a vault at all.
What this doesn't protect against
Exporting puts your photos back in Camera Roll for a while, so do it somewhere private. Some apps may not allow export at all on a lapsed plan, and we cannot tell you which. If you lose both your Cryptile pattern and your recovery phrase, that vault is gone.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile encrypts each photo with AES-256-GCM under a key made from your pattern on your device. There is no account and no server.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once. The price is the same every day.