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Is AppLock Safe?

AppLock privacy label · by CEM SOFTWARE COMPANY LIMITED · checked November 2026

  • Tracks you
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Used to track you
1type
Linked to you
0types

None declared

Not linked to you
1type
Short answer

It depends on how you feel about tracking: AppLock declares data used to track you. None of it falls in Apple's most sensitive categories (health, financial, location, contacts or your own content). In total the label lists 1 data type; 51% of private photo apps we checked declare tracking.

At a glance

AppLock privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Used to track you
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.

Verdict from the label
Tracks you

AppLock's developer reports using identifiers to track you across other companies' apps and websites.

Try it

Did AppLock ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what AppLock's developer declared.

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Not on the label

Location is not on AppLock's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

User Content is not on AppLock's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

Contacts is not on AppLock's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Expected — and you can decline

AppLock declares data used to track you, so expect the “Allow to track?” prompt. Tap Ask App Not to Track; the app must keep working without it.

Not on the label

Health & Fitness is not on AppLock's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.

Line by line

What AppLock collects, explained

Data typeWhat it coversWhere to limit it
IdentifiersUsed to track youNot linked to you An account ID, screen name, customer number or a device-level ID such as the advertising identifier. Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking: turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track, or tap Ask App Not to Track when prompted.
Reading the label

What AppLock's label means for you

AppLock's label has 1 type under “Data Used to Track You”, 1 type under “Data Not Linked to You”. A data type can appear in more than one section when it is used for different purposes — for example, identifiers used for both analytics and advertising.

Tracking is the declaration that most separates apps. It means identifiers from AppLock can be combined with data from other companies to target or measure ads, or shared with data brokers. On iOS 14.5 and later, the app must ask your permission before tracking you through the advertising identifier; answering “Ask App Not to Track” blocks that identifier and tells the developer you have declined.

None of the data types fall into the categories most people consider sensitive: health, financial information, precise location, contacts, browsing history or the content you create.

Private-photo apps promise to keep pictures out of your main library. The label shows what leaves the phone; it cannot show whether the hiding is a real lock or just a separate folder. Check whether the app needs full Photos access or works with selected photos, and whether hidden items still appear in iCloud Photos.

Among the 85 private photo apps in our snapshot with a label, 51% declare tracking, 61% collect data linked to you and 18% say they collect nothing. AppLock lists 1 data type, fewer than the average of 3.1 for this group.

Utilities range from calculators to VPNs, so their labels vary more than any other category. A simple tool that collects identifiers and usage data for tracking is a sign of advertising SDKs.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for AppLock

  1. 1

    Tracking

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.

  2. 2

    Photos

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos. Limited Access lets you pick exactly which pictures the app can see; Add Photos Only lets it save without reading your library.

  3. 3

    Lock the app

    On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.

  4. 4

    Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › AppLock › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Cross-app tracking

Does AppLock track you?

Yes — 1 data type

Identifiers. Apple defines tracking as linking data from this app with data from other companies' apps, websites or offline sources for targeted advertising or ad measurement, or sharing it with a data broker.

Does AppLock track you? Full answer and how to stop it →

iOS 18 and later

Lock AppLock behind Face ID

  1. Find AppLock on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. AppLock now asks for authentication every time it opens.

The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not AppLock has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.

Lock or hide AppLock: step-by-step guide →

From the App Store record

About AppLock

DeveloperCEM SOFTWARE COMPANY LIMITED
App Store categoryUtilities (also Productivity)
Latest version3.0.2, released April 2026
First releasedJuly 2023
RequiresiOS 16.0 or later
Size264 MB
Age rating17+
Languages9 (EN, FR, DE, HI, IT, JA, PT, ES…)
Bundle IDcom.cem.applock.hideapps

The current version shipped in April 2026. That is recent enough that the label should reflect current practices, but check the App Store page again before relying on it.

Also by CEM SOFTWARE COMPANY LIMITED: EZ File Explorer.

Read with care

What the label cannot tell you

  • A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what AppLock sends.
  • It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
  • Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
  • Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
  • Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.

The question to ask AppLock's developer: Are my pictures stored only on this phone, or uploaded?

How it compares

AppLock vs similar private photo apps

Data types listed on each App Store privacy label
Tracks youLinked to youNot linkedCollects nothing

Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.

Checking another app?

Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.

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All private photo apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect identifiers → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your AppLock privacy checklist

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

Quick quiz

True or false?

  1. Q1AppLock's privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    True: it lists identifiers under Data Used to Track You.

  2. Q2Apple tests every app to confirm its privacy label is accurate.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.

  3. Q3AppLock collects Identifiers.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    True: Identifiers appears on its label.

  4. Q4Data “Not Linked to You” is never sent off your iPhone.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.

  5. Q5Tapping “Ask App Not to Track” can stop an app from working.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.

Questions people ask

AppLock privacy FAQ

Is AppLock safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, appLock's developer reports using identifiers to track you across other companies' apps and websites. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does AppLock track you?
Yes. Its label lists identifiers under Data Used to Track You. You can decline at the iOS tracking prompt.
What data does AppLock collect?
Identifiers. Of these, identifiers is linked to your identity.
Who makes AppLock?
CEM SOFTWARE COMPANY LIMITED, according to the App Store. It was first released in July 2023 and the current version is 3.0.2.
Can I lock AppLock with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold AppLock's icon and choose Require Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode). This is an iPhone feature and works for most downloaded apps, whether or not the app has its own lock.
How does AppLock compare with other private photo apps?
Across 85 private photo apps with labels in our snapshot, 51% declare tracking and 18% say they collect no data. AppLock lists 1 data type against an average of 3.1.
Are my pictures stored only on this phone, or uploaded?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in AppLock's privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Check whether the app needs full Photos access or works with selected photos, and whether hidden items still appear in iCloud Photos.
How do I delete my data from AppLock?
Apps that let you create an account must also let you start account deletion from inside the app (an App Store rule since June 2022). Deleting the app from your iPhone alone does not delete data already sent to the developer.

For photos and documents you choose to keep apart from your main library, see VaultForYou.

Facts on this page come from AppLock on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction