None declared
None declared
On the label it is low-risk: Seal collects some data but says none of it is linked to you or used for tracking. The sensitive items are location. In total the label lists 3 data types; 51% of private photo apps we checked declare tracking.
Seal privacy in one look
- 1Collects nothing
- 2Not linked
- 3Linked
- 4Tracks you
Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.
Seal collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking.
Did Seal ask for something?
Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what Seal's developer declared.
Seal lists Location on its label. Choose While Using and turn off Precise Location if the feature works without it.
User Content is not on Seal'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.
Contacts is not on Seal'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.
Seal declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.
Health & Fitness is not on Seal'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.
What Seal collects, explained
| Data type | What it covers | Where to limit it |
|---|---|---|
| LocationSensitiveNot linked to you | Where your phone is, either precisely (street level) or approximately (city or area). | Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services: choose Never or While Using, and turn off Precise Location if the app does not need it. |
| Usage DataNot linked to you | What you tap, open and view inside the app, plus which ads you have seen. | There is no single iOS switch. Look for an analytics or personalised-ads toggle in the app's own settings. |
| DiagnosticsNot linked to you | Crash logs, launch times, hang rates and energy use. | Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements › Share With App Developers controls what Apple passes on; the app's own crash reporting is separate. |
What Seal's label means for you
Seal's label has 3 types 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.
Every type on Seal's label is in the “not linked” section, so the developer says the data is stripped of anything that identifies you before it is used. That is typical of anonymous analytics and crash reporting. Not linked is still collected: the data leaves your phone.
The items that deserve the most attention are location. Location history reveals home, work and routines. Precise location deserves the most scrutiny.
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. Seal lists 3 data types, about the same as the average of 3.1 for this group.
Photo and video apps usually request access to your photo library. iOS lets you share only selected photos, which keeps the rest of the library — and its location metadata — away from the app.
Settings to check for Seal
- 1
Location
Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Seal. Choose While Using or Never, and switch off Precise Location if a city-level answer is enough.
- 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
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
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › Seal › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Does Seal track you?
There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on Seal's label.
Lock Seal behind Face ID
- Find Seal on your Home Screen or in App Library.
- Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
- Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Seal now asks for authentication every time it opens.
The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not Seal has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.
About Seal
| Developer | Juan Pablo Fernandez |
| App Store category | Photo & Video (also Utilities) |
| Latest version | 4.3.4, released June 2021 |
| First released | July 2019 |
| Requires | iOS 12.0 or later |
| Size | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ |
| Languages | 2 (EN, ES) |
| Bundle ID | com.juanpablofernandez.secretalbum |
The current version shipped in June 2021, 5 years before our snapshot. Apps that are not updated may not support newer iOS privacy controls, and an abandoned app will not get security fixes.
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 Seal 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 Seal's developer: Are my pictures stored only on this phone, or uploaded?
Seal vs similar private photo apps
- BackThen
- Seal (this app)
- Secret Photo Album HiddenBox
- VA - Secret Hide Photo Vault
- Photo Splash photo editor app
- Digital Journal Diary
- Photo Gallery Albums
Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.
Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.
Apps similar to Seal
All private photo apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect location → Privacy label decoder →
Your Seal privacy checklist
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
True or false?
- Right.Not quite.
False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on Seal's label.
- 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.
- Right.Not quite.
True: Location appears on its label, in the Not Linked to You section.
- Right.Not quite.
It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.
- Right.Not quite.
Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.
Seal privacy FAQ
Is Seal safe to use?
Does Seal track you?
What data does Seal collect?
Who makes Seal?
Can I lock Seal with Face ID?
How does Seal compare with other private photo apps?
Are my pictures stored only on this phone, or uploaded?
How do I delete my data from Seal?
For photos and documents you choose to keep apart from your main library, see VaultForYou.