Velcrypt vs calculator vault apps
Last checked: October 2026. Product details change; check each app's App Store listing for the current version.
“Calculator vault” describes a whole category of apps, not one product. Apps such as Calculator# present a normal, working calculator; type the right code as if it were a sum, and a hidden photo vault opens. This page compares that idea with Velcrypt’s approach in general terms, because features differ a lot between individual calculator apps.
Disguise and encryption are different things
A disguise is a way of hiding that something exists. Encryption is a way of making something unreadable without the key. A calculator vault puts most of its emphasis on the first; Velcrypt puts its emphasis on the second, and adds deniability in a different way.
Both can be useful. The question is what you’re protecting against. A disguise can help against a casual glance at your Home Screen. Encryption helps if someone gets deeper access to the device’s storage. For a longer explanation of the category, see calculator vault apps explained.
Feature comparison
| Velcrypt | Calculator vault apps (typical) | |
|---|---|---|
| On-device encryption details published | Yes: AES-256-GCM, PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 | Varies; often not stated publicly |
| Account required | No | Varies |
| Cloud backup | No (v1); encrypted backup planned | Varies; some offer cloud features |
| Unlock method | Pattern on a 5×5 grid | Numeric code typed as a calculation |
| Biometrics (Face ID / Touch ID) | Not offered, by design | Varies |
| Disguise | None; visible as Velcrypt | Looks like a working calculator |
| Decoy / multiple vaults | Every pattern is its own vault | Varies; some offer a decoy code |
| Duress pattern | Coming soon (Premium) | Varies |
| Break-in photos | Not offered | Common, but varies |
| Recovery if you forget the code | None | Varies; some offer email or security-question recovery |
| Business model | Free version plus optional Premium | Varies; some free versions show ads |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 17+) | Varies; many on iOS and Android |
The limits of a disguise
A calculator icon can be convincing at a glance. But a disguise has to hold up against everything around it: the app’s App Store name, your purchase history, notifications, storage size in Settings, and anyone who knows these apps exist. Once the disguise is recognised, the remaining protection is whatever the app does to secure the files themselves. That’s why it pays to look for clear encryption information, whichever app you consider. The checklist in are photo vault apps safe? covers what to ask.
Velcrypt’s kind of deniability
Velcrypt doesn’t pretend to be something else. Its deniability lives inside the app. Every pattern derives its own key and opens its own vault. There is no vault list, and a pattern the app has never seen simply opens an empty vault: no error, nothing to suggest other vaults exist. You can keep an everyday decoy vault and a private one, and nobody can prove the second exists. Hidden vaults and plausible deniability explain the model.
The contents are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, with keys derived from your pattern using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (at least 600,000 iterations) and a per-device salt in the iOS Keychain. Details are on the encryption page.
If you also want the app out of sight, iOS 18 and later let you hide any app in a hidden folder that opens with Face ID. That’s an iOS feature, not a Velcrypt one, but it works with Velcrypt.
When a calculator vault may suit you better
- You mainly want the app itself to look ordinary. If a visible vault app on your phone is the problem, a disguise addresses that directly, and Velcrypt doesn’t.
- You want break-in photos. Many calculator apps offer them; Velcrypt does not.
- You want a recovery option. Some apps offer a way back in if you forget your code. Velcrypt v1 has none.
- You use Android as well. Many calculator vault apps exist on both platforms.
When Velcrypt may suit you better
- You care most about what’s inside. Documented encryption matters more to you than a costume.
- You want vaults that can’t be counted. No list, no error on unknown patterns.
- You want no account and no cloud. See offline, no account.
- You’d rather use iOS’s own hidden apps feature than rely on a disguise.
Whichever you choose, remember that a copy left in Photos or Recently Deleted defeats both a disguise and encryption. Clear originals after importing.
Frequently asked questions
Are calculator vault apps secure?
It depends on the app. The calculator disguise only hides that a vault exists; how well the files are protected depends on whether and how the app encrypts them, which many apps don’t document. Check each app’s own privacy and security information.
Does Velcrypt have a calculator disguise?
No. Velcrypt has no disguise and no alternate icons. Instead, it makes the contents deniable: each pattern opens its own vault and nothing reveals how many vaults exist. On iOS 18 and later you can also hide the app itself using the system’s hidden apps feature.
Can someone tell a calculator app is really a vault?
Sometimes. The app’s name and description in the App Store, your purchase history, storage usage in Settings and the app’s behaviour can all give it away to someone who knows what to look for.
Which is better for plausible deniability?
They address different questions. A disguise tries to hide that you have a vault at all. Velcrypt accepts that the app is visible but makes it impossible to prove what, or how many, vaults are inside.