The private camera: straight into the vault

Why a second camera

The camera that comes with the phone saves every shot to your photo library. From there it can be backed up, synced to other devices, shown in memories and widgets, and found by search. That is what you want for a beach. It is not what you want for a passport page or a mole you are tracking for the doctor.

The private camera captures photos and videos directly into your encrypted vault.

Where the shots go

Sealed saves items to your photo library only when you export them.

So a shot from the private camera has one home: the vault. It is encrypted there like every other file. Sealed encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM before it is saved. If you later want a copy in Photos, you export it on purpose.

The guide to where private photos still show up lists the places a normal camera’s photo can travel. The private camera skips that trip.

Taking a photo

1. Open your vault.
2. Tap the add button and choose Private Camera. The plus button at the top of the vault opens a menu with Photos, Files & Documents, Private Camera, Scan Document, Voice Memo, From Computer (Wi-Fi), From Contacts, New Note and New Record.
3. Take photos, or switch the mode to Video.
4. Close the camera. Your shots are already in the vault.

Quicker, without unlocking

When the moment is short, the vault doesn’t have to be open first. There are two ways.

• From the iPhone’s Lock Screen or Control Center. On iOS 18, the Lock Screen camera seals photos into your vault without unlocking, and it is part of Sealed Pro. The Lock Screen camera page explains how to add it.
• From Sealed’s own lock screen. A separate Lock Screen Camera switch, in Settings under Passcode & Unlock, puts a camera button on Sealed’s own lock screen, and its shots seal into your vault without unlocking it. It is off until you turn it on. The camera button on Sealed’s own lock screen is part of Sealed Pro, and it is not shown while Maximum Security or a vault passphrase is on.

In a decoy vault

Anything added while the decoy vault is open, such as photos, files, notes, records, stacks and camera shots, is saved in the decoy vault and not in your real one. So a shot taken while the decoy is open stays in the decoy. The decoy vault page has more.

Camera permission

In iOS you can turn an app’s camera access on or off in Settings, under Privacy & Security, then Camera. Apple says iOS shows a green indicator whenever an app uses the camera.

The green light is the system telling you a camera is in use. It shows for the private camera too, which is how it should be.

Free or Pro

The private camera is part of Sealed Pro. On the free plan you can add photos. Videos, documents, notes and records need Sealed Pro.

Where Sealed helps, and where it doesn’t

It helps you take a photo that never touches your camera roll. Sealed saves items to your photo library only when you export them.

It doesn’t do these things:

• Stop a screenshot or another camera. A picture of the screen is outside the vault. Sealed warns you after you take a screenshot while a record’s values are showing, and it does not block screenshots.
• Protect a copy you export or send. Your files never leave your iPhone unless you turn on iCloud backup or export them yourself.
• Remove photos you took with the normal camera. For those, see Find Private Photos.
• Come with the free plan. The private camera is part of Sealed Pro.