Your Hidden album isn't actually hidden.
LinkGrow is.
Your photos move into a vault only your pattern can open.
Encrypted on your iPhone with AES-256-GCM. No account, no sign-up, no email, no cloud backdoors.
Draw Pattern
Connect 5+ dots to derive AES-256 key
LinkGrow is a local-first encrypted vault app for iOS that protects photos, videos, and files with AES-256-GCM under a random master key unlocked by your pattern. It requires no identity account, stores zero decryption keys on servers, and performs all cryptographic derivations client-side on your device.
Zero Accounts
No email or phone number ever requested
Zero-Knowledge
Only your drawn pattern can derive master keys
No Backdoors
Pure client-side cryptographic isolation
Zero Cloud Exposure
Ciphertext only, never readable files
What Is Zero-Knowledge Encryption?
Your files never leave your device in readable form. We build privacy architecture, not centralized data vacuums.
5×5 Pattern Encryption
Draw a shape on a 5×5 matrix. PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 combines your drawn pattern with a hardware Keychain salt over 600,000 iterations to derive a 256-bit AES vault key.
Secret Recovery Phrase
Every vault generates a nine-word secret phrase. The phrase derives a separate recovery key opening an encrypted access envelope. Zero central key escrow.
Plausible Deniability
Separate configured patterns address completely separate encrypted vaults. No master vault list is ever shown in the interface, protecting you from coerced inspection.
Hidden Isolated Vaults
The unlock interface gives zero hints of how many vaults exist. Each vault operates on an isolated SQLite database with unique initialization vectors.
Duress Panic Mode
Draw a designated panic pattern under duress: LinkGrow unlocks a harmless decoy vault while silently destroying sensitive local indexes on the device.
Encrypted CloudKit Backup
A separate pattern-derived backup key encrypts padded records before CloudKit receives them. Apple only ever stores opaque ciphertext blobs.
Secure Ephemeral Sharing
Share encrypted vaults with recipients via one-time passphrases. Configure open limits, self-destruct timers, and prevent media exports.
Cross-Device Sync
Seamlessly access your encrypted vaults across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Data is encrypted before leaving device memory.
Secure In-App Camera
Capture photos and videos directly inside the encrypted vault. Content bypasses the iOS Camera Roll entirely—no originals left behind to delete.
Disguise App Icons
Camouflage LinkGrow as a Calculator, Notes app, Printer utility, or Stocks widget. Every icon still routes to the secure pattern screen.
Defense in Depth
AES-256-GCM protects file contents, EXIF metadata, thumbnail caches, and index trees. Key buffers are zeroed out on deallocation.
Instant Unlock & Lock
Security that feels like unlocking your phone. Zero tedious passwords or setup wizards—draw your pattern and start safeguarding files.
How LinkGrow Works
No registration emails, no passwords to forget, no corporate servers.
Define Your Pattern
Draw a geometric pattern with at least six dots and one direction change. PBKDF2 derives the local vault key in the app process using a hardware-backed iOS Keychain salt.
Load the Vault
Import photos, videos, confidential documents, and notes. Every file is authenticated and encrypted with AES-256-GCM the millisecond it enters LinkGrow.
Lock & Vanish
Exit or lock the app. LinkGrow instantly purges active key material from RAM and wipes memory buffers. Unlocked vaults leave zero plaintext traces on disk.
Security Model: We Don't Trust Servers.
We Trust Math.
Every design decision in LinkGrow is engineered so that even if Apple, AWS, or LinkGrow developers are subpoenaed or compromised, your photos cannot be recovered.
- AES-256-GCM Authenticated Encryption: Provides both confidentiality and tamper-proof integrity for every payload.
- PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 Key Derivation: 600,000 computation iterations with secure hardware salts defeat brute-force dictionary attacks.
- Zero Cloud Plaintext: When CloudKit backup is enabled, records are padded and encrypted on-device before transmission.
Someone takes your phone.
Now what?
Most vault apps prove you have something to hide. A locked folder or a PIN prompt is an immediate confession. A fake “calculator” app fools nobody who is actually looking.
LinkGrow does not open to a list of named vaults. Each pattern addresses its own isolated encrypted index. Enter Pattern A for decoy family photos; enter Pattern B for confidential records. The interface gives zero indication that Vault B even exists.
How LinkGrow Compares
Real cryptographic mathematics & duress architecture — not a cosmetic PIN screen or calculator disguise.
| Security & Privacy Feature | LinkGrow | Apple Hidden Album | Keepsafe | Calculator Vaults |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| True AES-256-GCM Encryption | Yes | Proprietary Cloud | ||
| Plausible Deniability (Multi-Vault) | Yes | |||
| Duress Panic Wipe Mode | Yes | |||
| Zero Accounts / No Email Required | Yes | |||
| Zero-Knowledge Cloud Backup | Yes | |||
| No In-App Ads / Data Tracking | Yes | |||
| In-App Direct Camera (Zero Camera Roll) | Yes |
LinkGrow vs Apple Hidden Album
Why anyone with your device passcode or Face ID can open Apple's album.
LinkGrow vs Keepsafe
How central cloud accounts and advertising trackers compromise your intimacy.
LinkGrow vs Private Photo Vault
Analyzing PIN recovery flaws and cloud sync leakage.
LinkGrow vs Calculator Apps
Why fake calculator apps get flagged immediately during physical searches.
Client-Side Privacy Tools
Free browser-based tools that execute 100% locally on your computer or phone. Your media is never uploaded to any server.
Face Blur & Anonymizer
Detect and redact faces locally in your browser before uploading photos anywhere.
EXIF & GPS Stripper
Remove camera model, geo-coordinates, and timestamp metadata from JPEG, PNG & HEIC.
HDR Image Converter
Convert iOS Ultra-HDR and Apple ProRAW formats to private standard color spaces.
Hidden Photo Steganography
Analyze images for embedded payloads or verify cryptographic watermarks.
Latest Guides & Teardowns
Learn the mechanics of mobile surveillance, iOS privacy loopholes, and zero-knowledge storage.
Are Hidden Photos Saved to iCloud? (The Real Truth)
If you enable iCloud Photos, your 'Hidden' album is synced to Apple servers by default. Here is how CloudKit syncing works, where your keys reside, and how to stop cloud exposure.
Calculator Photo Vault Apps: Are They Safe? (2026 Review)
Calculator photo lockers promise discreet camouflage, but our forensic teardowns of top App Store calculator apps revealed unencrypted media, invasive trackers, and forensic red flags.
AES-256-GCM Photo Vault: Why Standard Passcodes Fail
A 4-digit PIN is not encryption. Discover how PBKDF2 key derivation and AES-256 Galois/Counter Mode mathematically isolate files from physical extraction tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about LinkGrow's encryption model and privacy guarantees.