Support (FAQ)
The Locked Album app itself never goes online (it has no internet permission). That means we cannot see your photos, videos, audio, or PIN, and we cannot open the album for you. It also means your PIN and your backups are in your hands. The most common questions are answered below, starting with the basics.
Keeping your data safe
Your items are encrypted and stored only in the App's private space on your phone. We never keep a copy on our servers, so please remember these five points.
- Deleting the App deletes everything you saved in it. It cannot be brought back.
- On Android, phone backups and transfer features do not carry the App's data. Google's "Copy data" and similar features deliberately skip it to keep your photos safe. On iPhone, the data stays encrypted and is included in the device backup (iCloud Backup, Quick Start), so it carries over when you change phones. It is never sent to the developer.
- Make a backup file with "Export" from time to time. Open the gear icon (Settings) at the top right of the folder screen, then "Export". On Android, Premium's "Automatic backup" can also save once a day, only when something changed.
- Write down the backup passphrase. It is not stored in the App, so if you forget it, that backup cannot be restored. It is separate from your PIN.
- Create a recovery code and keep it off the phone (on paper, for example). You use it if you forget your PIN. Create it in Settings → "Create recovery code".
Items you delete stay in the trash for 30 days (Settings → "Trash" → select → "Restore"). After 30 days they are removed permanently.
Moving to a new phone in 3 steps
Make a backup file, then read it on the new phone.
- Export on the old phone
Open the gear icon (Settings) at the top right of the folder screen → "Export", choose a passphrase, and write out the backup file (an encrypted ZIP). - Save it where the new phone can read it
In the share sheet, pick a place the new phone can open: Google Drive, iCloud Drive, a computer, and so on. - Import on the new phone
Install the App on the new phone, finish the first-time setup, then go to Settings → "Import", pick the file, and enter the same passphrase.
Notes
- The passphrase is not stored in the App. If you forget it, the backup cannot be restored.
- Data already on the new phone stays; the backup's contents are added. Items in the trash are not included in backups.
- Restoring from a backup is not limited by the free tier.
- If you use a decoy album (Premium), a backup contains only the side that was open when you exported.
- Between iPhones, the device backup (iCloud Backup, Quick Start) also carries everything over. Open the App with your usual PIN, and turn Face ID / Touch ID unlock on again on the new iPhone.
- If you used a tool that copies app data (such as OPPO's "Clone Phone"), opening the App on the new phone shows a restore screen; enter your recovery code and a new PIN. Without a recovery code, this method cannot restore your data, and it does not carry over a decoy album.
- If you bought Premium, use "Restore purchase" on the Premium screen on the new phone, signed in to the same Apple or Google account.
If you forgot your PIN
If you created a recovery code
- On the lock screen (the PIN screen), tap "Forgot PIN?".
- Enter the 16-digit recovery code you wrote down (the latest one, if you reissued it).
- Choose a new PIN. You can now open the album.
If you did not create a recovery code
The only way to open the contents is to remember the PIN. Your items are encrypted with a key made from your PIN, and we cannot unlock them either, because we never store your PIN.
To start over, use "Reset album" on the same screen. If you have an exported or automatic backup file, you can restore it with "Import" after the reset.
Notes
- After 5 wrong attempts, input is blocked for 30 seconds, and the wait doubles after each further mistake. The lock always lifts after the wait, so if you think you can remember, try calmly.
- Resetting with the recovery code works even during the wait.
- The steps are the same if you unlock with a pattern.
- You can create a new recovery code at any time in Settings → "Create recovery code". The old code stops working when you do.
Premium, cancellation, and refunds
Free vs Premium
- Free: up to 100 items in total (photos, videos, and audio; of which videos and audio up to 10 combined) and 10 folders. Items in the trash count too.
- Premium: no limits, plus the decoy album and automatic backup (Android only).
- Price in Japan (tax included): JPY 250 per month or JPY 1,980 per year as a subscription, or JPY 5,980 as a one-time purchase. Prices vary by country and region.
- Payment is handled by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play). We never receive your card details.
How to cancel a subscription
Cancellation is done in the store settings, not inside the App. On Android, Settings → "プレミアム" (Premium, at the top) has a "定期購入を管理" (Manage subscription) button that opens the same Google Play subscription screen directly (below).
- iPhone: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → select the App → "Cancel Subscription"
- Android: Google Play app → profile icon (top right) → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → select the App → "Cancel subscription"
- If you do not cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends, it renews automatically.
- After cancelling, Premium stays active until the end of the paid period. There is no refund for the unused part.
- The one-time purchase (JPY 5,980) is not a subscription: there is nothing to cancel and you will not be charged again.
Your data stays after you cancel
Ending Premium never deletes or locks away what you saved. You can still view, play, delete, and export it. If you are over the free-tier limits, you simply cannot add new items. A decoy album you already set up keeps working (setting it again requires Premium).
Refunds
Payments are processed by Apple or Google, so refund requests go to them. We cannot refund you directly.
- iPhone: sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com, select the purchase, and choose "Report a problem"
- Android: use the Google Play Help article "Request a refund for Google Play purchases" (within 48 hours of purchase you can request directly from Google Play)
Whether a refund is granted is decided under Apple's or Google's policies.
Can I save to an SD card?
No. Everything you save is encrypted and stored in the App's private space on the phone's internal storage.
We do not use SD cards because a card can be removed and read in another device, and SD card encryption differs between phone models, so we could not keep the same level of protection. Even if your phone lets you move the App itself to an SD card, your saved data stays in internal storage, so it does not free up space.
To free up internal storage
- Open Storage in your phone's settings and check what is using space.
- Delete photos, videos, and apps you no longer need (also empty your photo app's trash to get the space back).
- For items inside this App, delete them and then remove them permanently in Settings → "Trash".
Videos are large. While importing, the App temporarily uses about twice the size of the selected files. Playback, saving to the gallery, and exporting also use about the same amount temporarily. If there is not enough space, the App shows how much is needed and how much is free.
Other questions
Does the App really not connect to the internet?
It does not. The App has no permission to access the internet at all. Photos, PIN, and settings are stored only on your phone. There are no ads and no analytics.
- Android: Settings → Apps → the App → Permissions shows no internet-related entry.
- iPhone: Settings → the App shows no "Mobile Data" or "Local Network" entries.
Backups are files you export and place in Google Drive or similar yourself. For automatic backup (Premium), the upload is done by the storage app you chose, such as Google Drive.
My photos disappeared
Please check:
- Settings → "Trash" (items deleted within the last 30 days can be restored).
- The folder list; the items may have been moved to another folder.
- If you set up a decoy album, which PIN you opened the album with. The two have separate contents.
- Whether you uninstalled and reinstalled the App, or reset or replaced your phone. In that case, the data is gone (unless you restored an iPhone from its device backup).
If you have an exported backup file, restore it via Settings → "Import". Without one, we cannot restore anything, because we never had your data.
The original photo is still on my phone after importing
Importing makes an encrypted copy, so the originals are not removed automatically.
- Android 11 and later: right after importing, the App asks whether to delete the originals. If you choose "Delete", the phone asks for confirmation and removes them. Deleted items stay in the phone's trash for up to 30 days; delete them there too to remove them completely.
- Photos and videos you chose to keep can be deleted later: open the item, then the menu at the top right → "Delete original from device". Only then does the App ask for photo and video access.
- iPhone and Android 10 or earlier: the App cannot delete originals. Delete them in the Photos app (on iPhone, also clear "Recently Deleted").
Fingerprint or face unlock does not work
- Check that Settings → "Unlock with fingerprint or face" is on (turning it on asks for your current PIN).
- If you change the fingerprints or face registered on the phone, the App turns this off for safety. Open with your PIN, then turn it on again. The same happens after resetting your PIN with the recovery code.
- On iPhone, check that Settings → the App → "Face ID" is allowed.
- Your PIN always works, even when biometrics do not.
Can I store videos and audio too?
Yes. Open a folder and tap "+" at the bottom right to open the phone's file picker. You can pick photos, videos, and audio together; the type is detected automatically.
- Photos: JPEG, PNG, HEIC / Videos: MP4, MOV, 3GP, WebM, etc. / Audio: MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC, OGG, etc.
- Each file can be up to 4 GB.
What happens if I import the same photo twice?
Items with the same content are skipped, even if the file name differs, and the App shows where the existing copy is (for example, "already imported (folder: Travel)", or the trash). To add it to the current folder as well, tap "Import into this folder too" (it counts as one item on the free plan). Items in the trash can also be restored from the trash.
Where are photos and videos taken with the in-app camera saved?
Only inside the App. Tap the camera button at the top of the folder list or of an open folder. Nothing is saved to your phone's gallery; it is encrypted and added only to the folder you chose.
Video is available only after you turn on "Also take videos" in Settings (off by default). Sound is recorded only when you also turn on "Also record audio", and microphone access is requested only then. When it is off, the App does not use the microphone and records video without sound.
Can I put items back into the phone's gallery?
Yes. Open the item and choose "Save to device gallery" from the menu at the top right. Photos go to Pictures, videos to Movies, and audio to Music, in a folder named after the App. Items saved there can be seen by other apps.
What is the decoy album? (Premium)
It lets you set a second PIN in addition to your regular one. Unlocking with it opens a separate album that is safe to show (the decoy album). Set it up in Settings → "Decoy album".
- Fingerprint or face unlock opens your regular contents. If you plan to use the decoy album, turn biometric unlock off.
- Setting the decoy album's PIN again empties the decoy album.
- It is designed for someone who picks up your phone and tries to look inside. Someone who analyzes the phone in detail may be able to infer that a decoy album exists, or how much content there is.
What is face-down lock?
When Settings → "Face-down lock" is on, placing the phone screen-down while the album is open locks it immediately (off by default). It does not react while a video or audio file is playing. It is currently available on Android only, and is not shown on phones without the needed sensors. Sensor values are used only for this check and are never stored or sent.
I switched the icon to "計算機" (Calculator) and can't find the App on the home screen (Android)
In Settings → "アプリのアイコン" (App icon), choosing "計算機" changes the home screen icon and name to "計算機"; opening it shows a calculator (open the album by entering your PIN on the calculator and pressing "=", or by long-pressing the "計算機" text on screen).
The switch can take a few seconds up to about a minute, and an icon you had placed on the home screen may disappear during that time. The App is always in your full app drawer, so place it on the home screen again from there. In the phone's own Settings → Apps list, it still shows as "Pocket". To switch back, choose "Pocket" on the same screen.
Can I take notes?
Yes. Open a folder and choose "メモを作成" (Create a memo) from the menu at the top right to write a title and body. It saves automatically and appears in the same list as your photos, videos, and audio (it can be moved to the trash or to another folder). Memos do not count toward the free-tier 100-item limit.
Can I edit photos?
Yes. Open a photo and tap the edit button (pencil) at the top right for crop, adjustments, filters, and markup (pen, text, mosaic, and more). Saving creates a new photo separate from the original, which is left untouched (the saved copy counts toward the free-tier item limit).
Still stuck?
Email us at [email protected] (English and Japanese). Including the following helps us respond faster:
- Phone model and OS version
- App version (shown at the top of Settings → "Help")
- What happened, and what you did just before
Please do not send photos or your PIN. We do not need them and cannot check them. Because we hold no data, we cannot reset PINs or recover data.