How To: Lock Your Photos, Videos, Files, & Passwords in a Digital Safe for iOS

If you are anything like me, you have a knack for taking silly selfies of yourself, i.e., taking scotch tape and wrapping it around your face to make yourself look like the blob, or perhaps you like taking selfies of yourself in weird or unusual situations doing weird and unusual things.

Keep Your Friends Away from Discovering Your Silly Photos & Videos

Whatever floats your boat, one thing is for sure, which is that it's always a bad idea to share such images and videos with your friends, relatives or anyone for that matter.

While you are probably doing your best at keeping people away from discovering your silly side, it can be impossible to keep out people who have access to your iPhone's passcode. However, there's a way you can hide such images and videos with third-party apps such as File & Password Vault for iPhone from Newsoftwares. However, this app is not all about password-protecting images and videos, it can also secure your audio files and documents and organize and secure information on your bank accounts, credit cards, email, etc.

Setup Password, PIN, or Pattern:

First and foremost, when you download the app, you'll need to set up your master login credentials. From here you can access all your secured information such as images, videos, documents, audio files, password categories, and settings.

Lock & Hide Images:

Locking and hiding images is a simple, straightforward process. To do so, tap the folder in which you want the image to be saved in, then tap on the "+" button located on the top right-hand corner. A menu should appear on the bottom of the screen. With this menu, you have the option to import from camera roll, download from the web, transfer from the web, or take images directly by tapping on the camera button. As for videos, the process is exactly the same.

Password Categories:

If you are also looking to securely manage all your usernames and passwords, you can do easily. To get started, tap on password categories and then click on the categories you would like to set up.

Import Audio:

To password-protect audio files, tap on the audios button and select your playlist of choice. Now tap on the "+" button. You'll now be given the option to import from phone, the internet, or web server.

Import Documents:

When it comes to password-protecting documents, you are only given the choice to import from the internet or web server.

Hack Attempt Monitoring:

Hack attempt monitoring is another feature that cannot be overlooked, as it can help you track down people who attempted to access your vault. The hack attempt monitor automatically takes images of users who've tried to access your vault but failed to enter the correct password. Consequently, with this feature, you'll be able to determine who the perpetrator was, what password was entered and what time the incident took place.

Colorful Themes:

Everyone has a favorite color, and if it's a particular color theme you prefer, chances are you can customize your vault with your favorite color. You have the option to choose from red, light sea green, goldenrod, medium orchid, dark turquoise, and gold.

Dynamic Secondary Security Features:

The application has some clever secondary security features such as decoy mode and panic switch. The decoy mode lets you setup a fake user; with this feature, you setup a fake password and, if you like, you can add fake data. Consequently, authorized users on your iPhone won't be able to discover your actual hidden data. Respectively, with the panic switch, you can quickly shutdown the app and automatically switch to a different app, if you feel someone is trying to take a peek at your secret stuff; all you have to do is either flick, shake, place phone face down, or press your palm on the screen.

Summary:

From hiding and locking your sensitive media to organizing and securing your login credentials, File & Password Vault is part of a new generation of apps for the iPhone which focus on securing users' privacy.

More iOS Tips:

Some really useful and interesting tutorials from top author Nelson Aguilar at WonderHowTo.

• How to Import, Transfer, & Password-Protect Photos & Videos on Your iPhone
• How to Passcode Lock Your Photos & Messages Apps in iOS 8

Comment with your feedback and let us know what you think of File & Password Vault.