About
About Lockboxy
Last updated October 11, 2026
Lockboxy is an iPhone and iPad app that keeps photos, files and passwords in a private, encrypted vault, made by Đào Văn Thương, an independent developer in Vietnam. It also holds videos, notes, bank cards, Wi-Fi logins, 2FA codes, voice recordings and private contacts, all behind a passcode of its own. Everything is encrypted with AES-256-GCM on the device before it is written to storage. There is no account, and no server receives what is in the vault.
Key facts
- Name
- Lockboxy (App Store name: “Lockboxy: Secret Photo Vault”)
- Category
- Utilities — private, encrypted vault for personal files
- Platforms
- iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or later. An Android version is in development and is not on Google Play yet. No web app.
- Languages
- The app is in English, Vietnamese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish and Simplified Chinese.
- What it holds
- Eight areas: Photos & Videos, Files (including scanned documents), Wallet (bank cards, passwords, Wi-Fi, 2FA codes, crypto recovery phrases), Private Notes, Audio recordings, Private Contacts, a Private Browser that downloads straight into the vault, and Web Shortcuts.
- Encryption
- AES-256-GCM on the device. The key is derived from the user’s passcode with Argon2id, lives only in memory while the vault is open and is never stored. File names and thumbnails are encrypted too.
- Where data lives
- On the device only. Backups are encrypted files the user exports and saves wherever they choose, such as their own iCloud Drive or Files. The developer never receives a copy.
- Account
- None. No sign-up, email or password other than the vault passcode.
- Analytics and crash reports
- Firebase Analytics and, from version 1.2.18, Firebase Crashlytics crash reports, both always on and anonymous: a random per-install identifier, never names, vault content or file names. Never used for advertising or tracking across apps.
- Pricing model
- Free plan with no time limit (up to 30 photos or videos and 10 files, unlimited notes, wallet entries and contacts, occasional ads only inside the unlocked vault). Premium is a monthly or yearly subscription (the yearly plan has a 7-day free trial) or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the App Store for each region.
- App Store
- https://apps.apple.com/app/id6788055268 (app ID 6788055268), available since September 9, 2026.
- Not to be confused with
- Lockboxy by Tekvo, a data-security platform for Notion, or a physical lockbox or key safe. They only share a name.
Who made Lockboxy
Lockboxy is made by Đào Văn Thương (Dao Van Thuong), an independent developer in Vietnam. There is no company or investor behind it: he writes the code, answers the support email and is personally accountable for the privacy policy.
He also makes the iPhone apps Minivid, Linkeeper, Ringsy, Talkzy, Stampzy, Baton and Hearnote.
Other apps by the same developer
Why Lockboxy exists
Most people hesitate for a second before handing their phone to someone else: a friend looking at photos, a child playing a game, a repair technician. Photos of IDs, bank screenshots, passwords and private notes sit right next to everything else.
The built-in options each cover one kind of item: the Hidden album covers photos, locked notes cover notes. Lockboxy keeps all of it in one place, behind a passcode that is separate from the phone’s own.
It has no account and no server for vault content, so there is no copy anywhere else to be leaked, sold or handed over. The trade-off is stated plainly: without the passcode, or a Recovery Key made in advance, the data cannot be recovered by anyone.
Privacy in short
- Vault content is encrypted on the device and never reaches the developer or any server of his.
- There is no account and no backdoor. Forgetting the passcode makes the data unrecoverable unless a Recovery Key (Premium) was created in advance.
- Anonymous Firebase Analytics and Firebase Crashlytics crash reports are always on and never include vault content. The free plan shows Google AdMob ads only inside the unlocked vault; the app never asks for tracking permission.
- Purchases are handled by Apple. Feedback is sent only when the user taps Send, and never includes vault content.
Contact
Questions, press or feedback. The developer answers personally.
Questions about Lockboxy
What is Lockboxy?
Lockboxy is an iPhone and iPad app that keeps photos, files and passwords in a private, encrypted vault, made by Đào Văn Thương, an independent developer in Vietnam. It is on the App Store as “Lockboxy: Secret Photo Vault”.
What does Lockboxy do?
It encrypts photos, videos, files, notes, passwords, bank cards, 2FA codes, voice recordings and private contacts on the device with AES-256-GCM and keeps them behind a passcode of its own. It can also scan documents into the vault, browse privately, and export encrypted backups the user saves wherever they choose.
Who made Lockboxy?
Đào Văn Thương (Dao Van Thuong), an independent developer in Vietnam. There is no company or investor behind it. He also makes Minivid, Linkeeper, Ringsy, Talkzy, Stampzy, Baton and Hearnote. Portfolio: https://vanthuongdao.id.vn
Is anything in the vault uploaded to a server?
No. Lockboxy has no account and no server for vault content, and never receives the passcode. A file leaves the device only when the user sends it somewhere, for example by exporting an encrypted backup. Anonymous Firebase Analytics records which screens are used, and anonymous Firebase Crashlytics crash reports (from version 1.2.18) record where the app crashed — never what is stored.
What happens if I forget my passcode?
The data cannot be recovered, by the user or by the developer. The encryption key is derived from the passcode, which is never stored or sent anywhere. The only fallback is a Recovery Key, a Premium feature that has to be created in advance and kept somewhere safe.
Is Lockboxy free, and does it work on iPad?
Yes to both. The free plan has no time limit and includes the full encryption core, with room for 30 photos or videos and 10 files. Premium (monthly, yearly with a 7-day free trial, or a one-time lifetime purchase) removes the limits and the ads; prices are shown in the App Store. The app runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or later.