ZeroBox and Android's built-in protection
Short answer. The built-in tools are already part of apps and phones you may use, and some are very good at their job. Private Space hides a whole app better than we can. ZeroBox is a different trade: its own PIN, no account, no cloud, and in return you look after the backup yourself. Below, the two sides in one table. Each statement about another tool links to its official page, opened on 2026-10-31.
| What you want to know | Built-in tools | ZeroBox |
|---|---|---|
| The lock | Locked Folder uses your phone's screen lock, so anyone who can unlock the phone can open it Google Photos Help. Safe folder in Files by Google asks for its own PIN or pattern Files by Google Help. Private Space can use your screen lock or a lock of its own Android Help. · 2026-10-31 | Its own PIN, separate from the screen lock. Fingerprint unlock is optional. A second PIN opens a separate vault. |
| Encryption | Google says Safe folder keeps files secure with Android storage encryption, and adds that someone with unauthorized access to the phone's internal storage may be able to reach them Files by Google Help. Google says Locked Folder is protected by Google Photos’ standard encryption practices and does not name the method Google Photos Help. For Private Space and Samsung Secure Folder we found no encryption statement we could confirm, so we say nothing about them. · 2026-10-31 | Every photo and video is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. The key is tied to your PIN and to this phone. |
| Backup and a new phone | Locked Folder backup is optional and counts toward your storage. Without it, items stay on that phone and are lost if you uninstall Photos, clear its data or lose the device Google Photos Help. Safe folder files cannot be backed up to Google Drive Files by Google Help. Private Space is not restored from a device backup Android Help. Samsung says data backup is no longer available for Secure Folder and points to Smart Switch for transfers Samsung Support. · 2026-10-31 | No cloud and no automatic backup: Android backup is switched off for the app. You save a transfer pack, which is one encrypted file, carry it on a drive or a card, and open it on the new phone with your PIN or recovery key. |
| If you forget the lock | Safe folder: without the PIN or pattern you cannot get in, and a reset permanently loses the files Files by Google Help. Private Space: if you forget its lock you cannot get in, and a reset deletes what is inside Android Help. · 2026-10-31 | A 25-character recovery key, written on paper, opens the vault on this phone and lets you set a new PIN. Without it nobody can get the vault back, including us. |
| What it hides | Locked Folder items stay out of the Photos grid, search and albums, and out of other apps that can read your photos Google Photos Help. Safe folder files cannot be opened by third-party apps Files by Google Help. A locked Private Space is hidden from the launcher, recent apps, sharing apps and Settings Android Help. · 2026-10-31 | Files you move in leave your gallery: after encryption the originals are deleted, and Android asks you to confirm. The app itself stays visible. You can change its icon and name, but Android settings still list it. That hides it from a glance, not from a search. |
| Account and internet | Locked Folder backup works through your Google Account Google Photos Help. Google recommends a dedicated Google Account for Private Space Android Help. · 2026-10-31 | No account and no sync. The app does not ask for the internet permission. How to check that yourself: our guide. |
| Android version | Locked Folder needs Android 6 or later Google Photos Help. Safe folder needs Android 8.0 or later Files by Google Help. Private Space needs Android 15 or later Android Help. · 2026-10-31 | Android 13 or later. |
Where the built-in tools are stronger
- Hiding. A locked Private Space is hidden from the launcher, recent apps and Settings Android Help · 2026-10-31. ZeroBox cannot do that. Android keeps one icon in the launcher for an app like ours, so we swap the icon and name instead of removing them.
- Getting your files back. With backup on, Locked Folder is reachable from other devices signed in to your Google Account Google Photos Help · 2026-10-31. ZeroBox has nothing to restore from except the file you saved yourself.
- Nothing extra to install. If the built-in tool does what you need, it is the simpler choice.
Where ZeroBox asks more of you
- With no recovery key and no transfer pack, a lost phone is a lost vault. We cannot help, because we hold no copy.
- Adding new files needs a subscription after a 30-day trial. Viewing and exporting what you already saved stays free.
- A file you export back to the gallery leaves the vault. Other apps on the phone can see it and send it.
- No tool here protects you if someone makes you unlock your phone. We do not claim otherwise.
Which one fits
If you trust your screen lock and want the simplest thing, use a built-in tool and turn on backup if you want the photos to survive a lost phone. If you want a lock of its own, no account and no copy in anyone's cloud, ZeroBox is built for that. The longer version is in our guide: Locked Folder, Secure Folder or Private Space: do you need a vault app?
