AtticAlbum User Guide

First Launch & Onboarding

The first time you open AtticAlbum, a six-screen onboarding walkthrough helps you set up the app. You can tap “Skip” at any time to jump straight to the camera and configure everything later from Settings, but completing onboarding is strongly recommended.

Screen 1: Welcome

The welcome screen introduces AtticAlbum with the app icon and a brief summary: “Your Private Photo Vault.” There are no choices to make here. Tap “Next” to continue.

Screen 2: Camera Features

This screen showcases the built-in camera’s key features with an interactive demo. Three feature cards cycle through automatically, highlighting corresponding camera controls:

• Location Tagging — Tag photos with GPS coordinates (Pro feature).
• Add Captions — Attach a text caption after every capture.
• Choose Save Location — Pick where each photo is saved (Normal, Hidden, or Private Album).

You can tap any feature card to highlight it. This screen is informational — no settings are changed here.

Screen 3: Security Setup

This screen combines passcode and biometric setup in one place. The title reads “AES-256 Encryption” with a reminder that every photo and video is encrypted on your device.

• Enable biometrics — Toggle Face ID, Touch ID, or Optic ID on or off (depends on your device). Default: off.
• Set App Passcode — Tap to open a passcode setup sheet. Enter a passcode of at least 4 characters (letters, numbers, symbols), then confirm it. A strength indicator shows how secure your passcode is.

Both options are independent — you can enable biometrics without a passcode, set a passcode without biometrics, or set up both.

Screen 4: Backup Strategy

This screen has two independent toggles to protect your vault against device loss, damage, or reset:

• iCloud Device Backup — When enabled (the default), your encrypted vault is included in your regular iCloud device backup. This is not a separate cloud sync — it’s part of your standard iCloud backup.
• Backup Reminders (Pro) — Get reminded to export a portable .hsbk backup file on a schedule. Choose an interval of 7, 14, 30, or 90 days. Default interval: 30 days.

Screen 5: Privacy Preferences

Fine-tune how your vault protects your content with three independent toggles:

• Hide Share Button — Hides the Share button to prevent accidental sharing of private media. Default: off (Share button visible).
• Allow Screenshots — When off (the default), your private content is protected from screenshots and the app switcher shows a privacy overlay.
• Share Usage Data — Anonymous statistics help improve AtticAlbum. Only feature usage counts are collected, never personal content or media. Default: off (opt-in).

Screen 6: You’re All Set

The final screen shows a summary of all your choices with a green checkmark. Each setting is displayed with its current status so you can review before proceeding. Tap “Get Started” to enter the app. You land on the Camera tab, ready to take your first encrypted photo.

After Onboarding

Once onboarding is complete, it does not appear again. All choices can be changed at any time from Settings:

Quick Start

Already through onboarding? Here’s how to get started:

1. Take your first photo. The app opens to the Camera tab. Tap the shutter button to capture a photo. If you completed onboarding, the save mode defaults to Private Album — your photo is encrypted automatically.
2. Choose where to save. Tap the save-mode button (the eye icon in the top bar) to cycle between Normal, Hidden, and Private Album.
3. View your private media. Switch to the Albums tab to browse your encrypted albums.
4. Create an album. Tap the ”+” button on the Albums screen to create a new album. Optionally lock it with a passcode or biometric authentication.

Free vs. Pro

AtticAlbum is free to download with full encryption, camera, and security features. The free tier is not a trial — it includes real AES-256-GCM encryption, the full built-in camera, biometric authentication, album passcodes, screenshot protection, and more.

What’s Free

• Full AES-256-GCM encryption for every photo and video
• Built-in private camera with all controls (flash, zoom, timer, grid, mirror, HDR, Night Mode)
• App-level passcode with Face ID / Touch ID / Optic ID
• Album-level passcodes
• 3 user-created albums (system albums don’t count)
• Screenshot and screen recording protection
• Auto-lock with configurable timeout
• Import from photo library and export
• Search across captions and dates
• 30-day trash with recovery
• Dark mode
• Full accessibility (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type)
• 1 manual vault backup
• Restore from backup (always free)

What Pro Adds ($9.99, One-Time Purchase)

• Unlimited albums
• Custom album sort order (drag-and-drop reordering)
• Unlimited encrypted backups (.hsbk archives)
• Backup reminders (7, 14, 30, or 90 day intervals)
• Location tagging with map view

No subscription. No recurring charges. Pay once, own it forever.

You can upgrade to Pro from Settings or when you encounter a feature that requires it (e.g., creating a 4th album). Restore purchases is available in Settings if you reinstall or switch devices.

Camera

AtticAlbum includes a full-featured camera with controls designed for privacy-conscious capture.

Taking Photos

Tap the shutter button (the large white circle) to take a photo. A brief flash animation confirms the capture.

Recording Video

Press and hold the shutter button for about half a second to start recording. The button changes to a red square and a timer appears. Tap again to stop recording.

Camera Controls

The top of the camera screen shows a row of control buttons:

• More Options (…) — Opens a tray of additional controls.
• Location (Pro) — Toggles GPS location tagging. When enabled (blue), photos are tagged with where they were taken.
• Captions — When enabled (yellow), you’re asked to add a caption after every capture.
• Save Mode — Cycles between Normal, Hidden, and Private Album. Icon color indicates the current mode.
• Switch Camera — Switches between front and rear cameras.

More Options Tray

Tap ”…” to reveal extra controls:

• Flash — Cycles between Off, Auto, and On.
• Grid — Shows or hides a rule-of-thirds grid overlay.
• Self-Timer — Cycles between Off, 3 seconds, and 10 seconds. Tap the shutter again during countdown to cancel.
• Mirror — Available with the front camera. Flips the preview and captured image horizontally.

Zoom

Pinch on the camera preview to zoom in or out. The current zoom level (e.g., “1.0x”) is displayed above the shutter button.

Landscape and iPad

The camera interface adapts to landscape orientation on iPhone and to the larger screen on iPad. Controls shift to the side for comfortable one-handed use.

Albums

Albums are the main way to organize your encrypted media in AtticAlbum.

Viewing Albums

The Albums tab shows a grid of all your albums. Special albums are always visible:

• All Media — Every photo and video in your vault (except items hidden by album privacy settings and items in the trash).
• Archived Albums — Appears when you have archived albums.
• Recently Deleted — Appears when Trash is enabled. Shows items waiting to be permanently removed.

Creating an Album

1. Tap the ”+” button in the top-right corner of the Albums screen.
2. Enter a name for the album.
3. Optionally toggle “Lock Album” to add biometric or passcode security.
4. Tap “Create.”

Album Context Menu

Long-press on any album to access quick actions:

• Open — Opens the album.
• Archive — Moves the album to the Archived Albums section.
• Export — Exports all media via the system share sheet.
• Unpack — Removes all items from the album and places them in All Media (the album itself remains).
• Delete — Deletes the album. If Trash is enabled, media moves to Recently Deleted.

Sorting Albums

Tap the sort button (up/down arrows) to choose a sort order:

• Name (A-Z or Z-A)
• Date Created (newest or oldest first)
• Item Count (most or fewest first)
• Custom Order (Pro) — Tap “Edit” to drag albums into your preferred order.

Archiving and Unarchiving

Archiving hides an album from the main grid without deleting it. Long-press the album and choose “Archive.” View archived albums by tapping the “Archived Albums” tile, where you can unarchive any album to bring it back.

Media Management

Browsing Media

Tap an album to see its contents in a grid. Videos display a play icon and their duration in the bottom-left corner.

Filter and Sort Bar

At the top of the media grid you can:

• Filter by All, Photos Only, or Videos Only.
• Sort by Date (newest/oldest) or Size (largest/smallest).

Searching Within an Album

Pull down on the media grid to reveal the search bar. Type to filter by caption text, date (e.g., “today,” “January,” “2026”), or media type (“photo” or “video”).

Viewing Full-Screen

Tap any thumbnail to view it full-screen. Swipe left and right to move between items.

For photos:

• Double-tap to zoom in to 2.5x. Double-tap again to zoom back out.
• Pinch to zoom to any level between 0.5x and 5x.
• Drag while zoomed to pan around the image.

For videos:

• Tap the large play button to start playback. Standard video controls appear.

The Detail Menu

In full-screen view, tap the ”…” button in the top-right to access:

• Info — Type, date, file size, duration, album, caption, and location.
• Edit Caption — Change or add a caption.
• Move to Album — Move the item to a different album or to All Media.
• Remove from Album — Removes the item from its current album without deleting it.
• Share — Opens the iOS share sheet for the decrypted file.
• Delete — Moves to Recently Deleted (if Trash is enabled) or permanently deletes.

Selecting Multiple Items

Tap the checkmark icon in the toolbar to enter selection mode:

• Tap individual items to select or deselect.
• Drag your finger across multiple items to select in one sweep.
• Use “Select All” or “Deselect All” in the top-left.
• Long-press an item to enter selection mode with that item pre-selected.

With items selected, a bottom toolbar appears with actions: Caption, Move, Remove, Export, and Delete.

Security

AtticAlbum provides multiple layers of security to keep your private content safe.

App Passcode

Setting an app passcode requires authentication every time you open the app. To set one:

1. Go to Settings (gear icon on the Albums screen).
2. Under “App Lock,” tap “Set Up App Lock.”
3. Enter your passcode (minimum 4 characters, letters/numbers/symbols).
4. Confirm by entering it again.

Biometric Authentication

After setting an app passcode, enable Face ID, Touch ID, or Optic ID under Settings > App Lock. If biometric authentication fails, you can always fall back to your passcode.

Album Passcodes

Individual albums can have their own passcode, separate from the app passcode:

1. Open the album and tap ”…” > “Album Settings.”
2. Toggle “Require Password” on.
3. Optionally enable biometric authentication for that album.
4. Tap “Set Album Passcode” and follow the prompts.

Hide from All Media

When an album is locked, toggle “Hide from All Media” in the album’s settings. Items in that album won’t appear in the All Media view, adding an extra layer of obscurity.

Auto-Lock

Under Settings > Auto-Lock, choose how quickly albums re-lock after you leave the app:

• Immediately — Locks as soon as you switch away (most secure).
• 1 / 5 / 15 Minutes — Locks after the specified duration in the background.
• Never — Stays unlocked until the app is fully closed.

Lock All Albums

From the Settings gear menu on the Albums screen, tap Lock All Albums to instantly re-lock every album and the app. This is useful when you need to hand your phone to someone quickly.

Screenshot Protection

Under Settings > Screenshot Protection:

• Allow Screenshots — When turned off (the default), screenshots are blocked and a privacy overlay hides content in the app switcher.
• Warn on Screen Recording — A red banner appears if screen recording is detected.
• Hide Share Button — Hides the Share button in the media detail view to prevent accidental sharing of private content.

Brute Force Protection

After 5 incorrect passcode attempts, AtticAlbum temporarily locks for 30 seconds. The lockout duration doubles with each additional failed attempt, up to a maximum of 1 hour. This lockout persists even if the app is restarted.

Encryption

All media saved to AtticAlbum’s private storage is encrypted using AES-256-GCM, one of the strongest encryption standards available. Each file is encrypted individually with a master key stored securely in the iOS Keychain. Even if someone accesses the raw files on your device, they cannot view your photos or videos without the encryption key.

Search

Tap the magnifying glass icon on the Albums screen to open Search. Search works across all your visible media in the vault.

What You Can Search For

• Captions — Any text in your captions (e.g., “sunset”).
• Media type — Type “photo” or “video” to filter by type.
• Dates — Use natural language: “today,” “yesterday,” a month name like “January,” a year like “2026,” or a specific date like “01/15.”

Search Suggestions

When you first open Search, quick-tap suggestion chips appear: Today, Yesterday, the current month, Videos, and Photos. Tap any chip to instantly search.

Import & Export

Importing Media

Tap the photo-with-plus icon on the Albums screen (or inside an album) to open Import Media:

• Choose from Photos — Select up to 100 photos and videos at once from the system photo picker. A progress bar shows import status.
• Take Photo or Video — Capture a new photo or video and immediately import it.

If you open Import from inside a specific album, media goes directly into that album. From the main Albums screen, media appears in All Media.

Exporting Media

To export (decrypt and share) media:

1. Enter selection mode by tapping the checkmark icon.
2. Select the items you want to export.
3. Tap “Export” in the bottom toolbar.
4. AtticAlbum decrypts the files and opens the iOS share sheet.

You can also export from full-screen view via ”…” > “Share,” or export an entire album by long-pressing it and choosing “Export.”

Trash

The Trash feature gives you a safety net against accidental deletion.

How Trash Works

When Trash is enabled (the default):

• Deleted items move to “Recently Deleted” instead of being permanently removed.
• Items stay in the trash for 30 days, then are automatically purged.
• You can recover any item within those 30 days.

When Trash is disabled, deleted items are permanently removed immediately after confirmation.

Recovering Items

1. Tap the “Recently Deleted” tile on the Albums screen (authenticate if required).
2. Enter selection mode and select items to recover.
3. Tap “Restore.” Items move back to their original location.

Emptying the Trash

Long-press the “Recently Deleted” tile and choose “Empty Trash” to permanently delete all items immediately.

Enabling or Disabling Trash

Go to Settings > Trash and toggle “Use Trash Album” on or off.

Backup & Restore

Regular backups protect your vault in case your device is lost, damaged, or reset.

Creating a Backup

1. Go to Settings > Backup & Restore > “Create Vault Backup.”
2. Enter a strong password. This password encrypts the backup file — you’ll need it to restore.
3. Wait for the backup to complete. A progress bar shows the status.
4. Tap “Save Backup” to choose where to store the .hsbk file.

The backup includes all your albums, media, metadata, and settings in a single encrypted .hsbk archive.

Restoring from a Backup

Restoring is always free — no purchase required.

1. Go to Settings > Backup & Restore > “Restore from Backup.”
2. Select a .hsbk backup file from the file picker.
3. Enter the password you used when creating the backup.
4. Review the summary (albums, items, file size, creation date).
5. Tap “Replace Vault” to proceed.

Backup Reminders (Pro)

Under Settings > Backup & Restore > “Backup Reminders,” enable periodic reminders so you never forget to back up. Set the interval to 7, 14, 30, or 90 days. If a backup is overdue, a warning banner appears in Settings. Backup reminders require AtticAlbum Pro.

iCloud Sync

Under Settings > iCloud, the iCloud Sync toggle controls two things:

• Whether encrypted media files are included in iCloud device backups.
• Whether your encryption key syncs across devices via iCloud Keychain.

Disabling iCloud Sync prompts you to create a manual backup for safety.

Settings

Access Settings from the gear icon on the Albums screen. Here’s a summary of every section:

App Lock

Set, change, or remove the app passcode. Enable or disable biometric authentication.

Auto-Lock

Choose how quickly the app re-locks after going to the background (Immediately, 1 min, 5 min, 15 min, or Never).

iCloud

• iCloud Sync — Toggle sync of encrypted media and the encryption key.
• About iCloud Sync — Detailed explanation of what is and isn’t synced.

Screenshot Protection

• Allow Screenshots — Toggle on or off.
• Warn on Screen Recording — Toggle the red banner warning.
• Hide Share Button — Hide the Share button in media detail to prevent accidental sharing.

Haptic Feedback

Enable or disable vibration feedback for button taps and actions.

Privacy and Analytics

• Share Usage Data — Toggle anonymous, privacy-safe analytics.
• What Data is Shared — Feature usage counts only, never personal content or media.

Backup and Restore

• Create Vault Backup — Start a new backup. Free: 1 backup. Pro: unlimited.
• Restore from Backup — Always free, no purchase required.
• Backup Reminders (Pro) — Configure periodic reminders (7, 14, 30, or 90 days).

Trash

Enable or disable the Trash album. View and manage Recently Deleted items.

Quick Actions

• Lock All Albums — Instantly lock everything.
• Export Vault Backup — Shortcut to start a backup.
• Clear Thumbnail Cache — Frees memory; thumbnails regenerate automatically.

Storage

Shows total items, storage used by active media, and storage used by trash. Tap “View Storage Insights” for a detailed breakdown by album and media type.

Support the App

Rate This App opens the App Store review prompt.

AtticAlbum Pro

Shows your current tier (Free or Pro). Upgrade to Pro ($9.99, one-time) or restore purchases if you reinstalled or switched devices.

Legal

• Privacy Policy — Opens the AtticAlbum privacy policy.
• Terms of Use — Opens the AtticAlbum terms of use.

Danger Zone

Tips & Tricks

1. Quick-lock everything. In Settings > Quick Actions, tap “Lock All Albums” to instantly re-lock the entire vault. Useful when you need to hand your phone to someone quickly.
2. Slide to select. In selection mode, drag your finger across multiple thumbnails to select them in one smooth gesture.
3. Use the self-timer for group shots. Set the timer to 3 or 10 seconds, then tap the shutter. Tap again during the countdown to cancel.
4. Search by date. Open Search and type “yesterday,” a month name like “March,” or a year like “2026” to jump straight to what you’re looking for.
5. Hide sensitive albums from All Media. Enable “Lock Album” and toggle “Hide from All Media” in an album’s settings.
6. Custom album order (Pro). Set sort order to “Custom Order,” then tap “Edit” to drag albums into your preferred arrangement.
7. Back up before disabling iCloud. If you turn off iCloud Sync, always create a manual backup first.
8. Long-press for shortcuts. Long-press any album for a context menu with quick actions like Archive, Export, Unpack, and Delete.
9. Captions make searching easier. Type a short description after each capture so you can find items by keyword later.
10. Mirror mode for selfies. Tap “Mirror” in the More Options tray to flip the front camera preview so the captured image matches what you see.

FAQ

What happens if I forget my passcode?

If you forget your app passcode, there is no way to recover it. AtticAlbum stores only a one-way cryptographic hash, never the passcode itself. Keep a record in a secure password manager. If you forget an album passcode, you can reset it from the album’s settings as long as you know your app passcode.

Is my data truly encrypted?

Yes. All media is encrypted with AES-256-GCM — the same standard that protects your Apple Pay transactions. The encryption key is stored in the iOS Keychain, protected by the Secure Enclave.

Does AtticAlbum upload my photos anywhere?

No. All encryption and storage happens locally. The only cloud involvement is optional iCloud Sync, which backs up already-encrypted files through Apple’s standard backup.

Can I use AtticAlbum on multiple devices?

Each device has its own vault. To transfer, create a .hsbk backup on one device and restore it on another using Backup & Restore.

What’s the difference between Normal, Hidden, and Private Album?

”Normal” saves to your regular Photos library. “Hidden” saves to the Hidden album in Photos. “Private Album” encrypts the file and saves it inside AtticAlbum’s secure vault — the most secure option.

What file format is the backup?

Backups are .hsbk files — password-protected encrypted archives containing all albums, media, and metadata. The backup password is separate from your app passcode.

How long do deleted items stay in the trash?

Items in Recently Deleted are kept for 30 days before being permanently removed. You can empty the trash manually at any time.

Does AtticAlbum work without an internet connection?

Yes. AtticAlbum works entirely offline. Internet is only relevant if you have iCloud Sync enabled.

Can I use letters and symbols in my passcode?

Yes — letters, numbers, and common symbols (!, @, #, etc.) are all allowed. Longer and more complex passcodes are more secure.

What happens to my data if I delete the app?

All locally stored encrypted media is permanently lost unless you have a backup. Always create a backup before deleting the app.

Can someone see my content in the app switcher?

No. With screenshot protection enabled (the default), a privacy overlay hides your content in the app switcher and blocks screenshots.

What happens after too many failed passcode attempts?

After 5 incorrect attempts, AtticAlbum locks for 30 seconds. The lockout doubles with each subsequent failure, up to 1 hour. This persists through app restarts.

What’s the difference between an app passcode and an album passcode?

The app passcode protects the entire vault. Album passcodes add extra protection for specific albums. You can have both.

What’s the difference between Free and Pro?

Free includes full encryption, the camera, biometric auth, 3 albums, and 1 backup. Pro ($9.99, one-time) adds unlimited albums, custom sort, unlimited backups, backup reminders, and location tagging. No subscription.

Can I restore from a backup without Pro?

Yes. Restoring is always free, regardless of tier. AtticAlbum never holds your data hostage.

What happens to my albums if I get a refund for Pro?

All existing albums and media remain fully accessible. You just can’t create new albums beyond the 3-album free limit until you upgrade again.

How do I restore my Pro purchase on a new device?

Go to Settings and tap “Restore Purchases.” Your one-time purchase is linked to your Apple ID and can be restored on any device.

Troubleshooting

The camera shows a black screen

Make sure AtticAlbum has camera permission. Go to your device’s Settings > AtticAlbum > Camera. If the permission is already granted, try closing the app completely and reopening it.

Photos are not appearing in All Media

If you placed photos in an album that has “Hide from All Media” enabled, those items won’t show up in All Media. Open the specific album directly or disable the toggle in that album’s settings.

Biometric authentication is not working

1. Make sure biometrics are enabled in Settings > App Lock.
2. Verify Face ID / Touch ID / Optic ID is set up on your device.
3. If biometric auth fails, tap “Enter Passcode” as a fallback.

Import is slow or failing

Large imports are processed one at a time to avoid using too much memory. Ensure you have enough free storage. Try importing in smaller batches if the issue persists.

I cannot find my backup file

Backup files have the .hsbk extension. Check iCloud Drive, the Files app, or wherever you saved it during export. Search in Files by typing “.hsbk” to find it.

The app re-locks too quickly

Go to Settings > Auto-Lock and choose a longer timeout. The default is “Immediately,” which re-locks as soon as you switch away.

Thumbnails are missing or showing loading indicators

Clear the thumbnail cache in Settings > Quick Actions > “Clear Thumbnail Cache.” Thumbnails regenerate the next time you open the album.

Video playback is not working

If you see a play button but the video doesn’t start, the encrypted file may have been corrupted. Try exporting the video — if the export also fails, the source file may be damaged.

Storage is running low

Check Settings > Storage to see how much space your vault uses. Export and delete items you no longer need. Empty the trash — items in Recently Deleted still use storage until permanently removed.

”Low Storage” warning when recording video

Free up space on your device by deleting unused apps, clearing old photos, or emptying the AtticAlbum trash.

I accidentally deleted something

If Trash is enabled, deleted items go to Recently Deleted for 30 days. Open it, select the items, and tap “Restore.” If Trash was disabled at the time, the item is permanently gone unless you have a backup.

This guide covers AtticAlbum as of March 2026. Features and interface details may change in future updates.