Can a photo vault app block screenshots and screen recording?

iPhone and Android work differently here

The two systems give apps different tools. Here is what York Vault can do on each.

Moment	iPhone and iPad	Android
Screenshot	iOS allows it. York Vault can lock at once after it.	Android keeps York Vault out of the screenshot.
Screen recording	York Vault replaces all content with a cover.	Android keeps York Vault out of the recording.
Mirroring, AirPlay, a TV	York Vault shows a cover.	Android does not show York Vault on a non-secure display.
App switcher	A plain cover in your icon style	A plain cover in your icon style

Why iPhone cannot block a screenshot

iOS gives apps no switch to stop a screenshot. Apple documents a notice that apps get when a person takes one. Apple says this notice “posts after the screenshot is taken.”

So York Vault does three things on iPhone and iPad:

1. It covers the screen during capture. iOS tells apps when the system is “actively recording, mirroring, or using AirPlay to stream the contents of the screen.” While that is true, York Vault replaces every photo with a cover.
2. It can lock after a screenshot. Turn this option on, and York Vault locks the moment the screenshot notice arrives.
3. It uses a secure layer for photos. Where iOS allows it, photos draw in a layer that shows black in a screenshot.

A test starts a screen recording with a photo open. The recording must show only the cover.

How Android blocks it

Android has a window flag for this. Android Developers says it treats “the content of the window as secure, preventing it from appearing in screenshots or from being viewed on non-secure displays.” The same page says a secure window stays hidden during screen share.

York Vault sets this flag on every screen, not only the photo viewer. That includes the lock screen, the library and settings. Android also uses this flag to keep York Vault off a TV or a projector.

What the app switcher shows

When York Vault stops being the active app, it covers the screen first. That happens when you open the app switcher, Control Center or Notification Center, or when a call comes in. The system then takes its picture of the cover, not of your library. The launch screen is the same plain cover.

This matters because vault apps have leaked here before. One SPV user wrote: “Every single album pops up for a split second without any passcode required.” A test opens the app switcher from a photo. The card must show only the cover, and the stored snapshot must hold no content.

A TV or monitor shows a blank screen

If you connect a TV or a monitor, it shows a blank cover. On iPhone, you can tap Show on TV to show York Vault there for the current session. On Android, the system itself keeps secure screens off a non-secure display.

Nothing in search, Siri or the Files app

On iPhone and iPad, York Vault adds no items to Spotlight. It sends nothing to Siri suggestions and offers no Handoff. It also gives no contact suggestions in the share sheet.

To make sure Siri learns nothing from York Vault, go to Settings, then Siri, then App Access. Select York Vault and turn off Learn from this App.

York Vault keeps its files out of the Files app and out of Finder on a computer. It stores them in app storage under random names. One Calculator Lock user wrote: “You can just search your hidden files from HomePage and will find all your files in iFiles.” That cannot happen with York Vault.

On Android, York Vault keeps its files in app-specific internal storage. Android Developers says “The system prevents other apps from accessing these locations.”

Neutral notifications

Every York Vault notification uses neutral text that you pick from presets, such as Reminder or Update ready. You can also choose no text. York Vault shows no badge count and no thumbnail, and it always hides the preview. Read wrong-code photos to see how York Vault words alerts about attempts.

What else helps

To leave York Vault fast when someone walks up, use quick exit. To change how the icon looks on the home screen, see disguise icons. Widgets and shortcuts follow the same neutral rules. See widgets and shortcuts. For the Apple options without an app, read how to hide photos on iPhone.