Support

Privacy Screen

Instantly hide your iPhone screen with a single tap.

What it does

Privacy Screen lets you instantly swap your iPhone display for a preset cover image with a single tap. The original content goes to the background — anyone glancing over sees only the cover. Tap once more (or tap the image) to return.

Use it when you're reading sensitive emails, viewing private notes, checking your bank app, or looking at personal photos in a public place.

Quick Start

  1. Pick a cover image: open the app → choose one of the 20+ presets, or tap Use a Photo to pick one from your Photos library.
  2. Set up a trigger: the app onboarding walks you through three options (Action Button, Back Tap, Control Center). Pick whichever fits your iPhone.
  3. Activate any time: trigger from the lock screen, from another app, or from inside Privacy Screen itself. The cover appears instantly.
  4. Dismiss: tap the cover image, or hit your trigger again.

How to set up each trigger

Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro and newer)

  1. Settings → Action Button
  2. Swipe to Shortcut
  3. Tap Choose a Shortcut
  4. Pick Privacy Screen → Toggle Privacy Cover
  5. Done. Long-press the side Action Button to activate.

Back Tap (any iPhone X or newer)

  1. Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap
  2. Pick Double Tap or Triple Tap
  3. Scroll to the Shortcuts section
  4. Pick Toggle Privacy Cover
  5. Done. Tap the back of your phone to activate.

Control Center (iOS 18 or later)

  1. Pull the Control Center down from the top-right.
  2. Tap the + in the upper-left to enter edit mode.
  3. Tap Add a Control, search Privacy Cover.
  4. Drag it to the position you like, then exit edit mode.
  5. Tap that control whenever you want to activate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the app use my camera?

No. Privacy Screen never requests camera, microphone, or contacts access. It only shows the cover image you picked.

Does it work in other apps?

When you trigger Privacy Screen from another app (Messages, Safari, etc.), the iPhone switches to Privacy Screen and shows your cover. The original app is in the background; anyone looking sees only the cover. Tap to switch back.

Can it hide content inside other apps without switching?

No. iOS does not allow any app to draw over another app. This is a system security restriction — every iOS privacy tool has the same limit. Switching to a cover view (what Privacy Screen does) is the only sanctioned workaround.

Does it drain my battery?

Effectively zero. Privacy Screen runs only when you trigger it. There is no background camera, no location tracking, no network activity.

Which iPhones is it compatible with?

Does it sync between devices?

Not currently. Each device stores its own cover image and trigger preferences locally. iCloud sync may come in a future update.

How do I change the cover image?

Open the app → tap the current cover or Browse Presets / Use a Photo → pick a new one. The new cover applies immediately.

How do I delete the app's data?

Just delete the app — iOS removes all local data automatically. There is no server-side data to clean up because there is no server.

Is there an Apple Watch version?

Not yet. Planned for a future update.

Contact

Email
annaaiannaaiannaai@gmail.com
Bug reports
Open an issue on GitHub
In-app
Tap the gear icon → Send Feedback