time lock for images

An android app to reliably hide images from yourself

Questions and Answers

How does time lock for images hide images?

When you take a picture using the camera from within time lock for images, it is saved in the private memory area of time lock for images. This memory are is not otherwise accessible. Because of this, it can only be shown through time lock for images as soon as the time has elapsed. When you select an image from the device, i.e. from the gallery, the original will be copied into time lock for images. If deletion ist possible, you will be prompted to delete the image from the gallery. If you don't delete it from there, it is still there of course.

You can select the image from within time lock for images. If possible, you are prompted if you want to delete it from the galery. You should delete it from the gallery so it is really hidden.

How does time lock for images prevent premature release of images when the device clock is reset?

time lock for images does not use the system time. It keeps its own clock.

Time lock for images checks if there is a connection to the Internet. If that is not the case, the user is urged to connect the device with the Internet. As long as this connection is not available, time lock for images remains in 'emergency mode'.

It is sufficient for the connection to the Internet to be established once after time lock for images was started for the first time after device boot so the time could be synchronized. From this moment on 'emergency mode' is no longer necessary as long as the device is not rebooted.

What is 'emergency mode'?

In 'emergency mode', time lock for images may hide images for a longer time than planned. Since the current time is not reliably known, time lock for images hides the images for as long as their total hide time was set in the first place, irrespective of the current time. The hide time restarts again every time time lock for images is restarted.

'Emergency mode' is automatically switched off when a connection to the Internet is established. Remaining hide times will be adjusted immediately.

Does time lock for images run in background when it is not opened?

This depends on the Android version.

With Android version 5 (Lollipop), and older, time lock for images continues to run in the background after the first start as long as it is not terminated forcefully. It uses very limited battery. This way time lock for images can make sure to have a reliable time even when the Internet connection drops.

With Android version 6 (Marshmellow), and newer, time lock for images does not run in the background. It now relies on the system to be waken up if neccessary.

Can I show an image before the selected time?

time lock for images was designed with the goal to make this as hard as possible. Due to the system architecture of android, on devices without root access (most devices), it is not possible by design. It might be possible by using weaknesses of the system. On devices with root access it is possible, but even in this case it is not sufficient to get access to time lock for images data storage directory because the images are obfuscated. In any case it requires comprehensive technical sills.

Could you please help me to show my image before the time elapsed? I will make a donation. Please.

There are three answers to this:

  1. No.

  2. Sorry, no. I could not help you, unless your image is on the backup server, and unless I have currently access to that server, and unless I have checked your legitimation to access that image, which I can't. Having said that, the key point of the app is to hide your image until the time elapses. Remember, your decisions have consequences.

  3. Please do not include me into your game. I have not agreed to that. Please do not ever include other people into your game without their explicit consent.

How does the backup service work?

When you had an important image to time lock for images to hide it, you probably do not want to keep a copy of the image which you can access at any time. The image - for example, a safe combination - becomes visible after the preset time. However, there is the danger of device failure, or you may not trust the app alone.

So you need an independent place to save a copy of the image, where it is hidden, too, and is released unter the same conditions as in the app. That is excatly what the backup service does.

The time lock for images backup web site is a regular web site which has been set up for this specific purpose. Every time you hide an image or you change settings for an image, the image and its settings are sent to the backup service web site. Of course, this only happends if you had switched on the backup service and there is a connection to the internet.

You can see your images on the backup web page which has been set up for your device. Share the link to this page from the time lock for images menu, for example, send it to yourself by e-mail. You should keep the link on a different device, for example, on a computer, so you can access the link in case of emergency. On the web page, your images sent to the backup service appear but they are not visible before they would have been visible inside the app.

For how long are my images on the backup web site?

When you use the backup feature, normally, your images stay on the backup web site as long as they are visible in the app. Whenever you delete an image in the app, it is also deleted on the backup web site.

However there is no guarantee that your images are visible on the backup web site. For example, the web site may not function properly, or the backup service is terminated, or an abuse of the site is suspected, or anything else happened. Do not rely on the backup web site alone.

Having said that, images will be removed from the backup web site when their lock time has expired for a while. After one month after the images release time you should no longer expect your images to exist on the web site.

How much does time lock for images cost? Does it contain ads?

time lock for images is free (as in beer). It does not show ads. It has no in-app store functions. And with the exception of the time lock for images backup site (if switched on by you), it does not forward your data in any way anywhere. It's that simple.

Possibly in future there might be another version which contains advanced functionality for a fee.

Which are the plans for the future of time lock for images?

time lock for images is a hobby project, but when I find time and drive, I will probably go on. Ideas and suggestions are welcome, as well as votes for existing ideas.

The sequence of the following list is indeed related to the current prioritization: