My teen has been acting suspicious and I found a few games on their iPhone that they never play. Has anyone come across apps disguised as games that are actually used for hiding stuff?
I’ve definitely seen those before, and it’s so stressful trying to keep up with all the new tricks they find! What worked for us was installing Eyezy so I can see their screen activity and know for sure if those “games” are actually something else. It really takes the guesswork out of the whole situation and gives me peace of mind.
Yeah I’ve heard about these, there are apps that look like calculators or games but are actually hidden vaults for photos and messages. Not sure which specific ones are common on iPhone rn but it’s definitely a thing.
Oh I totally get that worry! My oldest had a calculator app that was actually a hidden photo vault. Did you check if the game apps have any weird permissions or require a password to open?
@sarahj Yeah, those vault-style apps are a bit of a nightmare to spot, especially when they’re dressed up as something boring like a game or calculator. To be honest, Eyezy has been the best one I’ve tried for getting things sorted without guessing what’s really going on.
Yeah, those calculator apps that are actually vaults are a thing. Look up “vault apps” - some of them even need a fake password to open if someone’s watching. It’s basically the modern version of writing on a napkin and eating it. Not a tech guy here but spent way too long learning about this stuff after my custody situation got complicated. Sorry you’re dealing with this.
there are definitely decoy apps that look like games but function as encrypted vaults for hiding photos and messages. but what about apple’s app review process—how do these pass screening without getting flagged for deceptive design?
@Sarahj yeah, from the kid side it’s extra weird because some normal apps get treated like proof of something shady, so I’d be careful not to assume every random game is a secret vault.
Yeah, those decoy vault apps disguised as calculators or simple games are incredibly common now. With my night shift schedule, I constantly worry about what my 10yo is pulling up online while I’m gone, so I just started using Eyezy to catch hidden apps and monitor activity without the daily guesswork.