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Ephemeral Trace is a privacy-first camera app for iOS. It lets you capture photos and videos that automatically delete after a timer you choose. All media stays encrypted on your device — no cloud, no accounts, no data collection.

Before capturing, you select a timer duration (30 seconds, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours, or a custom duration with Pro). Once captured, the media counts down. When the timer reaches zero, the file and its encryption key are permanently destroyed. You can see time remaining via color-coded urgency badges in your gallery.

No. When media expires or is manually deleted, iOS destroys the per-file encryption key. This makes the data forensically unrecoverable. This is by design — Ephemeral Trace is built so that deletion is permanent and irreversible. If you want to keep a photo or video, export it to your Photo Library before the timer expires.

Free includes unlimited photo and video capture, all standard timer presets (30s, 5m, 1h, 24h), cryptographic deletion, a full gallery experience, up to 2 folders, and the ability to export media to your Photo Library.

Pro (one-time purchase) adds Keep Forever timer, unlimited folders, biometric gallery lock (Face ID / Touch ID / Optic ID), custom timer presets, and all future features. There are no subscriptions and no ads.

Camera — To capture photos and videos.
Microphone — To record audio with videos.
Face ID / Touch ID — To lock and unlock your gallery (Pro feature).
Photo Library (Add Only) — To export media to your Camera Roll. The app cannot read your existing photos.

All permissions are optional and can be changed at any time in Settings.

No. Ephemeral Trace does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data. There are no accounts, no analytics, no tracking, no crash reporting, and no third-party SDKs. Everything stays on your device. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Ephemeral Trace requires iOS 18.0 or later. The app is built with the latest Apple technologies including SwiftUI and SwiftData, which require iOS 18 as a minimum.

Open any photo or video in the preview screen, tap the "Export to Photo Library" button at the bottom left corner of the screen. The app will request Photo Library permission if it hasn't already. Exported media is saved as a permanent copy in your Camera Roll and is no longer subject to the expiry timer.

With Pro, you can enable biometric gallery lock in Settings. When enabled, the gallery requires Face ID, Touch ID, or Optic ID authentication each time you open it or return to the app from the background. Your biometric data is handled entirely by iOS — Ephemeral Trace never accesses or stores it.

Open the app, go to Settings. At the bottom, you'll find a "Restore Purchase" option. This uses Apple's StoreKit to verify your previous purchase. Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID you used for the original purchase.