Help Center - SkinVault

Setting Up Photo Access

SkinVault needs permission to access your photo library to scan for sensitive content. Here's how to grant the right permissions for the best experience.

Your photos never leave your device. All AI scanning happens 100% on-device using Apple's Neural Engine. We have zero access to your photos.

Why "Full Access" is Recommended

iOS offers different levels of photo access. For SkinVault to work properly, we recommend "Full Access":

Limited Access: You manually select which photos the app can see. This makes scanning your whole library difficult.
Full Access (Recommended): SkinVault can scan your entire library to find all potentially sensitive photos. Your photos stay on-device.

1

Open iOS Settings

You can tap "Open Privacy Settings" in the SkinVault app, or open the Settings app manually.

2

Navigate to SkinVault

Scroll down and tap on SkinVault in the list of apps.

Alternatively: Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > SkinVault

3

Select Photos Access

Tap on Photos to see access options.

4

Choose "Full Access"

Select "Full Access" to allow SkinVault to scan your entire photo library.

Remember: All scanning happens on your device. Photos are never uploaded anywhere.

Settings Path Summary

Settings > SkinVault > Photos > Full Access

Or: Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > SkinVault > Full Access

Understanding Photo Permissions

What Each Permission Level Means

None

SkinVault cannot access any photos. The app won't be able to scan for sensitive content.

Limited Access

You choose specific photos SkinVault can see. Useful if you only want to scan certain albums, but you'll need to manually update the selection as new photos are added.

Full Access (Recommended)

SkinVault can scan your entire library to find all sensitive photos. This is the recommended setting for comprehensive privacy protection.

Even with Full Access, your photos never leave your iPhone. All processing uses Apple's Neural Engine on your device.

How SkinVault Protects Your Privacy

100% On-Device Processing

SkinVault uses advanced AI models that run entirely on your iPhone:

Zero uploads: Your photos never leave your device
No internet required: Scanning works offline
Apple Neural Engine: Hardware-accelerated AI for fast scanning
Bundled AI model: The detection model is included in the app (~40MB)

What We Don't Have Access To

Your photos (never uploaded)
Your scan results (stored only on your device)
Which photos are flagged as sensitive
Your photo library metadata

What We Do Have Access To

Subscription status (through Apple's servers)
Anonymous crash reports (if you opt in)
App usage analytics (if you opt in)

Read our full Privacy Policy for complete details on how we handle your data.

Troubleshooting

"SkinVault can't access my photos"

If you're seeing a permission error:

Open Settings > SkinVault > Photos
Make sure "Full Access" is selected
If it's greyed out, try Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > SkinVault
Restart SkinVault after changing permissions

"Scanning is slow"

On-device AI processing speed depends on your iPhone model:

iPhone 12 and newer: ~200ms per photo
iPhone 8-11: ~500-1000ms per photo

Tips for faster scanning:

Close other apps to free up memory
Make sure your device isn't overheating
Keep your iPhone plugged in during large scans

"I denied permission accidentally"

No problem! You can change permissions anytime:

Open the Settings app
Scroll down and tap SkinVault
Tap Photos
Select "Full Access"

Need More Help?

If you couldn't find what you're looking for:

FAQ: support.linked.skin
Email: support@linked.skin
Response Time: Usually within 24 hours