Reading a hidden message
- Open PixelSecret and go to Read.
- Pick the photo you received — the original file, not a screenshot.
- If the sender used a password, type it when asked. If they used a public key, the message opens without a password.
You do not need PixelSecret Pro to read anything, and there is no limit on how long the hidden text can be.
“This photo doesn’t contain a message”
That error almost always means the image was altered on the way to you:
- It was re-compressed. WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat, Messenger and most chat apps re-encode images. Re-compression destroys the hidden bits. Ask the sender to share the PNG as a file, or to use a code card.
- It is a screenshot. A screenshot is a new image. Nothing hidden survives it.
- It was cropped, rotated, filtered or resized by the sender or by an editing app.
- It was exported from Photos as JPEG. Hiding only works with PNG; JPEG's lossy compression removes the data.
If the sender still has the original PNG, ask them to send it through AirDrop, iCloud Drive, email as an attachment, or any channel that keeps the file intact.
I forgot the password
There is no recovery. Passwords and keys never leave the device they were created on and are never sent to us, so we cannot reset them or read the photo for you. The hidden text is unrecoverable, by design.
If you still have the original photo and the sender remembers the password, you can read it again at any time — reading does not consume or change the file.
PixelSecret Pro and restoring a purchase
Pro is a one-time purchase — no subscription, nothing to cancel. To restore it on a new device: open the Pro screen, make sure you are signed in with the same Apple Account used for the original purchase, then tap Restore Purchases.
If the button reports nothing to restore, check Settings → [your name] → Media & Purchases → View Account → Purchase History on your device. Refunds are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Keys and new devices
Your P-256 private key is stored in the device Keychain and excluded from iCloud backup, by design — it never leaves the phone it was created on. That also means it does not follow you to a new iPhone.
The Keys screen can import a private key in PEM format, but PixelSecret does not export one. If you rely on public-key mode, plan for this before you change devices: re-establish keys with the people who send you locked photos, and remember that anything locked to the old key stays with the old device.
Privacy questions
PixelSecret has no account and uploads no photos or text. What the app does collect — anonymous usage and crash data, only with your permission — is described in the privacy policy. You can change your answer at any time in the app's Settings.
Reporting a security issue
If you believe you have found a flaw in how PixelSecret handles encryption or keys, please email gsy-app@outlook.com with “security” in the subject line, before discussing it publicly. We will confirm receipt within five business days.