Why Privacy Matters for Growers

Growing indoors is legal in many places, but that does not mean you want everyone who picks up your phone to see your grow diary, harvest data, and daily photos. Whether you are concerned about roommates, coworkers, or anyone who might borrow your phone, GrowVPD Pro provides multiple layers of privacy protection.

PIN Lock & Biometric Authentication

The most fundamental security feature is locking the app behind a PIN or biometric authentication (fingerprint or face recognition).

Setting Up PIN Lock

  1. Open Settings in GrowVPD Pro
  2. Scroll to the Security section
  3. Tap Set PIN Code
  4. Enter a 4–6 digit PIN and confirm it
  5. The app will now require this PIN every time it is opened or brought back from the background

Biometric Authentication

If your phone supports fingerprint or face recognition, you can enable biometric unlock in addition to (or instead of) the PIN. This is faster and more convenient while maintaining the same level of security.

  1. In Settings > Security, enable Biometric Authentication
  2. The app will use your phone's built-in biometric system
  3. If biometric fails (wet fingers, face mask), it falls back to the PIN

Lock on Background

GrowVPD Pro automatically locks when you switch to another app or the phone screen turns off. When you return to the app, you must authenticate again. This prevents someone from accessing the app if you leave your phone unlocked and unattended.

Tip: The lock activates immediately when the app goes to the background. There is no delay. Even if someone grabs your phone the moment you switch apps, the grow diary is already locked.

Photo Privacy

By default, photos taken within GrowVPD Pro (or added to diary entries) may be visible in your phone's gallery app, Google Photos, and cloud backup services. The Photo Privacy feature (Pro) prevents this.

How It Works

  • When Photo Privacy is enabled, grow photos are stored in the app's private internal directory
  • These files are excluded from the system's media scanner, so they do not appear in the gallery, Google Photos, or any other media app
  • The photos are only visible within GrowVPD Pro itself — in diary entries, timelapse, and export features
  • If someone opens your phone's gallery, they will see no trace of your grow photos

Enabling Photo Privacy

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy
  2. Enable Hide Photos from Gallery
  3. Existing photos will be moved to the private directory
  4. All future photos captured through the app will be stored privately by default
Backup notice: Photos in private mode are not backed up by Google Photos, iCloud, or any automatic backup service. To protect against data loss, use GrowVPD Pro's built-in export feature to create manual backups, or export specific grows as PDF/JSON.

Stealth Mode (Disguised App Icon)

For maximum discretion, Stealth Mode changes the app's icon and name on your home screen so it does not look like a growing app at all.

What Changes

  • The app icon changes to a generic, inconspicuous design (a calculator, weather, or utility icon)
  • The app name on the home screen changes to something neutral
  • The app still functions identically — only the external appearance changes
  • When opened, the normal GrowVPD Pro interface appears (behind the PIN lock, of course)

Enabling Stealth Mode

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy
  2. Enable Stealth Mode
  3. Choose a disguise style from the available options
  4. The icon change may take a few seconds as Android updates the launcher
Tip: Combine all three features for maximum privacy: PIN lock (prevents unauthorized access) + Photo Privacy (hides photos from gallery) + Stealth Mode (hides the app itself). Together, there is no visible trace of grow activity on your phone.

Data Security

GrowVPD Pro stores all data locally on your device. There are no cloud accounts, no servers storing your grow data, and no analytics tracking your diary entries. Your data never leaves your phone unless you explicitly export it.

  • Database: Stored locally in the app's private storage (Room database)
  • Photos: Stored locally on the device (private directory if Photo Privacy is enabled)
  • Smart device credentials: Stored locally, transmitted only to the respective platform APIs (Tuya, AC Infinity, etc.) over encrypted connections
  • No account required: GrowVPD Pro does not require you to create an account or sign in

Security Checklist

  • PIN or biometric lock enabled
  • Photo Privacy enabled (photos hidden from gallery)
  • Stealth Mode enabled (disguised icon)
  • Regular exports for backup (since private photos are not cloud-backed)
  • Phone-level security (screen lock, encryption) as a first line of defense