Any media (images, videos, etc.) that you choose to upload to the PhotoShield app is only stored on that device. In order to prioritize security, there is no cloud connectivity to worry about and your media is never transferred over the Internet. However, please note that iCloud device backups may backup the entire PhotoShield app to your iCloud account but this will only occur if you choose to do so. Even still, media stored in the app is kept securely as part of your device backup.

Tap and hold an album to rearrange its order. Inside each album, tap and hold on an image to bring up an options menu that gives you several options, including the ability to transfer media to another album.

PhotoShield does not ask you to create any online accounts and is meant to be as secure as possible. It is highly recommended that you choose to setup passcode recovery questions in the Settings menu. If you forget your passcode, you have two options:

1. If you chose to setup passcode recovery questions, from the main login screen click the lock symbol in the top-right corner. From there, successfully answer at least one of your possible two recovery questions to reset your passcode.
2. If you have Face/Touch ID enabled, you can use that to regain access to the app.

The WiFi Transfer feature lets you quickly move files from PhotoShield to your computer and vice-versa (both devices must be connected to the same WiFi network). You can download entire PhotoShield albums* directly to your computer, or choose to download one or more files at a time. You can also upload supported** images and videos from your computer directly to your PhotoShield albums. Please note that the WiFi Transfer features requires that you enable Javascript in your browser which is used to transfer the files between your device and your computer.

Notes: *Downloading entire albums will work as long as your PhotoShield albums are not too large. This is because your device needs to create an archive of your media (.zip file) before it can be downloaded to your computer. If your device does not have enough available space to create this archive you will get an error message and instead you can download the media files separately. **Supported means that your device must be able to natively play the media files. Commonly supported video formats on iOS devices are H.264 videos in the .mp4, .mov, .mpv, and .m4v container formats. Commonly supported image formats on iOS devices are .jpeg/.jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, and .heif.

The WiFi Transfer feature enables you to move files between your device and a computer connected to the same network. Users connecting to the WiFi Transfer feature will still need to enter your PhotoShield passcode before being allowed to connect (and your passcode is sent securely using encryption). Your files are only ever transferred over your local WiFi network and never over the Internet or any other cloud service so your media stays secure. If the WiFi Transfer feature is toggled off, the entire service is shut off and users will not be able to connect (also, PhotoShield will disable this automatically for you in case you accidentally leave it enabled while the app is in the background). Please note that even though users will still need your passcode in order to connect, it is highly recommended that you only use this feature on WiFi networks that you control/own (such as your own home network) and not on shared WiFi networks like a local coffee shop or a hotel WiFi network.

Unfortunately there are a wide variety of issues that could be negatively impacting your Chromecast streaming. Here are a few things to keep in mind to get the best possible streaming experience:

• PhotoShield needs to be kept open while streaming to Chromecast (e.g. your stream will likely stop if PhotoShield is running as a background application).
• Chromecast streaming performance can be impacted if your device is in low power mode. Try disabling low power mode, and if your device is low on battery make sure it is plugged in and charging.
• Make sure your device is connected to the same network as your Chromecast device, and if possible connect to a 5 ghz WiFi network if your setup allows for it (2.4 ghz connections will work, but the data transfer rate may be reduced).
• The physical location of your devices can impact the streaming performance (for example, if you are streaming to your Chromecast device in a basement but your WiFi router/access point is located upstairs the stream may constantly buffer due to signal loss). Try to ensure both your device and your Chromecast have the best possible reception to your WiFi access point.
• Streaming performance on 1st generation Chromecast devices may be worse than newer devices (e.g. the Chromecast Ultra). If you’ve considered steps 1-4 and you’re using a 1st generation Chromecast, it’s possible that the latency is due to the legacy hardware running on those devices.

In order for the cast button to show up, your device needs to successfully detect the Chromecast device on your network. Make sure that both your device and the Chromecast are connected to the same network so they can discover each other. For more advanced setups, make sure that your router and/or firewall are not blocking the mDNS protocol which is used by Chromecast to let other devices know it is available to connect to. Also, if your device is running iOS 14+ you will need to verify that you have granted PhotoShield access to your local network (this is required to let PhotoShield find your Chromecast device) – to verify, go to your device Settings > Privacy > Local Network and enable the permission for PhotoShield. If this still isn’t working try completely closing PhotoShield and reopening the app.

Yes, you can completely disable Chromecast from the Settings menu.

We’d love to hear any feedback and suggestions for improvement, please reach out to us by contacting photoshield @ hexalaxy.com

This page was last updated on: 2021-01-03