Guide
Is BackThen safe? What its own pages say about privacy
Invite-only, no ads, originals kept, servers on AWS with no end-to-end claim, computer vision run on the photos, and an App Store label listing identifiers used to track you. Plus deletion clauses that matter more than any of that if you stop paying.
Safe from strangers: yes — “Your timeline cannot be discovered, it can only be accessed via invites you send”, with permissions per person and per child and a per-contact switch for downloading and sharing. Secure against the company: no claim; the servers can read the photos, and the privacy policy says computer vision runs on them. Legit: Back Then Digital Limited of Epsom, UK, “the team behind Lifecake”, on the App Store since 2020 with 29,000 ratings.
Who can see the photos
You, anyone you invite, and anyone another parent invites; “Family and friends that you invite cannot add anyone else to your timeline”. Access is per child, so a relative can see one sibling and not another. After parents complained about relatives reposting photos to social media, BackThen made “download and share” a permission you can switch off per contact, on by default.
What BackThen says about security and AI
“We store and backup your photos and videos on a series of secure servers, inaccessible directly from the outside world … based in Amazon’s cloud infrastructure (AWS).” No end-to-end claim anywhere on the site. The privacy policy: “With computer vision and analysis of photo metadata, we can help you more easily organize and enjoy your collection of photos” — and the home page’s timelapse “shows you how their face changes over time”. The FAQ adds that BackThen “does not autodetect a child in a photo” for tagging, because a wrong guess could show a photo to the wrong followers. No switch for the analysis is described.
Ads, tracking and the label
“Ad-free timelines forever”, on the free tier too, and “BackThen promises not sell, rent or otherwise misuse your data”. The App Store label, written by BackThen, lists Identifiers under “Data Used to Track You”, a device ID for the developer’s advertising or marketing, and email, name, photos, user ID, device ID and “Sensitive Info” as linked to you. The privacy policy also mentions device identifiers used for “more relevant content and advertising on the device or browser you are using”. Read together: no ads inside the timeline, and an identifier that may follow you outside it.
The files
Originals kept and returned — “you’ll get your originally uploaded file back” — one at a time for free users, and as ZIP archives of “all your original files” for VIPs, once per timeline every 30 days. Then the two clauses: a lapsed VIP account is closed and deleted after 60 days, and free-tier content is deleted 120 days after the last login. Neither is hidden; both mean the timeline should never be the only copy.
The short version
Private from strangers: yes, with fine-grained permissions. Private from the company: no, and it runs computer vision on the photos. Ads: none. Tracking: identifiers on the label. Deletion: 60 days after a subscription lapses, 120 days of inactivity on the free tier. The privacy ranking sets this beside the other thirteen apps.
| Criterion | BackThen |
|---|---|
| Can the company open your photos? | Yes — stored on its own AWS servers; no end-to-end claim[1][2] |
| AI or face recognition run on your photos? | Yes — 'computer vision' to organise photos; a timelapse of the child's face; no switch described[2][3][4] |
| Ads? | No — 'Ad-free timelines forever'[5][6][7] |
| App Store label: data used to track you | Yes Identifiers used to track you; email, name, photos, user ID and device ID linked[8] |
| Photos kept at full quality? | Yes — 'Full resolution preservation'; downloads return 'your originally uploaded file'[9][6][10] |
Sources
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — Is BackThen safe?, checked 2026-09-13
We store and backup your photos and videos on a series of secure servers, inaccessible directly from the outside world. Your timeline is then served up only to your account and those you share it with … Our servers are based in Amazon's cloud infrastructure (AWS), with all industry standard security measures enforced … Your timeline cannot be discovered, it can only be accessed via invites you send.
- BackThen — BackThen privacy policy, checked 2026-09-13
With computer vision and analysis of photo metadata, we can help you more easily organize and enjoy your collection of photos on our online photo storage services … Device and platform identifiers let us know which device you are using to access our Services in order to customize and optimize them to your device … We do not share location information with third parties nor sell it to anyone … Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet or data storage system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.
- BackThen — backthen.com home page, checked 2026-09-13
Save photos of any size, videos of any length, plus unlimited milestones and stories. The original quality of your content is preserved (we don’t compress!) … 100% privacy - no ads and no data-sharing … Our timelapse tech shows you how their face changes over time … Enjoy 1GB of free storage … VIP Subscription £4.99 / $6.49 / €5.99 Storage limit: 200GB … Our pet-app is included for FREE. 1 account, 2 apps, working seamlessly together.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — Who can see my memories?, checked 2026-09-13
The only people who can see your timelines are you, anyone you invite, and anyone another parent invites … BackThen does not autodetect a child in a photo, simply because doing so incorrectly may mean someone sees a photo you didn't want them to.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — Are you going to put adverts everywhere?, checked 2026-09-13
No. We don’t believe in displaying your private and precious memories alongside a piece of advertising - it takes away from how special the experience can be. For this reason, while BackThen is free for the first 1Gb, which should allow you to grow a sizeable timeline, there is a small subscription fee beyond that.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — How much does a BackThen VIP subscription cost?, checked 2026-09-13
A monthly subscription at £4.99 / $6.49 / €5.99 via your app store provider, or an annual subscription at £49.99 / $64.99 / €59.99 through our website at backthen.com … Up to 200GB family storage … Ad-free timelines forever … Full resolution preservation … never trading your data, showing advertisements within your timelines, reducing the quality of your photos or videos, or restricting the length of videos you can upload … BackThen VIP officially includes up to 200GB storage, but we currently allow unlimited uploads at no extra cost.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — July 2025 Price Increase, checked 2026-09-13
Starting from July 3rd, 2025, our monthly VIP subscription will increase as follows … From $4.99 to $6.49 (US) … The BackThen VIP subscription has remained unchanged since launch in April 2020 … If you choose to cancel, you’ll no longer be able to add new content or export your memories after the last day of your subscription. Friends and family will no longer be able to access your child’s story … After 60 days, your account will be closed, and all information, photos & videos deleted … the free version of BackThen with up to 1GB of free storage to try BackThen before you subscribe continues to offer the same features as before.
- BackThen — App Store listing: BackThen - Baby Book & Albums (privacy label, purchases), checked 2026-09-13
Full resolution — We never compress your images … All devices welcome — iOS, email, web & other mobile platforms … Data Used to Track You: Identifiers · Data Linked to You: Developer’s Advertising or Marketing — Identifiers (Device ID); Analytics — Usage Data; App Functionality — Contact Info (Email Address, Name), User Content (Photos or Videos), Identifiers (User ID, Device ID), Sensitive Info · Data Not Linked to You: Developer’s Advertising or Marketing — Usage Data, Advertising Data; App Functionality — Diagnostics (Crash Data) … In-App Purchases: VIP - Monthly payment $6.49 … From the team behind Lifecake — the original online childhood journal, founded in 2012.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — Can I try BackThen for free?, checked 2026-09-13
Start saving your little one's story today with our free starter pack - 1GB of memories (typically up to three months) safely stored, organized, and privately shared … Save photos and HD videos of any length, always preserved in their original quality … When invited to a timeline, BackThen is always free. They continue enjoying it all at no cost when a parent becomes VIP.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — Can I download items without subscribing?, checked 2026-09-13
Absolutely - the export tool is a VIP-only feature, but you can still get your original content back individually … tap the Download option and you'll get your originally uploaded file back.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — I’m close to my storage limit, what do I do?, checked 2026-09-13
When you're approaching your 1GB free storage limit, we'll send you various notifications … joining BackThen VIP allows up to 200GB* of secure storage … BackThen VIP officially includes up to 200GB storage, but we currently allow unlimited uploads at no extra cost. Future tiers will include a 2TB option and will be reasonably priced.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — Do my invited family and friends have to pay too?, checked 2026-09-13
No! BackThen VIP is inclusive and unlimited. Your benefits extend to everyone you privately share your timelines with … Everyone you invite can view, comment, and add their own memories (you have complete control over their permissions).
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — How do I cancel my VIP subscription/membership?, checked 2026-09-13
You'll continue to enjoy VIP benefits until the end of your current billing period … If your storage exceeds the free 1GB allowance, you won't be able to add new memories unless you rejoin VIP … All your existing memories remain safe and accessible up to 60 days after.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — What happens when I share my timeline?, checked 2026-09-13
they will receive a link that allows them to sign up and join your timeline … Family and friends can view your timeline, like memories, comment on memories and add their own photos and videos to the timeline. You can remove their abilities to like, comment and add moments as you see fit. Partners have all the same rights as you.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — I have family that don’t have mobile devices - can they use BackThen?, checked 2026-09-13
When you invite your family to your BackThen timeline, they can follow their invite mail on any computer or web browser and sign up on the web … The web experience is not designed for managing your timelines, so those options remain the app only, but your family can see all your new moments, like and comment on them as normal, even if they don't have mobile devices.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — Can I control what my family can do with my timeline?, checked 2026-09-13
your family are given a default set of permissions but you can change what they can and cannot do … you can change those settings per child … To remove (or reinstate) Sam's ability to add content, likes, or comments to Elliott's timeline, or download photos to their phone, toggle any of the options on the right hand side.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — How do I export all my memories?, checked 2026-09-13
BackThen will begin the process of packaging up all of Alice's moments, and will email you when this is complete, which can take up to 24 hours, depending on the size of the timeline. You can request an export for each timeline every 30 days. The email will include links to download ZIP files of all the memories you've selected … the export tool is a premium feature for VIPs. You can still download memories individually as a free user.
- BackThen — BackThen FAQ — How do I add photos and videos to the timeline?, checked 2026-09-13
Web users can find the upload option in the top right of the screen - a Plus symbol next to the main menu icon … If you are a guest on a BackThen timeline, it is possible that the parents have restricted your access to read-only.
- BackThen — BackThen terms of service (section 13, storage), checked 2026-09-13
If you are using one of our Free Service Package, Content will be stored for a period of 120 days from the date of last logged in access to the Service, and will be deleted promptly after the expiration of such period … If you are using more storage than permitted by your storage allowance, for example as a result of your storage subscription plan expiring, we will delete your oldest content to reduce your storage use within your allowance. Once content is deleted, it cannot be recovered.
- BackThen — Google Play listing: BackThen - Baby Book & Albums, checked 2026-09-13
BackThen - Baby Book & Albums · Back Then Digital Ltd · In-app purchases · 100K+ Downloads.
Questions people ask
Is BackThen end-to-end encrypted?
It doesn’t claim to be. The FAQ says photos are stored ‘on a series of secure servers’ in Amazon’s AWS and served to your account and the people you share with; the privacy policy says no transmission or storage ‘can be guaranteed to be 100% secure’. The company holds the keys.
Does BackThen sell your data or show ads?
It says no to both: ‘BackThen promises not sell, rent or otherwise misuse your data’, and ‘We don’t believe in displaying your private and precious memories alongside a piece of advertising’. Its App Store label does list identifiers as data used to track you across other companies’ apps and websites.
Does BackThen delete your photos?
In two cases, by its own pages. If a VIP subscription lapses: no adding or exporting after the last day, friends and family lose access, and ‘After 60 days, your account will be closed, and all information, photos & videos deleted’. On the free tier: content ‘will be stored for a period of 120 days from the date of last logged in access’ and then deleted.