Source-backed analysis10
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
10 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
Locket Widget Review
Photos sent straight to a close circle's home screens, with no public feed
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Locket suits close friends or couples who want to share small moments without a public feed or like counts. The trade-offs are a narrow feature set, ads and a 20-friend cap on the free tier, and fairly broad data collection.
Best for: Close friends, family or long-distance couples who want to see each other's photos on the home screen
Skip it if: Anyone who needs to reach a wide audience or build a public following
Pros
- Photos appear directly on the widget; no app to open or message to send
- High store ratings: 4.8/5 on the US App Store and 4.6/5 on Google Play, each from 400,000+ ratings
- Free to use, with an interface in eight languages (including English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish)
Cons
- The free tier shows ads; removing them and lifting the friend cap requires Locket Gold
- Collects many data types, including contacts (with permission), location and identifiers used for ad tracking
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- The 20-friend cap keeps the circle small and reactions are not counted publicly
Cons
- Narrow feature set centred on photos, short videos and reactions
Best for
- People who want a small social app without follower counts or public likes
Skip it if
- People who want to minimise personal data collection and in-app ads
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
Locket Widget is made by Locket Labs (US) and launched on the App Store on 1 January 2022. According to TechCrunch, developer Matt Moss built it as a side project for his girlfriend, so the two could send photos straight to each other's home screens. The core idea is a widget: a friend sends a photo and it appears on the home screen without opening an app.
Per the Google Play description, you add the widget to your home screen, receive friends' photos, then tap the widget to snap and send one back. Users can react to photos, browse a history of sent photos and, per the App Store, get a monthly recap video. The friend list is capped at 20 and reactions are not publicly counted. Techweez also describes Rollcall, which shares a weekly selection of favourite photos every Sunday and disappears after 7 days.
Pricing and Locket Gold
The app is free and ad-supported. Locket Gold is sold via the App Store and Google Play and, per the help center, includes custom app icons, camera roll uploads, unlimited friends, longer videos, streak restoration, no ads, a Gold badge and camera themes. Locket publishes no official price page: the US App Store lists Gold items from $1.99 to $36.00 and the Vietnamese App Store from 29,000 ₫ to 999,000 ₫, without billing periods. Note that the 20-friend cap is part of the app's identity, yet Gold removes it.
Privacy
Locket's policy says it collects account details, photos, videos, messages, contacts (with your permission) and device data, and uses advertising partners to show ads in the app. It may review message content when something is reported or flagged. The App Store rates the app 13+ and notes user-generated content and messaging.
More analysis
Who it fits
Locket fits a small circle that wants quick sharing, especially when everyone's phone supports widgets. The app has no public feed or like counts, so there is less pressure to perform. If you need to post to a wide audience, group chat or make public content, networks such as Instagram or Snapchat have a much broader scope.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Locket (miễn phí / free)
PersonalFree
Free to download and use, with ads. Up to 20 friends.
Locket Gold
PersonalContact sales
Per Locket's help center the plan includes custom app icons, camera roll uploads, unlimited friends, longer videos, streak restoration, no ads, a Gold badge and camera themes. Locket publishes no official price page. The US App Store lists Locket Gold items from $1.99 to $36.00 and the Vietnamese App Store from 29,000 ₫ to 999,000 ₫; neither says which item is monthly or yearly.
- Free plan limits
- Sending photos to friends' widgets, emoji reactions and a history of past photos are free; the friend list is capped at 20.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
Locket Gold is billed through the App Store or Google Play, so Apple or Google decide refunds. The help center says Locket cannot guarantee or influence the outcome.
Privacy
Locket's privacy policy (updated 27 November 2023) says it collects phone number, email, full name and birthday at sign-up; the photos, videos, messages and reactions you send; your contacts if you allow it; plus device and usage data. Locket may review message content when something is reported or flagged, and uses data to show ads through advertising partners, including SDKs. The App Store privacy label lists Identifiers as used to track you, and location, contact info, contacts, user content and usage data as linked to you. On Google Play the developer declares that device IDs may be shared with third parties, data is encrypted in transit and deletion can be requested.
Locket Widget alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Is Locket free?
Yes. Downloading and the basics are free, with ads. Locket Gold is an optional paid in-app subscription.
How many friends can I add?
20 on the free tier, per the Google Play description. Locket Gold removes the limit, per the help center.
Does Locket support Vietnamese?
Yes. The App Store lists Vietnamese among eight languages, and the help center has a Vietnamese version.
How do I get a refund for Locket Gold?
Gold is billed via the App Store or Google Play, so you request the refund from Apple or Google. Locket does not decide refunds.
Review evidence & sources10
Scores
- Ease of use
- 8.5
- Features
- 6.0
- Value for money
- 7.0
- Performance
- 7.0
- Support
- 5.5
- Privacy & security
- 5.0
Why this score
A simple flow: add the widget, receive photos, tap it to snap a reply (per the Google Play description). The 4.8/5 US App Store rating suggests most users are satisfied.
Why this score
Covers the photo widget, reactions, photo history and recap video; Gold adds some customisation. The scope is deliberately narrow compared with full social networks.
Why this score
The core is free but carries ads and a 20-friend cap. Locket publishes no Gold price; the US App Store lists Gold items from $1.99 to $36.00 without stating billing periods.
Why this score
Google Play shows 4.6/5 from about 401K reviews and the US App Store 4.8/5; releases are near-weekly. Some Google Play reviews say the Android version lacks features available on iPhone. No independent performance measurements were found.
Why this score
Support is a help center (with a Vietnamese version) covering Gold, cancellation and refunds; the pages consulted list no email or chat channel. Refunds depend on Apple or Google.
Why this score
Collects phone number, birthday, contacts (with permission) and device data; uses advertising SDKs; the App Store label lists identifiers used for tracking and Google Play declares device IDs shared with third parties. Offsetting this are encryption in transit and deletion requests.
What users say
- App Store (United States)4.8/5 · 590,566
- App Store (Vietnam)4.6/5 · 401,307
- Google Play4.6/5 · 401,000
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial websiteNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedLocket Gold help articleNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedLocket Gold refund help articleNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedPrivacy PolicyNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedTerms of ServiceNov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (US)Nov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (Vietnam)Nov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 10, 2026
- pressTechCrunch (2022-08-02)Nov 10, 2026
- pressTechweez (2026-06-26)Nov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Locket Labs, Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 2022
- Category
- Social
Capabilities
- Mobile app
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
- French
- Indonesian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
Support
- Help center
Change history
- Feature.Techweez describes Rollcall, a weekly Sunday share of favourite photos that disappears after 7 days.
- Update.Latest update date shown on the privacy policy.
- Company.Locket announces $12.5 million raised in total and more than 20 million downloads.
Full change history (5)
- Company.A $10 million seed round led by Sam Altman (late April 2022), per TechCrunch.
- Launch.Matt Moss launches Locket Widget on the App Store.
About the author
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