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VaultWell vs locked Notes and Files on iPhone
How locking notes in Apple Notes, and keeping documents in Files, compares with VaultWell.
Written as of October 2026 from Apple's published Notes and Files documentation. Built-in features change with system updates, so check their current docs before deciding. If something here is out of date, we want to fix it.
At a glance
| Question | VaultWell | Apple Notes / Files |
|---|---|---|
| Needs a separate app | Yes | No |
| What unlocks it | A path per vault | Notes: the phone passcode or a separate notes password, plus Face ID or Touch ID |
| Photos and videos | Yes, in the same vault | Notes can contain images; Files can store any file |
| Separate secret from the phone passcode | Always | Optional for Notes (a separate password) |
| Sync | No, not today | Yes, with iCloud |
| Several separate spaces | Yes | One lock for all locked notes |
| Duress option | Yes | No |
What Notes and Files do well
Apple Notes lets you lock individual notes. You can choose to use your phone's passcode or a separate password for locked notes, and open them with Face ID or Touch ID. Locked notes sync with iCloud. The Files app keeps documents on the phone or in iCloud Drive, and recent iOS versions let you require Face ID to open apps such as Files. All of this is free and built in.
Where VaultWell is different
- Photos, videos, files and notes in one encrypted place, each vault with its own path.
- Several vaults with nothing on screen showing how many.
- Duress vault, intruder snapshots and disguise icons.
- Read-only shares with limits on opens and expiry.
Where Notes and Files are better
- iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac. VaultWell has no sync today.
- Rich note formatting, search, collaboration, and full folder structures in Files. VaultWell has simple notes and no folders.
- Nothing to install.
Which to choose
For a few private notes, especially with a separate notes password, Apple Notes works well. If you want photos, videos and notes behind a secret nobody else knows, with several vaults or a duress option, VaultWell is the better fit.