Hidden vaults

What it is

A vault in VaultWell is a separate, encrypted space with its own path, its own key, its own name and settings. You can have one, or several: one for documents, one for family photos, one for something you'd rather not explain. Each is opened only by its own path.

Opening one vault tells you nothing about the others. There is no switcher and no list.

How to add a vault

1. On the lock screen, trace a new path that doesn't open anything yet. Or use the long-press menu on the centre cell.
2. Follow the steps to confirm the path and name the new vault.
3. Set a recovery phrase for it. Each vault has its own.
4. To switch vaults, lock the current one and trace the other path.

How it works under the hood

Each vault gets a random master key when it's created. That key is stored only in encrypted form, locked by a key derived from that vault's path. The folder where a vault lives is named with a value computed from its key, so without the path, the app itself can't find the folder. Items, thumbnails, the index and the settings are all encrypted separately.

Honest limits

• Every vault you add needs its own path and phrase to remember or keep. Fewer, well-remembered vaults are safer than many forgotten ones.
• Hidden from the screen is not hidden from a deep look at the files: someone with access to the app's raw storage could count the encrypted vault folders. See the security page.
• VaultWell has no folders inside a vault today. Use separate vaults to keep things apart.

Questions