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Backup and recovery

Vaultron can back up your vaults to your own private iCloud. The backup is encrypted, and only your 24-word recovery phrase can open it.

Where backups go

Backups are stored in your private iCloud database (CloudKit). Vaultron has no server of its own, so nothing is sent to Thundera. Backup is free, and it is on by default.

Settings → Backup & sync → Backup network chooses Wi-Fi only (the default) or Wi-Fi and cellular. If you chose a network yourself in an earlier version, your choice is kept. With Wi-Fi only and no Wi-Fi connection, the backup does not run and Settings says it is waiting for Wi-Fi; it runs with the next change made on Wi-Fi, or tap Back up now.

What is stored

  • Encrypted records. The files are encrypted before they leave the device.
  • For each vault, the vault’s keys are stored as encrypted envelopes that only your recovery phrase can open (HPKE with X25519 and ChaCha20-Poly1305).

Your recovery phrase

  • The recovery phrase is 24 words. It is shown to you during setup.
  • You can save the phrase as a text file with Save as a file. Vaultron first warns you that anyone who has the file can restore your encrypted backups, then hands the file to the share sheet and deletes its own temporary copy when the sheet closes. Vaultron keeps no copy of the phrase.
  • Keep it private. It is the key to your backups. Vaultron keeps no copy, so it cannot show it to you again. If you lose it, change it (below) while you can still open a vault.

If you skip the recovery phrase, nothing is backed up. Backup stays off, and vaults cannot be restored on a new device. You can set one up later in Settings → Backup & sync → Set up recovery phrase.

Changing your recovery phrase

Settings → Backup & sync → Change recovery phrase, from any open vault. Do this if someone may have seen your phrase, or if you lost it.

  1. Confirm, then draw the open vault’s pattern. A wrong pattern counts towards the lockout.
  2. Optionally enter your current phrase (recommended). With it, Vaultron re-seals every backup in your iCloud right away, including vaults that are only on your other devices.
  3. Write down the new 24-word phrase and check three of its words. The new phrase becomes active only after that check. If you cancel, or Vaultron locks before then, the change is cancelled and the old phrase stays in use.
  • Without your current phrase, Vaultron may only be able to re-seal the open vault now. Each other backup switches the next time its vault is opened on a device that uses the new phrase; until then, the old phrase can still open it. Enter the previous phrase afterwards with Re-seal remaining backups to switch them all at once.
  • If the change is interrupted, for example by a crash, Vaultron settles it at the next unlock: an unfinished change is undone, and you are told the new phrase was never activated.
  • Your other devices: on each other iPhone or iPad that uses Vaultron with the same iCloud account, open a vault, go to Settings → Backup & sync → Enter a phrase changed on another device and type the new words. Until you do, new vaults made there are not sealed to the new phrase.
  • If someone forces you to change the phrase from a decoy vault, they learn the new phrase. Change it again afterwards from your own vault.

Restoring a vault

  • On a new device, or after reinstalling, restore your vaults with your recovery phrase.
  • A restored vault needs a pattern. A pattern that another vault on the device already uses cannot be given to the restored vault; choose a different one.
  • Deleting the app removes its files, but iOS keeps its Keychain items. If you reinstall, Vaultron detects this, shows “Starting fresh” and offers Restore from backup.
  • If your pattern is right but the vault’s files are missing or damaged on this device, Vaultron says “This vault can’t be opened” and offers Restore from iCloud backup (no phrase needed), Remove from this device, or Not now. Other patterns are not affected.

Can’t get in at all? See Trouble getting in?.

Duress and backups

Using a duress vault removes the other vaults from this device, but it does not delete their iCloud backups. Your recovery phrase can restore them later. See Vaults and duress.

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