Docs / Pattern lock

Pattern lock

Vaultron opens with a pattern you draw on a 5×5 grid of dots. Each pattern opens its own vault.

Drawing a pattern

Connect at least 4 dots on the 5×5 grid.
A dot that lies on the line between two dots you have already selected is added automatically.
Creating a vault, or changing its pattern, asks you to draw the pattern twice to confirm it.
Unlocking takes a single drawing.

When a pattern does not match

A pattern that opens nothing shows “Pattern not recognized.” The same message appears whether or not a vault exists behind that pattern. The lock screen does not show how many vaults you have.

Choosing a pattern

Each pattern opens one vault on this device. Two vaults cannot use the same pattern.
Short patterns have fewer combinations, so they are easier to guess if someone has extracted the data from your device. Choose a longer pattern for anything important.
A pattern protects the vault on this device. It does not protect your iCloud backup on its own; the backup is sealed to your recovery phrase. See Backup and recovery.

Shake to lock

If someone snatches your iPhone or iPad while a vault is open, Vaultron locks the vault at once. It locks the vault, not the device.

What counts. A sudden jerk, like the device being pulled out of your hand, or two or three quick shakes. Walking, typing, scrolling and putting the device down on a table do not count.
Settings → Security. Shake to lock is on by default and free. Shake sensitivity is Low, Medium (the default) or High. If it locks while you run, choose Low.
What happens. A cover goes over the screen, open photos, videos and screens close, and the lock screen appears. The vault’s keys are dropped from memory, as with any lock. Draw your pattern to open it again. Decoy and duress vaults behave as always.
When it works. While a vault is open and Vaultron is on screen. When Vaultron is in the background, Auto-lock applies. Vaultron reads the motion sensors only then, needs no permission for it, and keeps no motion data.
Notes. While Shake to lock is on, shaking does not offer “Undo” in the note editor; use the editor’s undo button.

Trouble getting in?

Vaultron never stores your pattern and cannot show it to you again. If a vault does not open, tap Trouble getting in? on the lock screen. The screen looks the same whether or not any vault exists. It offers two ways forward:

Use recovery phrase. Restore your encrypted iCloud backup with your 24-word phrase, and choose a pattern for each restored vault. See Backup and recovery.
Erase everything on this device. Deletes every vault file and every Vaultron key on this device, then starts setup again. To confirm, you type a word that the screen shows (“ERASE” in English). This cannot be undone.

Erasing does not delete your encrypted iCloud backup; your recovery phrase can still restore it. To delete the backup as well, use the iCloud storage settings in the iOS Settings app and delete Vaultron’s data there.

If your pattern is right but the vault’s files are missing or damaged on this device, Vaultron offers to restore that vault from iCloud or remove it instead. See Backup and recovery.