Set your keys
Pick a password, draw a pattern and write down 12 recovery words. They never leave your iPhone, and we never see them.
No account
No analytics
No ads
AES-256-GCM
A vault that doesn’t watch you either.
Photos, videos and files, encrypted on your iPhone and opened by a pattern only you know. Not even we can look inside.
Free to start · iPhone · iOS 17+
Try it ↓
Draw a pattern
Draw a pattern to try it
8+ dots 0/8
2+ turns 0/2
Unlocked. 🔓
That’s the same rule set the app uses: 25 dots, 8 or more, 2 or more turns. Nothing here left your browser.
What it is
Hidden
Hidden
isn’t locked.
PocketVault is a local-first encrypted vault for iPhone. Every photo, video and file is sealed with AES-256-GCM under its own key, on the device, before it’s stored. You open it with a pattern, a password, Face ID or 12 recovery words. There’s no account, and no PocketVault server ever sees your files.
// what’s on disk for beach-2026.heic
beach-2026.heic · 4.2 MB · Aug 14 · Lisbon
How it works
Three steps.
Three steps.
Zero sign-ups.
Add
From Photos, Files, the share sheet or the built-in camera. Each item is encrypted and read back before we call it safe, and only then can you remove the original from Photos.
Lock & walk away
PocketVault locks when you leave and hides itself in the app switcher. Come back with your pattern, password or Face ID.
Features
Everything a safe
Everything a safe
should do. Nothing creepy.
Pattern unlock on a 5×5 grid
At least 8 dots and 2 changes of direction, and no dots added for you, which makes it far harder to guess than a 4-digit PIN. Your pattern derives the key; it isn’t just a gate.
Face ID, no backdoor
Face ID never falls back to your iPhone passcode. Knowing your passcode doesn’t open a vault.
12 recovery words
Forget your password and pattern? Your recovery words get you back in. Lose them too and nobody can open it, including us.
Private vaults
Vaults that only open from their own pattern. They’re never listed, and the lock screen never hints that they exist.
Secure camera
Shoot straight into the vault. The photo never touches your camera roll.
Encrypted iCloud backup
Back up to your own private iCloud. It’s encrypted before upload and padded so even file sizes are blurred. Or save a .pocketvault-backup file wherever you like.
Sync between your iPhones
Keep a vault in step across your devices on the same Apple Account. Changes travel encrypted through your private iCloud.
Share, on your terms
Send an encrypted share with a one-time phrase. Set an expiry and a limit on opens, or revoke it.
Any file type
Photos, videos, PDFs, documents. Big files are sealed in 1 MB chunks, so even huge videos stay smooth.
Undercover icon
Swap the Home Screen icon for something boring.
Real life
Someone grabs
Someone grabs
your phone. Now what?
“They know my iPhone passcode.”
Still locked.
PocketVault has its own keys. Your device passcode never opens a vault, and Face ID won’t fall back to it.
“They’re guessing patterns.”
They get slowed down.
Wrong attempts trigger a growing cooldown. With 25 dots and at least 8 picked in order, the space is enormous.
“They open the app switcher.”
They see a cover.
PocketVault blanks itself in the app switcher, so a peek at your recent apps reveals nothing.
“They copy the app’s files.”
They get noise.
Files, thumbnails and the index are all encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Without your keys it’s random bytes.
The honest bit
Delete the app,
Delete the app,
delete the vault.
Your vault lives on your iPhone, not on our servers. That’s the point. It also means that if you delete PocketVault, the vault on that iPhone is gone. Keep an encrypted backup, your password and your 12 recovery words somewhere safe. We’ll never claim your data “can’t be lost”. We’d rather you knew.
Compare
Hidden album vs.
Hidden album vs.
an actual vault.
The Photos Hidden album is handy for decluttering. It isn’t built to keep out someone who knows your passcode.
| PocketVault | iPhone Hidden album | |
|---|---|---|
| Separate keys from your iPhone passcode | Yes | No, the passcode opens it |
| Files encrypted by the app itself | AES-256-GCM per file | Device encryption only |
| Videos, PDFs & any file | Yes | Photos & videos |
| Vaults nobody can see exist | Private vaults | No |
| Recovery without Apple | 12 recovery words | Apple Account |
| Account needed | None | Apple Account for iCloud |
Pricing
Free to start.
Free to start.
Fair if you stay.
$0
- 2 vaults
- 100 photos, 10 videos, 50 documents per vault
- Pattern, password, Face ID, recovery words
- Encrypted iCloud backup
- No ads. Ever.
$39.99 once
- 5 vaults
- Unlimited photos, videos & files
- Encrypted sync between your iPhones
- Pay once, keep it
$19.99 / year
- Everything in Plus
- Cancel any time in Settings
- Billed by Apple
US prices. The App Store shows your local price before you buy. Purchases are handled by Apple; we never see your payment details.
FAQ
Good questions.
Do I need an account?
No. There’s no PocketVault account, no sign-up and no email. Your vault lives on your iPhone.
Can you see my photos?
No. Files are encrypted on your iPhone before they’re stored. There’s no PocketVault server that receives vault contents, and we never get your password, pattern or recovery words.
Does PocketVault collect analytics?
No. There’s no analytics SDK, crash reporter, advertising ID or tracking in the app. This website has no trackers or cookies either.
What happens if I delete the app?
Deleting PocketVault deletes the vault on that iPhone. Keep an encrypted backup, your password and your 12 recovery words somewhere safe if you want to restore later.
What if I forget my password and pattern?
Tap Recover and enter your 12 recovery words to get back in and set a new password. Without the password, pattern, Face ID or recovery words, nobody can open the vault, including us.
Is the iPhone Hidden album enough?
It hides photos from the main grid and can be locked, but anyone who knows your iPhone passcode can open it. PocketVault uses its own keys, and knowing your iPhone passcode never opens a vault.
Will copies stay in my camera roll?
When you add from Photos, PocketVault first checks the encrypted copy reads back correctly. Only then does it offer to delete the originals from Photos. Photos keeps deleted items in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days, so empty that too.
How do I move to a new iPhone?
Turn on encrypted iCloud backup or save a .pocketvault-backup file, then restore it on the new iPhone with your password or recovery words. Step by step →
How much does it cost?
Free covers 2 vaults with 100 photos, 10 videos and 50 documents in each. PocketVault Plus is $19.99 a year or $39.99 once, for 5 vaults, no item limits and encrypted sync between your iPhones.