Hidden vaults: one pattern, one vault, no list

Most vault apps have one password and one locked area, so asking "what's the password?" reveals everything. Velcrypt works differently: the pattern you draw does not just unlock the app, it decides which vault appears. That simple idea is what makes hidden vaults possible.

Every pattern is its own vault

A hidden vault is a vault whose existence cannot be confirmed from the outside. In Velcrypt, every valid pattern on the 5×5 grid maps to a separate vault with its own random master key and its own files. Pattern A shows the photos you stored behind pattern A. Pattern B shows a completely different set.

There is no settings screen that lists them, no "switch vault" menu and no number that says how many exist. From inside the app, each vault looks like it is the only one.

No error for an unknown pattern

When you draw a pattern Velcrypt has never seen, it does not say "wrong pattern". It opens an empty vault. That behaviour is the core of the feature:

• Nothing to count. There is no attempt counter or failure message that confirms the "real" pattern is still out there.
• Nothing to compare. An empty vault looks exactly like a vault you just created.
• Nothing to prove. Someone looking at the app cannot tell whether you have one vault or several.

This is a form of plausible deniability: the ability to credibly say that what you have shown is all there is, because the software gives no evidence otherwise.

It also has a practical side effect. If you mistype your pattern, you will land in an empty vault rather than see an error. If your photos seem to have vanished, lock the app and draw your pattern again, carefully.

How to create a second vault

1. Lock Velcrypt. Leave the vault you are in so the pattern grid appears.
2. Draw a new pattern. Use one you have not used before, following the usual rules: at least 6 dots and at least one change of direction.
3. Add something. An empty vault opens. Import a photo, video or document to start using it.
4. Practise the pattern. Lock and unlock a few times so you remember exactly which pattern belongs to which vault.

Using a decoy vault

A decoy vault is a vault filled with harmless but believable content, for example some saved receipts, screenshots or holiday photos. If someone insists on seeing what is in Velcrypt, you can open the decoy, and it behaves like any other vault.

A decoy works best when it looks lived-in. An empty vault invites the question "why install a vault app for nothing?", while a vault with a few dozen ordinary items rarely does. The guide on what a decoy vault is covers how to make one convincing.

Velcrypt is also planning a duress pattern for the optional Premium upgrade (coming soon). It is meant to go one step further than a decoy by opening a chosen vault and silently removing access to the others.

How each vault stays separate

Separation is not just a matter of hiding folders. Each vault has its own random 256-bit master key, unlocked by a key derived from that vault's pattern. Files in one vault are encrypted with keys that belong to that vault alone, so opening one vault gives no access to another. The encryption page explains the full key chain.

What hidden vaults can and can't do

Hidden vaults make it hard to prove that more content exists. They do not make you invisible:

• The Velcrypt icon is visible on the Home Screen. iOS 18 and later let you hide apps in a hidden folder protected by Face ID, but that is an iOS feature, not part of Velcrypt.
• Someone who watches you draw your real pattern can open the real vault.
• Copies of a file that still exist elsewhere, such as in Photos, Recently Deleted, iCloud or a chat, are outside the vault's protection.
• Deniability depends on context. It is a technical property of the app, not a legal guarantee.

For situations like crossing a border or handing a phone over, read phone privacy at border crossings before you rely on any single feature.