# Velcrypt

> Well Encrypted. Truly Private. Velcrypt is a private, encrypted photo, video and document vault for iPhone where every pattern drawn on a 5×5 grid opens its own vault. No account, no cloud.

- Velcrypt is a native iPhone app (iOS 17 or later) that stores private photos, videos and documents in encrypted vaults on the device.
- Unlock: draw a pattern on a 5×5 grid of dots — one continuous line through at least 6 dots with at least one change of direction (8–12 dots recommended).
- Every pattern is its own vault. There is no list of vaults; an unknown pattern opens an empty vault with no error, which gives plausible deniability and allows a decoy vault.
- Encryption: AES-256-GCM (Apple CryptoKit). Keys derived from the pattern with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (at least 600,000 iterations) and a per-device salt in the iOS Keychain. Each vault has a random 256-bit master key; per-file keys via HKDF. iOS Data Protection (complete) on files.
- No Face ID or Touch ID by design (biometrics can be compelled).
- 100% on-device: no account, no servers, no uploads, no analytics on vault content. Vaults are excluded from iCloud and computer backups in the first version, so a lost phone or forgotten pattern means the vault cannot be recovered. An encrypted backup option is planned.
- Auto-lock when the app goes to the background (configurable delay); content hidden in the app switcher. Albums, photo/video viewer, document import from Files, multi-select, move between albums, secure export.
- Pricing: free version plus an optional Premium upgrade; prices not yet announced. Planned Premium: unlimited items, more vaults, duress pattern (coming soon), encrypted backup.
- Status: coming soon to the App Store.

Full text of the key pages: https://velcrypt.app/llms-full.txt

## Other languages

- [Español](https://velcrypt.app/es/llms.txt) (es)
- [Deutsch](https://velcrypt.app/de/llms.txt) (de)
- [Français](https://velcrypt.app/fr/llms.txt) (fr)
- [Português (Brasil)](https://velcrypt.app/pt-br/llms.txt) (pt-BR)
- [日本語](https://velcrypt.app/ja/llms.txt) (ja)
- [Italiano](https://velcrypt.app/it/llms.txt) (it)
- [한국어](https://velcrypt.app/ko/llms.txt) (ko)
- [简体中文](https://velcrypt.app/zh-hans/llms.txt) (zh-Hans)
- [Nederlands](https://velcrypt.app/nl/llms.txt) (nl)
- [Svenska](https://velcrypt.app/sv/llms.txt) (sv)

## Overview pages

- [Velcrypt: private encrypted photo vault for iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/): Hide photos, videos and documents in encrypted vaults on your iPhone. Each pattern opens its own vault. No account, no cloud, no Face ID by design.
- [Velcrypt features](https://velcrypt.app/features/): Everything Velcrypt does: pattern unlock on a 5×5 grid, separate hidden vaults, AES-256-GCM encryption, no account, auto-lock and private albums.
- [iPhone photo privacy guides](https://velcrypt.app/guides/): Practical, up-to-date guides to hiding, locking and encrypting photos, videos and documents on iPhone, including what iOS does and doesn’t protect.
- [When a private vault helps](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/): Real situations where a private photo vault helps: lending your phone, shared iCloud, repairs, travel, medical records, creators and journalists.
- [How Velcrypt compares](https://velcrypt.app/compare/): Neutral, fact-checked comparisons of Velcrypt with Keepsafe, Private Photo Vault, calculator vault apps, the iPhone Hidden album and Apple Notes.
- [Free privacy tools](https://velcrypt.app/tools/): Free tools that run entirely in your browser: view and strip photo metadata such as GPS location, and estimate how strong an unlock pattern is.

## Core pages

- [How Velcrypt works: the security model](https://velcrypt.app/security/): Velcrypt turns the pattern you draw into a key with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (at least 600,000 iterations), uses it to protect a random 256-bit master key for that vault, and encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM on your iPhone. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no account or recovery copy of your keys.
- [Velcrypt pricing](https://velcrypt.app/pricing/): Velcrypt will offer a free version plus an optional Premium upgrade. Premium pricing hasn’t been decided yet and will be announced; neither version shows ads or sells your data.
- [Velcrypt frequently asked questions](https://velcrypt.app/faq/): Velcrypt is an iPhone app (iOS 17 or later) that stores photos, videos and documents in encrypted vaults on your device. Each vault opens with its own pattern, there’s no account, and nothing is uploaded — which also means a forgotten pattern can’t be recovered.
- [About Velcrypt](https://velcrypt.app/about/): Velcrypt exists to give iPhone users a simple, honest place for private photos, videos and documents: encrypted on the device, opened only by a pattern you remember, with no account, no cloud and no ads.
- [Velcrypt support](https://velcrypt.app/support/): Email support@velcrypt.app with your iOS version, Velcrypt version and a description of the problem. We can help with how the app works, but we can never open, reset or recover a vault, because we have no access to your patterns or keys.
- [Privacy Policy](https://velcrypt.app/privacy/): The Velcrypt app collects no personal data: there is no account, vault content never leaves your iPhone, and there are no ads or analytics on what you store. The website sets no cookies and runs no tracking scripts.
- [Terms of Use](https://velcrypt.app/terms/): You may use Velcrypt for lawful, personal purposes under these terms and Apple’s standard Licensed Application End User License Agreement. Because Velcrypt cannot recover lost data, you are responsible for remembering your patterns and keeping copies of anything important.
- [Velcrypt press kit](https://velcrypt.app/press/): Velcrypt is an iPhone app (iOS 17 or later) that stores private photos, videos and documents in encrypted, pattern-locked vaults on the device, with no account and no cloud. Logos, colours and a fact sheet are below; contact press@velcrypt.app.

## Features

- [Pattern lock: a 5×5 grid that only your memory can open](https://velcrypt.app/features/pattern-lock/): Velcrypt opens with a pattern you draw on a 5×5 grid of dots: one continuous line through at least 6 dots with at least one change of direction. Patterns of 8–12 dots are recommended, and there is deliberately no Face ID or Touch ID.
- [Hidden vaults: one pattern, one vault, no list](https://velcrypt.app/features/hidden-vaults/): In Velcrypt every pattern opens its own encrypted vault. There is no list of vaults, and a pattern the app has never seen simply opens an empty vault without an error, so nothing on screen proves that other vaults exist.
- [Duress pattern (coming soon)](https://velcrypt.app/features/duress-pattern/): The duress pattern is a planned Premium feature, coming soon. You will be able to set a special pattern that opens a vault you choose and silently removes access to your other vaults, for moments when you are pressured to unlock the app.
- [How Velcrypt encrypts your vault](https://velcrypt.app/features/encryption/): Velcrypt encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM. Your pattern is stretched with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (at least 600,000 iterations, per-device salt) into a key that unlocks the vault's random 256-bit master key, from which HKDF derives a separate key for each file. iOS Data Protection adds a second layer.
- [Fully offline, no account](https://velcrypt.app/features/offline-no-account/): Velcrypt runs entirely on your iPhone. There is no account, no sign-up, no email, no server and no upload, and no analytics on what you store. In the first version vault data is also excluded from iCloud and computer backups, so a lost phone or forgotten pattern cannot be recovered.
- [Hide photos in an encrypted vault](https://velcrypt.app/features/hide-photos/): Velcrypt imports photos from your Photos library as encrypted copies inside a vault. The originals stay in Photos until you delete them, so after importing you remove them and empty Recently Deleted. Inside the vault you can sort photos into albums and view them with zoom and swipe.
- [Hide videos in an encrypted vault](https://velcrypt.app/features/hide-videos/): Velcrypt imports videos from your Photos library as encrypted copies and plays them inside the vault. The originals stay in Photos until you delete them and empty Recently Deleted. Videos are large, so check your free storage before importing many at once.
- [Keep private documents in an encrypted vault](https://velcrypt.app/features/private-documents/): Velcrypt imports documents such as PDFs, scans and ID copies from the iOS Files app into an encrypted vault. You can view them inside the app, keep them in albums, and export a copy when you need to send or print one. The original in Files stays until you delete it.
- [Auto-lock: the vault closes when you leave](https://velcrypt.app/features/auto-lock/): Velcrypt locks the open vault automatically when the app goes to the background, after a delay you can configure. Vault content is also hidden in the iPhone app switcher, so a quick swipe up does not reveal what you were looking at.
- [Albums, viewer and secure export](https://velcrypt.app/features/albums/): Each Velcrypt vault can be organised into albums. You can select many items at once, move them between albums, view photos and videos with zoom and swipe, and export a copy when needed. Export places a decrypted copy outside the vault, so handle it carefully.

## Guides

### Hide and lock photos

- [How to hide photos on iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/hide-photos-iphone/): Open the photo in the Photos app, tap the More (•••) button and choose Hide. It moves to the Hidden album, which iOS 16 and later lock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Hiding is not encryption: anyone who knows your passcode can open the album, and it syncs with iCloud Photos.
- [How to lock photos on iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/lock-photos-iphone/): iPhone offers three built-in ways to lock photos: hide them so they sit in the Face ID–locked Hidden album, lock the entire Photos app with Require Face ID (iOS 18 and later), or put them in a locked note. All three can be opened with your device passcode. For a lock that is separate from your passcode, use an encrypted vault app.
- [How to hide videos on iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/hide-videos-iphone/): Hide a video the same way as a photo: open it in Photos, tap More (•••) and choose Hide. It moves to the Face ID–locked Hidden album. Because videos are large and often arrive from chat apps or screen recordings, also turn off automatic saving in those apps and plan for storage if you copy videos into a vault.
- [How to password protect photos on iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/password-protect-photos-iphone/): iOS cannot put a password on an individual photo. The closest built-in options are hiding it in the Face ID–locked Hidden album or adding it to a locked note with its own Notes password. To protect specific photos with a secret that is not your device passcode, copy them into an encrypted vault app and delete the originals.
- [How to make a secret photo album on iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/secret-photo-album-iphone/): The iPhone’s built-in secret album is the Hidden album: hide photos with More (•••) › Hide, then turn off Show Hidden Album in Photos settings so the album disappears from view. Normal albums you create cannot be hidden or locked. For a secret folder that nobody can open with your passcode, use an encrypted vault app.
- [How to password protect a folder on iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/password-protect-folder-iphone/): You can’t put a password on a folder in the iPhone Files app. The closest built-in options are locking the whole Files app with Require Face ID (iOS 18 and later) or storing content in a locked note with its own password. For documents that need a lock independent of your passcode, use an encrypted vault app that imports from Files.
- [Do hidden photos show up in Search, Memories and widgets?](https://velcrypt.app/guides/hidden-photos-search-memories-iphone/): Normally, no. Photos you hide on iPhone are designed to be left out of your library grid, Photos search, Memories, Featured Photos and the Photos widget. They can still surface through copies made before you hid them, such as wallpapers, saved memory videos, shared albums, a Shared Library or chats, and on your other devices via iCloud Photos.
- [How to show one photo on iPhone without letting people swipe](https://velcrypt.app/guides/guided-access-show-one-photo/): Turn on Guided Access in Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access and set a passcode. Open the photo, triple-click the side button (or Home button), turn off Touch in Options, and tap Start. The screen ignores swipes until you triple-click again and enter the Guided Access passcode.

### iCloud and Apple’s built-in options

- [Is the iPhone Hidden album private?](https://velcrypt.app/guides/is-iphone-hidden-album-private/): Partly. The Hidden album removes photos from your main library and, on iOS 16 and later, locks behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. But anyone who knows your device passcode can open it, it syncs through iCloud Photos, and it is only end-to-end encrypted in iCloud if you turn on Advanced Data Protection.
- [Are hidden photos saved to iCloud?](https://velcrypt.app/guides/are-hidden-photos-saved-to-icloud/): Yes. If iCloud Photos is turned on, hidden photos and videos upload to iCloud and sync to all your devices, just like the rest of your library. With iCloud Photos off, they can still end up in iCloud Backup. They are end-to-end encrypted in iCloud only when Advanced Data Protection is enabled.
- [iCloud Advanced Data Protection, explained](https://velcrypt.app/guides/icloud-advanced-data-protection-explained/): Advanced Data Protection is an optional iCloud setting that end-to-end encrypts most of your iCloud data, including Photos, iCloud Backup, iCloud Drive and Notes, so only your trusted devices hold the keys. Mail, Contacts and Calendars stay under standard protection, and you must set up a recovery contact or recovery key because Apple can no longer help you recover the data.
- [Which apps can see your photos on iPhone?](https://velcrypt.app/guides/which-apps-can-see-your-photos-iphone/): Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos to see every app that has asked for photo access and its level: Full Access, Limited Access, Add Photos Only or None. Apps with Full Access can read your entire library; apps that use the system photo picker only receive the specific items you choose and need no permission at all.

### Choosing a vault app

- [The best private photo vault apps for iPhone, compared fairly](https://velcrypt.app/guides/best-private-photo-vault-apps-iphone/): There is no single best photo vault; the right one depends on whether you want real encryption, cloud backup, an account, Face ID and disguise features. Apple’s Hidden album and locked Notes cost nothing, account-based apps such as Keepsafe add cloud backup, and on-device apps such as Velcrypt avoid accounts and servers but leave backup to you.
- [Are photo vault apps safe?](https://velcrypt.app/guides/are-photo-vault-apps-safe/): Some are, some aren’t. A photo vault is only as safe as its encryption, its data collection and its storage choices. A trustworthy vault explains how files are encrypted, collects little data, tells you whether anything goes to a server, and is honest about what happens if you forget your code or delete the app.
- [Calculator vault apps, explained](https://velcrypt.app/guides/calculator-vault-apps-explained/): A calculator vault is a photo vault that looks and works like a calculator until you type a secret code as a sum. The disguise can fool a quick glance, but it isn’t encryption, and iOS reveals the app’s real identity in places like App Library search, Spotlight, iPhone Storage and your App Store purchases.
- [Photo vaults without an account: why offline can be more private](https://velcrypt.app/guides/photo-vault-without-account/): A photo vault without an account keeps your files and your identity off any company server: there is no email to link to you, no login to phish and no cloud copy to breach. The trade-off is recovery. If you lose the phone or forget your secret, nobody can restore the files, so you are responsible for your own copies.

### Security explained

- [Pattern lock vs PIN vs password vs Face ID: which is safer?](https://velcrypt.app/guides/pattern-lock-vs-pin-vs-face-id/): No lock wins on every front. A long, random password resists guessing best; Face ID and Touch ID resist shoulder surfing best but can be used without your consent; a 6-digit PIN beats a 4-digit one by a factor of 100; and a pattern is only as strong as the shape a human actually picks — long, irregular patterns are fine, simple letters and corners are not.
- [What is a decoy vault, and how do you make one believable?](https://velcrypt.app/guides/what-is-a-decoy-vault/): A decoy vault is a second vault, opened with a different secret, that holds harmless but plausible content. If someone pressures you to open your vault, you can open the decoy instead. In Velcrypt, any new pattern opens its own vault, so a decoy is simply a second pattern that you fill with ordinary photos and documents.
- [Plausible deniability in encryption, explained](https://velcrypt.app/guides/plausible-deniability-explained/): Plausible deniability in encryption means that, even after you unlock something, nobody can prove whether more hidden data exists. Velcrypt applies it by letting every pattern open its own vault and showing an empty vault, not an error, for unknown patterns. It does not hide that encrypted data exists on the device.
- [AES-256 encryption explained, without the hype](https://velcrypt.app/guides/aes-256-encryption-explained/): AES-256 is a symmetric cipher that encrypts data with a 256-bit key; nobody can feasibly break it by trying keys. For data protected by a pattern or password, the real strength depends on key derivation: how slowly and carefully that short secret is turned into the key. GCM mode adds tamper detection on top of secrecy.
- [Forgot your photo vault password or pattern? What you can and can’t do](https://velcrypt.app/guides/forgot-vault-pattern/): In Velcrypt, a forgotten pattern can’t be reset or recovered, by you or by Velcrypt, because the key exists only in your memory and no server keeps a copy. What you can do is calmly retry close variations of the pattern. Other vault apps may offer email or account recovery; check what yours uses.

### Practical privacy

- [How to delete original photos after importing them into a vault](https://velcrypt.app/guides/delete-original-photos-after-import/): Importing into a vault app copies a photo; the original stays in your library. After checking the copy opens in the vault, delete the original in Photos, then open Utilities › Recently Deleted (iOS 18 and later) and delete it there too, or it remains for about 30 days. With iCloud Photos on, the deletion applies to all your devices.
- [How to remove EXIF and location metadata from iPhone photos](https://velcrypt.app/guides/remove-photo-metadata-iphone/): To strip location before sharing on iPhone, tap Options at the top of the share sheet and turn off Location. To remove it from the photo itself, open the photo, swipe up or tap Info, choose Adjust next to the location and select No Location. To stop it being recorded, set Camera to Never in Location Services.
- [How to store intimate photos safely on your iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/store-intimate-photos-safely-iphone/): Keep intimate photos out of places that sync or surface automatically: check iCloud Photos and Shared Library, turn off message previews on the Lock Screen, stop chat apps saving media to Photos, and move the images into an encrypted vault, then delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. Only share with people you trust, and only with consent.
- [Can customs search my phone? Phone privacy at the border](https://velcrypt.app/guides/phone-privacy-border-crossing/): In many countries, border officials have broader powers to inspect phones than police have inside the country, and the rules differ widely. You can reduce what is exposed by travelling with less data, switching biometrics off, and powering the phone down before inspection. Don’t lie to officials; know your rights and get legal advice when it matters.
- [How to scan documents privately on iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/guides/scan-documents-privately-iphone/): Use the built-in scanner in the Files app or Notes rather than the Camera, so scans never land in your photo library. Save them to On My iPhone instead of iCloud Drive, lock or move them into an encrypted vault, then delete the leftover copy and empty Recently Deleted.

## Use cases

- [Sharing your iPhone with your kids without sharing your photos](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/sharing-phone-with-kids/): Use Guided Access to lock your iPhone to the one app your child is using, set Screen Time limits for anything longer, and keep truly private photos and documents in a separate encrypted vault that only opens with a pattern your child doesn’t know.
- [When a partner scrolls through your camera roll](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/partner-scrolling-camera-roll/): Wanting some photos to stay private from a partner is normal and isn’t the same as hiding wrongdoing. Start with a calm conversation about phone boundaries, then keep sensitive pictures out of the main library, for example in an encrypted vault with its own pattern.
- [Protecting your photos when your iPhone goes in for repair](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/phone-repair-privacy/): Before a repair, make a full backup, follow the repair provider’s instructions on Find My and passcodes, and remove anything you wouldn’t want a stranger to see from the Photos app. If you must share your passcode, assume everything it unlocks could be viewed.
- [Why your photos show up on the family iPad, and how to separate them](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/family-shared-icloud/): Photos appear on other family devices when they use the same Apple Account with iCloud Photos, or when you share an iCloud Shared Photo Library. Give each person their own Apple Account through Family Sharing, review what goes to the shared library, and keep private items out of iCloud Photos entirely.
- [Protecting your photos and phone after a breakup](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/after-a-breakup/): Change your iPhone passcode, then run Safety Check in Settings › Privacy & Security › Safety Check (iOS 16 and later) to review who has access to your location, photos and account. Leave or remove people from shared albums and shared libraries, and move private photos to a space your ex can’t open.
- [Travelling with private photos on your iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/travelling-with-private-photos/): Before you travel, turn on Stolen Device Protection, back up your iPhone, and move private photos and ID scans out of the Photos app into an encrypted vault. Use Guided Access when you lend your phone, and keep a second copy of anything you can’t afford to lose.
- [Keeping medical and ID documents private on your iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/medical-and-id-documents/): Keep passports, insurance cards, prescriptions and medical photos out of the camera roll, where they sync, appear in search and show up in Memories. Scan or import them into an encrypted vault instead, then delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted.
- [Keeping evidence of harassment private and safe on your iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/documenting-harassment-evidence/): Capture screenshots with dates and context, keep them out of the camera roll where someone with access to your phone could find or delete them, and always keep a second copy somewhere the person harassing you can’t reach. If you’re in danger, contact local emergency services first.
- [Protecting unreleased work and client material on your iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/creators-unreleased-content/): Keep unreleased work and client material out of the camera roll, where it syncs, shows in Memories and sits one swipe from anything you show someone. Store it in an encrypted vault, strip metadata before publishing, and only share files with people who have consent to see them.
- [Protecting sources’ photos and documents on a journalist’s iPhone](https://velcrypt.app/use-cases/journalists-protecting-sources/): Start with a threat model, keep as little source material on your phone as you can, strip metadata before anything is published, and store what you must keep in an encrypted space separate from the camera roll. A vault is one layer; device seizure, compelled unlocking, cloud copies and messaging apps need their own plans.

## Comparisons

- [Velcrypt vs Keepsafe](https://velcrypt.app/compare/velcrypt-vs-keepsafe/): Velcrypt keeps everything on your iPhone with no account and unlocks with a drawn pattern, while Keepsafe, according to its App Store listing, uses an account and offers cloud backup. Choose Velcrypt for local-only storage and plausible deniability; Keepsafe may suit you better if you want backup and sync.
- [Velcrypt vs Private Photo Vault](https://velcrypt.app/compare/velcrypt-vs-private-photo-vault/): Both apps keep private photos behind a lock on your iPhone. Private Photo Vault uses a PIN or passcode with decoy and break-in features, according to its listing; Velcrypt uses a drawn pattern where every pattern opens its own encrypted vault, with no account and no cloud.
- [Velcrypt vs calculator vault apps](https://velcrypt.app/compare/velcrypt-vs-calculator-vault-apps/): Calculator vault apps disguise themselves as a working calculator and open when you type a secret code as a sum. Velcrypt doesn’t disguise itself; it relies on documented on-device encryption and pattern-based hidden vaults that don’t reveal each other. Disguise hides that a vault exists; encryption protects what’s inside.
- [Velcrypt vs the iPhone Hidden album](https://velcrypt.app/compare/velcrypt-vs-iphone-hidden-album/): The Hidden album is built into Photos, free and convenient: it removes photos from your library view and, on iOS 16 and later, locks with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. Anyone who knows your passcode can open it. Velcrypt uses a separate pattern, its own encryption and vaults that don’t reveal each other.
- [Velcrypt vs Apple Notes locked notes](https://velcrypt.app/compare/velcrypt-vs-apple-notes-locked-notes/): Apple Notes lets you lock a note with your device passcode or a separate password and add photos to it; locked notes are encrypted and can sync via iCloud. It works for a handful of images. Velcrypt is built for whole collections of photos, videos and documents, with a separate pattern, albums and hidden vaults, and no cloud.
- [Looking for a Keepsafe alternative?](https://velcrypt.app/compare/keepsafe-alternative/): Common reasons to look beyond Keepsafe are wanting no account, no cloud copy or a different pricing model. Good alternatives include Velcrypt for an account-free, on-device encrypted vault, Apple’s built-in Hidden album or locked notes, and other vault apps. To switch, export your items, import them into the new app, then delete every leftover copy.

## Free tools

- [Photo metadata remover](https://velcrypt.app/tools/photo-metadata-remover/): Choose a photo to see its hidden EXIF data, including camera, lens, date taken, software, orientation and GPS coordinates. Tap “Remove metadata” to save a clean JPEG copy without EXIF, GPS, XMP or IPTC data. Everything runs in your browser; the photo is never uploaded.
- [Pattern strength checker](https://velcrypt.app/tools/pattern-strength-checker/): Draw a pattern on the 5×5 grid to see whether it meets Velcrypt’s minimum rules and get a rough rating from Too short to Very strong, plus an estimate in bits. It’s a heuristic, not a guarantee. Never enter your real pattern on any website; test a similar one instead.