Vaultumi

Private photo and video vault for iPhone

Your private moments. Beautifully protected.

Vaultumi keeps your photos, videos and documents in an encrypted vault on your iPhone. No account, no cloud, no tracking.

Coming soon to theApp StoreHow it is protected

Not live yet. The App Store listing will be linked here when it is.

Seven promises of a private photo vault

Vaultumi is built around a short list of things it will always do, and a few it will never do.

  • Your photos stay yours

    Photos and videos are encrypted on your iPhone before they are stored. We never see them. You keep every right in them, and you can export them whenever you like.

  • No account

    There is nothing to sign up for: no email, no password, no profile. Your vault is protected by a PIN, an optional Face ID and a recovery code that only you hold.

  • No developer cloud

    No server, no analytics, no advertising, no third-party SDKs. The app makes no network requests of its own. Only Apple’s App Store is involved, for purchases.

  • Encrypted private storage

    Each item is encrypted with AES-256-GCM under its own key. Wrong PIN guesses only slow guessing down: nothing is ever deleted.

  • Easy import, safe export

    Import from your Photos library, or share into the vault from the share sheet. Imports are verified before Vaultumi offers to remove the originals, and iOS asks you to confirm. Export copies back out at any time.

  • Reliable backup and recovery

    A recovery code resets a forgotten PIN. An encrypted backup file restores on any iPhone with just its passphrase, and a safety check shows that a backup opens before you need it.

  • Clear pricing

    A free plan you can actually use, and Premium for more room and more features. If Premium ends, nothing you stored is ever locked or removed.

Also in the vault

  • Documents

    Keep PDFs in the vault and search the text inside them. The text is read on your iPhone and stored encrypted. Scanning paper documents with the camera is Premium.

  • Vault Drop

    Choose Vaultumi in the share sheet from Photos, Files or other apps. The file is encrypted straight away and moves into the vault the next time you unlock. Shared from Photos, the original stays in Photos until you delete it there.

  • Similar photos

    Find near-duplicate photos on your iPhone and review them. Nothing is deleted without your say. Moving them out is Premium.

  • Backup safety check

    Open a backup file with its secret and see what it covers compared with your vault today, before you need it.

  • Legacy Kit

    Split a new recovery code into printed cards, so that for example any 2 of 3 trusted people can recover your vault together. There is no timer: nothing is released after a delay or after your death, and the cards are only as safe as the people who hold them.

  • Intruder log

    Optional, off by default, Premium. After wrong PINs the front camera takes one photo, encrypted and shown only after you unlock. It may capture someone other than you.

How the photo vault works

  1. Create your vault

    Choose a 6-digit PIN. Vaultumi shows a recovery code once; you keep it offline. Add Face ID if you like.

  2. Add photos and videos

    Pick items from your Photos library or share them in. Each one is encrypted on your iPhone and verified. Only then is removing the originals offered.

  3. Use it day to day

    Browse photos, videos, Live Photos and documents in albums. The vault locks when you leave the app and the app switcher shows a cover, not your pictures.

  4. Export and back up

    Export any item whenever you want. Make an encrypted backup file and restore it on any iPhone with its passphrase.

Secure photo storage, honestly

Vaultumi protects your files at rest on your iPhone with standard encryption: AES-256-GCM for your media, keys that are wrapped by your PIN, your recovery code and optionally Face ID, and a limiter that slows down PIN guessing. It is not a guarantee, and it has not had an independent review.

What it is built to do

  • Encrypt every item before it is stored, each under its own random key.
  • Keep the device-bound part of your PIN protection out of every backup.
  • Never delete anything because of wrong PIN attempts.
  • Keep document text, Vault Drop items and intruder photos sealed until you unlock.
  • Make no network requests of its own and include no third-party code.

What it cannot protect against

  • A jailbroken or compromised iPhone, or malware on it.
  • Someone watching you type your PIN, or coercion.
  • A weak backup passphrase.
  • Screenshots. iOS does not let apps block them, and they land in your Photos library, outside the vault.
  • Forensic analysis of the device. There is no secure erase of flash storage.
  • Copies outside the vault: exported files, and originals you delete from Photos, which stay in Recently Deleted for about 30 days and may exist in iCloud or other synced copies.
  • Vault Drop’s brief window: iOS hands the share extension a temporary unencrypted copy of the shared file before it is sealed.
  • Legacy Kit holders: enough of them together, with a copy of your vault files, can open your vault.
  • Losing your secrets. If you lose your PIN and your recovery code and have no backup you can open, nobody can open your vault, including us.

Read the full security summary

Pricing: free plan and Premium

Free to use, with Premium for more room and more features. Prices are shown in the App Store, in your currency, and may vary by country and tax. Premium is available as an auto-renewing yearly or monthly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase.

Free

Included with the app

  • Up to 20 items
  • 2 albums
  • PIN and Face ID
  • Encryption
  • Export, backup and recovery
  • Vault Drop
  • PDFs and document search
  • Similar-photo finder
  • Backup safety check
  • Legacy Kit

Premium

Everything in Free, plus

  • Unlimited items and albums
  • Decoy vault with its own PIN
  • Private camera that saves straight into the vault
  • Document scanning
  • Intruder log
  • Tidying similar photos
  • Advanced security options
  • More organization tools

Your existing media is never locked or deleted if Premium ends. Export, backup, restore and recovery are never behind a purchase. See the subscription details.

Guides for keeping photos private

Plain advice on hiding photos on iPhone, keeping them safe and getting them back, with no hype and no tricks.

See all guides

Questions about Vaultumi

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. Vaultumi has no server and makes no network requests of its own. Only Apple’s App Store handles purchases.

I forgot my PIN. What now?

Use “Forgot PIN” and enter your recovery code, which was shown once when you created the vault. Without the recovery code the vault cannot be opened, and we cannot reset it for you.

What if I lose my PIN and my recovery code?

We cannot help. If you have a .vaultumibackup file and its passphrase you can restore it into a new vault.

What happens if Premium ends?

Nothing you have stored is locked or removed. You can still view, export and back up everything and restore any backup. You just cannot add beyond the free limits (20 items, 2 albums) or use Premium-only features.

Does it work on a new iPhone?

Yes, with a backup. Restoring a whole iPhone from an iCloud or computer backup brings the encrypted files but not the device-bound key your PIN needs, so you open the vault with your recovery code and set a new PIN. A .vaultumibackup file restores on any iPhone with just its passphrase.

Does Vault Drop remove photos from my library?

No. Shared from Photos, the original stays in Photos until you delete it there. The shared copy is encrypted right away and moves into your vault the next time you unlock.

Does the Legacy Kit release my vault after a time, or after I die?

No. There is no timer and no server. It splits a new recovery code into cards for people you choose, and a set number of them together can recover the vault. Creating a kit replaces your old recovery code.

Does the Intruder log photograph people?

Only if you turn it on. It is Premium and off by default, and asks for your consent first. After wrong PINs it takes one photo, which stays encrypted until you unlock. It may capture someone other than you.

Can Vaultumi stop screenshots?

No. iOS does not allow apps to block screenshots. The app hides its content in the app switcher and while the screen is being recorded or mirrored.

Is the decoy vault undetectable?

No. It is a convenience for casual situations. A technical examination of the phone’s storage can reveal that a second vault exists.

Has Vaultumi been audited?

Not at present. It uses standard Apple encryption primitives plus hand-written scrypt and secret-sharing code that still need external review. See the security page for what is and is not protected.

More answers, including backup and recovery, are on the support page.