Support

Contact: support@vaultumi.com - Response time: [OWNER: e.g. within 3 business days]

Please never send us your PIN, recovery code, backup passphrase, or your photos. We do not need them and cannot use them. We cannot unlock, reset or recover your vault: nobody can without your secrets.

For a full explanation of PIN, recovery code and backups see the Backup and recovery guide below.

FAQ

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.
Use "Forgot PIN" and enter your recovery code (shown once when you created the vault). Without the recovery code, the vault cannot be opened.

I lost my recovery code but I remember my PIN.
Open the vault, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and generate a new recovery code. Write it down. The old one then stops working.

I lost 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.

I got a new iPhone (or restored from a backup) and the PIN does not work.
This is expected. The device-bound part of the PIN protection (the pepper) never leaves the iPhone and is in no backup, encrypted or not, so a phone restored from an iCloud or computer backup cannot be opened with the PIN. Use "Forgot PIN" and the recovery code, then set a new PIN. If you made a .vaultumibackup you can restore that instead. The decoy vault has no recovery code, so it cannot be reopened on the new phone; create it again.

Face ID stopped working.
Face ID is switched off by iOS if you change enrolled faces or remove your passcode. Unlock with your PIN and re-enable Face ID in settings.

After too many wrong PINs the app made me wait. Is my data deleted?
No. Vaultumi never deletes data because of wrong PINs. The wait grows to one hour per attempt after 8 failures. Changing the date or time does not shorten it, and restarting the iPhone starts the current wait again from the beginning.

Can I recover photos if I delete the app?
Only from an iPhone backup or from a .vaultumibackup file. Deleting the app deletes the vault stored in it.

Does restoring a backup erase my current vault?
No. Restore adds missing items and never replaces or deletes. You can run it again if interrupted.

What happens if my Premium subscription 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 (50 items, 2 albums) or use Premium-only features.

How do I restore my purchase on a new device?
Open the Premium screen and tap Restore Purchases with the same Apple ID. Purchases are tied to your Apple ID, not to your vault.

How do I cancel my subscription?
In iOS: Settings > your name > Subscriptions, or the App Store account page. Vaultumi cannot cancel it for you, because Apple handles billing. Refund requests go to Apple (reportaproblem.apple.com).

Can you see my photos if I send a bug report?
No. We do not collect logs or data. If you email us, include only what you choose, never your secrets.

Is the decoy vault undetectable?
No. It is a convenience for casual situations. A technical examination of your phone's storage can reveal that a second vault exists. See the Privacy & Security screen in the app.

Can Vaultumi stop screenshots?
No, iOS does not allow apps to block screenshots. The app hides its content in the app switcher and when the screen is being recorded or mirrored. Screenshots you take are saved in your Photos library.

I deleted originals after import but they are still in Photos.
Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for about 30 days. Delete them from there too. Copies in iCloud Photos or other devices may need separate deletion.

The import was interrupted.
Open the app again. Incomplete items are cleaned up automatically and you can import the same items again; nothing is duplicated.

The app says a file is damaged.
Run Settings > Storage/Integrity check. If a specific item fails, restore it from a backup. Other items are unaffected.

Is Vaultumi certified or audited?
Not at present. It uses standard Apple encryption primitives. See the security page for what is and is not protected.

Reporting a security issue

Email [OWNER: security contact email] with details. Please do not include real personal data. [OWNER: add a response commitment and, if desired, a PGP key.]

Backup and Recovery Guide

Vaultumi keeps everything on your iPhone. There is no account and no server, so there is no "forgot password" email. You protect your vault with three different secrets, each for a different situation. Please read this once.

1. The three secrets

Face ID is a convenience on top of the PIN. If a Face ID attempt fails, try again or use your PIN. If you add a new face or change your passcode, Face ID is switched off by iOS: use your PIN and turn Face ID on again.

The decoy vault has no recovery code. If you lose its PIN, or move to a new phone, it cannot be reopened. You can only delete it and create a new one.

2. Three different kinds of "backup" (do not mix them up)

1. Local storage (what you have by default). The encrypted vault lives inside the Vaultumi app on this iPhone. If you delete the app or erase the phone without another copy, the vault is gone.
2. iPhone backup (iCloud or computer). The encrypted vault files are part of your normal iPhone backup, on purpose, so a restored phone still has them. The device-bound key that your PIN needs (the "pepper") stays in this iPhone's Keychain and is never included in any backup, encrypted or not. So on a phone restored from an iPhone backup, the PIN does not open the vault. You need your recovery code (or a Vaultumi backup file). Anyone who only holds your iPhone backup, without your recovery code, has encrypted data they cannot test PIN guesses against. The decoy vault has no recovery code, so it cannot be reopened after you restore or move to a new phone.
3. Vaultumi encrypted backup file (.vaultumibackup). You create it inside the app, choose a passphrase and save the file wherever you like (Files, iCloud Drive, a computer, a USB drive). It works on any iPhone with the app and needs only its passphrase. It does not need your PIN, recovery code, Face ID or the old phone. This is the portable, safest-to-rely-on copy.

Recommendation: make a Vaultumi backup file now and after major additions, and keep the file and the passphrase in different places.

3. How to make a backup

Settings > Backup > Create backup. Use the secret the app generates for you (recommended), or choose your own passphrase: at least 12 characters, long and unique (several random words is good). The app rejects very repetitive or trivially common passphrases. A short or guessable passphrase can be cracked by anyone who gets the file. Pick where to save. Wait until the app says it is complete. The file is written under a temporary name and only gets its final name when it is finished, so an unfinished file never looks complete. The backup includes everything in the unlocked vault, including items in Recently Deleted.

Note: the backup contains the vault you are in. A decoy vault has its own, separate backup.

4. How to restore

1. Install Vaultumi and create a vault (new PIN; write down the new recovery code).
2. Settings > Backup > Restore, pick the file, enter its passphrase.
3. The app first checks the whole file. If anything is wrong, nothing is restored.
4. Restoring adds items to your vault. It never deletes or replaces what you already have. Items already present are skipped.
5. If it is interrupted (app closed, phone died), open it again and restore the same file: it carries on and skips what is already done.

Restoring is never limited by the free plan and is always free.

5. What if I lose something?

Warning: if you lose both your recovery secret (PIN/recovery code) and every backup (or its passphrase), your photos and videos may be permanently unrecoverable.

6. Wrong PIN attempts

After 5 wrong PINs the app makes you wait: 30 seconds, then 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, then an hour for each further attempt. Changing the date or time on the iPhone does not shorten the wait, and restarting the iPhone starts the current wait again in full. The PIN check you are asked for before changing your PIN, making a new recovery code, creating a decoy vault, creating a backup or deleting all data counts toward the same limit, and a login to the decoy vault does not reset it. The app never erases anything, no matter how many times a wrong PIN is entered.

7. Deleting originals from Photos

After importing, Vaultumi can offer to delete the originals from your Photos library. iOS asks you to confirm. If you edited a photo, the original file is what gets removed, so the edit is not what was imported. Deleted photos go to Recently Deleted in Photos for about 30 days, and copies kept in iCloud Photos or elsewhere may remain. Vaultumi does not erase them securely. If you must remove all traces, delete them from Recently Deleted and from other synced locations yourself.

8. Good habits

• Write the recovery code on paper, keep it away from the phone. You will need it if you ever restore your iPhone from a backup.
• Make a Vaultumi backup now. Test restoring it on a spare device if you can.
• Use a strong passphrase for backups.
• Do not store your recovery code and backup passphrase in a note on the same phone.
• Remember that screenshots you take go to your Photos library, outside the vault.