ShyVault

ShyVault is a privacy-focused photo vault application for iPhone and iPad that encrypts your sensitive photos, videos, and documents behind a pattern-based lock that only you control. Unlike Apple's Hidden album—which anyone with your passcode can access—ShyVault uses military-grade encryption to ensure that without your unique pattern, nobody in the world can open your vault. Not ShyVault, not Apple, not anyone.

Who It's For

ShyVault is designed for iPhone users who need genuine privacy protection for their personal media and documents. Whether you're safeguarding private photos, sensitive documents like passports and medical records, or simply want control over who sees what on your device, ShyVault provides bank-level security without requiring accounts, sign-ups, or giving up your data to third parties.

Key Features & Capabilities

• Pattern-Based Security: Each vault opens with a shape you draw on a 5×5 grid—no PIN to watch you type, no password to forget
• Military-Grade Encryption: Every file is encrypted on-device using AES-256-GCM with keys derived from your pattern via Argon2id (requiring 64 MB memory per guess) and bound to your iPhone's Secure Enclave
• Multiple Vaults: Create unlimited vaults (Pro), each with its own pattern—nothing on your iPhone lists them, and unused patterns open empty vaults with no error message
• Duress Protection (Pro): A special pattern opens a harmless decoy vault while hiding your real vaults
• Screenshot Protection: Screen captures and recordings of ShyVault come out black—what's in the vault stays in the vault
• Auto-Lock: The vault closes instantly when you switch apps or lock your iPhone
• Document Support: Store photos, videos, PDFs, scanned documents, and notes—documents don't count toward free tier limits
• Built-In Camera: Take photos and videos directly into the vault
• Encrypted iCloud Backup: Vaults back up to your personal iCloud fully encrypted before leaving your device
• Recovery Phrases: Nine-word phrases let you recover vaults if you forget patterns
• Shared Vaults (Pro): Send read-only vaults with 120-bit codes and optional expiry dates
• iPad Sync (Pro): Keep vaults synchronized across iPhone and iPad
• Disguise Icons (Pro): Replace the ShyVault icon with calculator, clock, or other plain icons

Privacy & Security Model

ShyVault operates with zero knowledge architecture—no account creation, no email collection, no ads, and no analytics. Files are encrypted in pieces on your device before storage or backup, with keys that combine your pattern, Argon2id key derivation (intentionally slow to resist brute-force attacks), and secrets from your iPhone's Secure Enclave that prevent attacks on copied data. If someone copies your iPhone's storage or iCloud backup, they find only encrypted, padded pieces with random names that are computationally infeasible to decrypt without your pattern or recovery phrase.

Pricing

Free tier includes 3 vaults with 100 photos and 10 videos total, unlimited documents and notes, encrypted backup, and recovery phrases. Pro starts at $1.99/week, $19.99/year (7-day trial), or $39.99 lifetime, unlocking unlimited vaults and media, iPad sync, shared vaults, duress patterns, and disguise icons.