How StrongRoom works
Step 1: choose how it opens
Open the app and tap Get started. Choose a pattern (draw it on a 5 x 5 grid, at least six dots with a turn) or a passphrase. You enter it twice. That credential opens this Vault and no other.
Step 2: write down your way back
The app shows 12 words once. Write them on paper and tick "I have written it down", then type a few of them back to check. This Recovery Phrase lets you set a new pattern if you forget it and is the key to an Export Package. If you would rather not write twelve words, you can add a Recovery PIN, which is easier to remember and easier to guess; keep the phrase too if you can.
Step 3: add what is private
Tap the add button. Import photos and videos from your library, add files and PDFs from Files, scan a paper document straight to an encrypted PDF, or take a photo or video inside the app. Everything is encrypted as it goes in. You can organise into folders and let the app offer to delete the originals.
Step 4: lock it, and make an Export Package
Leave the app and the Vault locks; the app switcher shows a blank screen. Then, before anything else, go to Settings and make an Export Package so a lost phone does not mean lost data. Keep that file somewhere safe.
What happens behind the screen
Your credential is stretched into a key and mixed with a secret that lives in the iPhone's Secure Enclave. That key unlocks a random Master Key. The Master Key unlocks an encrypted index of your items, and the index holds a separate key for every item. Items are stored as encrypted blobs with random names in a shared pool. Nothing readable is kept on disk. Read more on the security page.
What happens if
You forget the pattern
: use "Forgot?" with the Recovery Phrase or Recovery PIN.
You lose the phone
: restore from an Export Package on a new phone, with the phrase.
Someone draws a wrong pattern
: they see an empty Vault, and guesses slow down after ten.
You delete the app
: its data goes with it. Make an Export Package first.
You want a Vault you can hand over
: with Pro, add a second Vault as a Decoy, or make a Duress Vault. Without Pro, a credential that opens nothing shows an empty Vault.
Frequently asked questions
How long does setup take?
A few minutes; most of it is writing down the phrase.
Do I have to write the phrase down?
You can skip it, but then a forgotten pattern cannot be recovered. The app reminds you three times.
What does the app do with my photos?
It encrypts them and stores them inside the app. Originals stay in Photos unless you ask the app to delete them.
What if I delete the app?
Everything in it is deleted. Make an Export Package first.
Does it work offline?
Yes, except buying or restoring Pro, which goes through Apple.