What StrongRoom does not protect against
A vault is only useful if you know where its walls end. This is the list, in plain words, and we keep it current.
About your data
- There is no cloud backup. If you lose this phone and have no Export Package, your data is gone. We cannot recover it. The Recovery Phrase alone restores nothing; it needs the Export Package.
- Nothing is synced. Each phone has its own Vaults. There is no second-device access.
- Exporting leaves protection behind. An item shared or saved out of the Vault is an ordinary file.
- Delete originals is your call. Photos you imported stay in your library, and in Recently Deleted for 30 days after you delete them, unless you clear them.
About recovery
- The Recovery Phrase is shown once. We keep no copy and cannot show it again. If you lose it and forget your pattern, the Vault is lost.
- The Recovery PIN is weaker than the phrase. Six digits allow a million guesses; twelve random words have far too many combinations to guess in practice. The PIN is tied to this phone and slowed by the guess limit, but it is still the weakest secret in the Vault. It cannot restore on a new phone.
About sharing
- Share Package limits are only enforced by this app. An open count or expiry lives on the recipient's phone, and someone skilled, with a modified app or a screen recorder, can get around it. A sent file cannot be recalled.
- There is no revoking and no live shared Vault.
- Anyone with the file and the words or QR code can open a Share Package.
About pressure and force
- A Duress Vault erases for good. It is not undoable and may be unlawful to use in some places.
- The phone remembers how many Vaults were made. A small Keychain record notes which slots were used, so a forensic extraction of an unlocked phone can show that more than one Vault exists, though not which pattern opens which.
- A Decoy Vault or an Empty Vault is not magic. They hide Vaults from the screen. They do not defeat a determined forensic examination, and they do not stop someone who simply demands every credential.
- No Face ID. By design, so no credential is distinguishable.
About your phone
- An unlocked Vault can be seen by anyone who looks at your screen, shoulder-surfs your pattern or records it.
- Spyware, a compromised iOS, or a jailbroken phone can defeat any app. StrongRoom cannot detect them.
- Screenshots and screen recordings cannot be blocked by an app on iOS.
- Keys exist in memory while a Vault is open. We clear them on lock, and we do not claim a provable wipe of every transient copy.
About the product
- iPhone only in 1.0. No iPad, Mac, Android or web version.
- No custom disguise. The app does not hide its icon or pretend to be another app, so anyone who sees it knows what it is.
- Folders are one level deep; there are no notes and no rename of items.
About trust
- No outside expert has checked the app yet, and the source code is not published. The Recovery PIN is awaiting review of its cryptography.
Frequently asked questions
Can StrongRoom be hacked?
No app is immune to attack. The design makes copied files useless and slows guessing; it cannot defend an unlocked or compromised phone.
What is the biggest risk?
Losing your phone with no Export Package, or losing the phrase and forgetting your credential.
Can a Share Package be forced to expire?
Only by the recipient's app, and it can be bypassed.
Can someone prove I have a Duress Vault?
We make no such claim either way.
Is StrongRoom a good fit for me?
If you need automatic cloud backup or a second device, a different kind of app suits you better. See the comparison pages.