Support
Help and frequently asked questions
Write to us if nothing here fits. There is no contact form and no ticket number — just an email address that gets read.
First things first: data loss
Read this before you store anything important
Vaultora has no safety net. No sync, no iCloud backup, no recovery by us. If the content matters to you, create an encrypted archive regularly and keep your secret somewhere you will still have it a year from now.
I have forgotten my secret. Can you open the vault?
No. There is no master key, no back door and no recovery — not in individual cases, and not against proof that the device is yours. The key is derived from your secret and is stored nowhere.
Without the secret, the data in that vault is permanently lost. That is the flip side of nobody else being able to look inside.
I restored my iPhone from a backup — the vaults are gone.
That is expected behaviour. The directory holding the vaults is explicitly excluded from the iCloud backup so that vault contents do not end up in a backup and thus on someone else's servers.
Only what you previously saved as an encrypted archive can be brought back.
How do I move my vaults to a new iPhone?
- On the old device, create an encrypted archive.
- Put the archive somewhere the new device can reach — Files app, a computer, an external drive.
- On the new device, install Vaultora and restore the archive.
- Check that everything is there before you erase the old device.
There is no automatic migration, because there is no synchronisation.
How often should I create an archive — and where should I put it?
Often enough that losing everything since the last archive would not hurt. With regular use, once a month is a sensible start, plus before every iOS update and every change of device.
The archive is encrypted. You can therefore also put it where you would not put unencrypted data — in cloud storage, for instance. Without the secret it is worthless.
Two copies in two places beat one. And an archive you have never restored is an assumption, not a backup — try the route once while the data is still somewhere else.
What happens if I delete the app?
iOS removes the app's protected area along with it — and with it all vaults. Since they are not in the backup and are not synchronised, they are then gone. Create an archive first.
Using the app
How do I transfer files between iPhone and computer?
Using the local server: you switch it on in the app, the app shows you an address and a one-time password, and you open that address in a browser on a computer on the same network.
The server runs only while it is switched on and the app is in the foreground. The password is generated afresh on every start.
The browser warns about the certificate. Is that a problem?
No, that is to be expected. The connection is encrypted, but the certificate is self-signed and generated per session — so it cannot be confirmed by a certificate authority. There is no publicly issued certificate for an address on a private network.
Check that the address and one-time password match what the app displays, then confirm the exception.
The computer cannot find the iPhone.
- Are both devices on the same network? Guest Wi-Fi often isolates clients from each other.
- Is the app in the foreground? In the background the server stops.
- Did you take the address in full, including port and
https://? - Is a VPN active on the computer or the iPhone? That routes traffic past the local network.
Can I put files back into the photo library?
Vaultora does not write to the photo library. The app can read what you select from it — the way back is via export.
Will iCloud sync arrive later?
It is not planned. Synchronisation would mean vault data leaving the device and residing elsewhere. That is precisely what Vaultora is meant not to do. Exchange happens via the encrypted archive and the local server.
May I record conversations?
You need to assess that yourself. In Germany, recording the spoken word of others in private without the consent of those involved is a criminal offence under § 201 StGB. Images and video are additionally subject to personality rights.
Vaultora is a vault for your own recordings, not a tool for covert recording. More on this in the Terms of Use.
Purchase
What does Vaultora cost?
The app is free to download and free to keep using with up to 15 files per vault. A one-time in-app purchase removes the limit. The App Store tells you the current price before you buy — which is why no figure appears here.
Is this a subscription? Do I have to cancel?
No and no. There is no subscription, no automatic renewal and no trial period that expires. One purchase, done.
I have a new iPhone — do I have to buy again?
No. The purchase is tied to your Apple ID. On the new device you restore it using the app's restore function. Vault contents come across separately, via your archive.
How do I get a refund?
Through Apple, at reportaproblem.apple.com. App Store purchases run through Apple as payment processor; we cannot initiate refunds ourselves. Details are in the Terms of Use.
Nothing here fits?
Send an email to info@vaultora.app. Helpful details: iOS version, device model, and what you did just before it went wrong. Please do not send us vault contents, archives, or ever your secret — we do not need them and could not do anything with them anyway.