A private space is a small kind of freedom. Setting one up in Revault takes a few minutes. On iPhone or Android you need nothing else, because the apps need no Revault account. You draw a pattern, save a recovery key and start adding files.
Start on your phone
Revault’s native iOS and Android apps need no account, email or registration. Vaults stay on the device unless you turn on private iCloud or Google Drive sync for a vault, create an encrypted share or export it. The apps are not yet available in the App Store or Google Play.
Revault’s earlier browser vault, which used a separate passkey account and Revault’s cloud, is not currently available. New vaults are created in the native apps.
Draw a pattern that isn’t obvious
Each vault unlocks with a pattern drawn on a 5 × 5 grid, using at least six distinct dots. The grid size is not a promise of strength: predictable gestures, such as a letter or a straight line, are still easier to guess. Choose a sequence you can repeat reliably that does not trace an obvious shape.
The pattern works together with a random device secret stored on this device. That is why the same pattern alone does not open the vault on another device. Setting up another device needs your recovery key.
Save your recovery key before anything else
While you create a vault, Revault shows its recovery key and asks you to confirm that you have saved it. You can also download a recovery kit. Do this before you add files: the recovery key lets you set up another device, restore an encrypted backup or get back in after reinstalling the app.
The service does not store your recovery key in plaintext, and there is no provider-held master decryption key, so Revault cannot recover it for you. Keep it away from your devices and as carefully as a valuable physical key. The guide to recovery keys and backups explains what each one does.
Add your first files and folders
Add photos, videos and documents, then organize them into folders. File contents, filenames, file types, thumbnails, vault names, and folder names and structure are encrypted on your device before they are stored.
The service can still observe account associations, object counts, sizes and timestamps. Encryption hides what your files contain, not the fact that you use a cloud service.
Make your first encrypted backup
Once a few files are in place, export an encrypted backup. It is a .qvault file containing your encrypted files, and restoring it needs your recovery key. Keep it off this phone, so losing or resetting the phone does not take the backup with it. Test a restore from time to time so you know it works.
What a vault can’t protect
A vault protects stored files, not a device that is already compromised. While a vault is unlocked, a compromised device or a malicious frontend can read what you see. Keep your devices updated, review browser extensions and lock your screen when you step away.