The pattern you draw is the key
Instead of a 4-digit code that is easy to watch over your shoulder, you draw a pattern on a 5×5 grid. That pattern is what unlocks the encryption.
Draw your pattern
Connect at least 6 dots
Vault
Same pattern, same vault. In the app, a pattern that belongs to no vault opens nothing; this demo invents one so you can see the idea.
Live demo. It runs in this page and keeps nothing.
How it works
Unlock by drawing a pattern on a 5×5 grid of dots, using at least 6 dots. Prefer numbers? A PIN of 6 to 12 digits works too.
Every pattern or PIN attempt goes through a key that stays in your phone’s security chip, so a copy of the vault files cannot be guessed at on another computer.
How many patterns there are
Over 19 million different 6-dot patterns, and far more as patterns get longer. Patterns people actually pick are far easier to guess than that number suggests, so choose a long one.
The security chip stops anyone trying patterns off your phone, but it does not slow down someone guessing on your unlocked phone, so pick 8 or more dots for a private vault.
Technical details
Your pattern or PIN is stretched with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (600,000 rounds) and combined with a key held in your phone’s Secure Enclave (iPhone) or StrongBox/TEE (Android), so it can only be tried on your phone.
After wrong tries
After 5 wrong tries the app makes you wait: 30 seconds, then 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, then an hour for every further try.
Know the limits
What it does not do
- Someone who watches you draw can copy the pattern, just like a PIN. Draw it out of view.
- Simple patterns such as a straight line, a square or your initial are the first ones anyone tries.
- The security chip does not slow guessing on the phone itself: someone with your unlocked phone, or a forensic tool running code on it, can try patterns at hardware speed, past the app’s waits. A long, unusual pattern or PIN is what protects you then.
Questions
How many dots does a pattern need?
Unlock by drawing a pattern on a 5×5 grid of dots, using at least 6 dots. Prefer numbers? A PIN of 6 to 12 digits works too.
What happens after wrong tries?
After 5 wrong tries the app makes you wait: 30 seconds, then 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, then an hour for every further try.
What if I forget my pattern?
Each vault has its own 12-word recovery phrase (BIP-39), shown once. We never see it and cannot reset it. If you forget your pattern, the phrase gets you back in.
AlbumVault for iPhone and Android
Your photos, your pattern, your phone
- Encrypted on this phone
- Each pattern leads to one vault
- No account needed
Coming soon to both stores 