Twelve words that only you hold
Because nobody else holds your key, nobody else can reset it. The recovery phrase is your spare key. Keep it somewhere safe and offline.
How it works
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.
When you create a vault, you write the phrase down and the app checks it by asking for 3 of the words.
Keeping it safe
Write it on paper and keep it with your passport. Do not keep it as a photo, as a note on the same phone, or in your email. Treat it like a key to the vault.
Know the limits
What it does not do
- If you lose the phrase and forget your pattern, the vault cannot be opened. There is no reset email because there is no account.
Questions
Can support reset my pattern for me?
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.
Is there an account I can recover?
There is no AlbumVault server, so there is no AlbumVault account to sign up for. We never have your photos or your keys, so we have nothing to hand over.
What if I lose the paper?
Keep a second copy somewhere safe, away from your phone. If both the phrase and your pattern are lost, nobody can open the vault.
What happens when I get a new phone?
Restore on the new phone before you set up a vault there: on the welcome screen, tap I have a backup file (on Android, Restore from a backup), pick the file and type the vault’s 12-word recovery phrase. The hardware key cannot move to a new phone, so on a new phone, or a phone restored from a backup, a vault opens only with its recovery phrase. Keep the phrase safe before you switch phones.
AlbumVault for iPhone and Android
Your photos, your pattern, your phone
- Encrypted on this phone
- Each pattern leads to one vault
- No account needed