FAQ
Is Mavaul free?
Yes, it's free to download. The free plan holds up to 20 photos and videos with full encryption, Face ID and passcode, Wi-Fi Share and the calculator lock screen.
Premium removes the limit and adds encrypted backup, Adjust & Crop, more app icons, your own lock delay and slideshow speed, and email recovery.
Which devices does Mavaul run on?
Mavaul is available for iPhone on the App Store.
Does Mavaul upload my photos?
No. Your vault lives on your phone. There's no account, no Mavaul cloud, and nothing syncs in the background. We don't host backups.
If you use Premium's encrypted backup, the vault is encrypted on your phone first and saved to storage you control: Dropbox, Nextcloud (WebDAV) or Files.
Can anyone else see my photos, even you?
No. Everything is encrypted with AES-256 on your device and opens only with your Face ID or passcode. We never have your keys, so we couldn't look even if we wanted to.
How do Face ID and the passcode work?
You unlock with Face ID or your passcode. The vault locks again when you leave the app, after a short grace period. With Premium you choose how long that grace period is.
What if I forget my passcode?
When you set up the vault you get a 24-character recovery key. Enter it to get back in and set a new passcode. Keep it somewhere safe outside your phone.
With Email Recovery (Premium) you can also email yourself a copy ahead of time, from Settings while the vault is open. Without the key, nobody can open the vault, including us.
What is Email Recovery?
An optional Premium safety net. While the vault is open, add your email in Settings, confirm it with the 6-digit code we send, and Mavaul emails you your recovery key. If you forget your passcode, find that email and type the key in. You can't request it from the lock screen, because Mavaul doesn't keep a readable copy of the key.
The key isn't stored on our servers, the email is a plain transactional message with no tracking, and the vault never unlocks from the email itself. You still enter the key.
What is Encrypted Backup?
An optional Premium feature in Settings → Backups. Connect Dropbox, Nextcloud (WebDAV) or Files, then tap Back Up Now. Your provider stores encrypted data, not readable photos. Keep the app open while a backup runs.
To restore on a new phone, start with an empty vault, pick your backup, enter your recovery key and set a new passcode. If Premium lapses, your existing backups stay reachable.
How does Wi-Fi Share work?
Tap Share and scan the QR code with a laptop, tablet or TV browser on the same Wi-Fi. Thumbnails appear almost instantly and full-size photos follow. Each session has its own code, and nothing leaves your network.
Can I hide that the app is a vault?
Yes, for free. Turn on Decoy mode and the home screen icon becomes a calculator, and the app opens to a calculator that really works: typing your passcode on the keypad opens the vault. With Premium, pick a cat, a bottle of hot sauce and more instead.
Can I edit photos in the vault?
Yes, with Premium. Adjust exposure, brilliance, contrast, shadows and brightness, then crop to Square, 4:5, 4:3 or 16:9. Edits happen inside the vault, so the photo never touches your camera roll.
How do I select lots of photos at once?
Tap Select, then slide a finger across the grid, just like Photos on iOS. Move, share or delete everything you picked in one go.
Where can I read the legal terms and privacy details?
See the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.