---
title: Decoy mode: a free calculator disguise for your photo vault
canonical: https://mavaul.com/features/decoy-mode/
description: Turn on Decoy mode and Mavaul passes for a calculator, free: the home screen icon switches to a calculator and the app opens to one that really works. Type your passcode on the keypad to open your photo vault.
format: text/markdown
generator: scripts/generate-llms.js
---
# Decoy mode

Decoy mode turns your photo vault into a calculator app, and it's free. Turn it on and the home screen icon switches to a calculator, and opening the app shows a calculator that really calculates. Type your passcode on its keypad and the vault opens. Many calculator vaults charge for the disguise; in Mavaul the whole thing is on the free plan. With Premium, swap the icon for a cat, a bottle of hot sauce, a painting and more.

## How to use it
1. Turn on Decoy mode in Settings. The home screen icon switches to a calculator, and from then on Mavaul opens to a calculator instead of its lock screen.
2. Use it like any calculator. 2 + 2 shows 4, so a quick look gives nothing away.
3. Type your 4-digit vault passcode on the keypad to open the vault.
4. Want a different disguise? With Premium, pick a cat, hot sauce, a painting, a folder or a peach for the home screen instead.

## Pick an icon
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## The details
| Spec | Decoy mode |
| --- | --- |
| Lock screen | A working calculator in place of the passcode screen |
| Get in | Type your vault passcode on the calculator keypad |
| Wrong passcodes | No lockout warning on screen, so the calculator never gives itself away |
| Forgot passcode | Long-press the display or = to reach the recovery key |
| Home screen icon | Switches to the calculator when Decoy mode is on. With Premium: Cat, Hot Sauce, Painting, Folder, Peach, Geometric Peach |
| Second vault | None. The calculator is the decoy, not a fake gallery |
| Plan | Free, including the calculator icon. Other icons are Premium |

## Good to know
- The name under the icon stays Mavaul. iOS lets apps change their icon but not their name, so tuck it in a folder if that matters to you.
- When the icon changes, iOS shows a short notice saying so. That's iOS, and it only shows at that moment.
- Decoy mode hides the vault behind a calculator. It doesn't open a second, fake vault.
- The photos are encrypted either way. The disguise is about not being noticed; [encryption](/features/on-device-encryption/) is what keeps them safe.

## Questions
### Does the calculator really work?
Yes. It adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides like any calculator. Only your passcode opens the vault.

### Is there a free calculator vault?
Yes. Mavaul's Decoy mode is free: turn it on and the icon switches to a calculator, and the app opens to a working calculator. Your passcode on the keypad opens the vault.

### Can I make Mavaul look like a calculator app?
Yes. Turn on Decoy mode. The home screen icon and the lock screen both become a calculator, on the free plan.

### Can I use a different icon?
Yes. The calculator icon is free. With Premium, pick a cat, hot sauce, a painting, a folder, a peach and more.

### Does Mavaul have a fake second vault?
No. Decoy mode is the calculator itself. There is one vault, opened by your passcode.

## More features
- [Face ID & passcode](/features/face-id-passcode/). Open with a glance or a 4-digit code that isn't your phone's. Locks the moment you leave.
- [On-device encryption](/features/on-device-encryption/). AES-256-GCM on the iPhone for every photo, video and album name. No account, no Mavaul cloud.
- [Calculator vault apps, explained](/guides/calculator-vault-apps/). The disguise is the easy part. What to check so it protects the photos too.
- [All features](/features/). Everything in Mavaul, free and Premium.

## Try Mavaul
[Download Mavaul on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/pt/app/mavaul-photo-video-vault/id6759567727?l=en-GB)