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Getting Started

Getting Started: Create Your First Vault

Install Vaultine, set your lock, save your 12-word recovery phrase and add your first files. No account or email needed.

Last updated Nov 02, 2026
#getting-started#setup#guide

Vaultine keeps your private photos, videos and documents in an encrypted vault on your own device. Setup takes four steps and needs no account, no email and no sign-up.

1. Install Vaultine

Vaultine runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad, Android and Windows. Get it from your platform's store:

The first time you open it, Vaultine registers your device once. That check-in sends basic device and app details, a random install ID and a push token. It carries no account, no email and nothing that identifies you personally. After that, you don't need an internet connection to lock, view or manage your files.

2. Set your lock

Choose how you unlock your vault: a 5×5 pattern or a 6-digit PIN. Your files are encrypted with a key derived from this lock, on your device, so pick something you'll remember and nobody else could guess.

Not sure which to choose? See Set Up Your Lock: 5×5 Pattern or 6-Digit PIN.

3. Save your 12-word recovery phrase

Vaultine generates a 12-word recovery phrase for you. It's the only way back in if you forget your pattern or PIN, or if you set Vaultine up again on a new device.

  • Write the 12 words down, in order, on paper.
  • Keep that paper somewhere safe and away from your device.
  • Don't screenshot it or keep it in your notes app.

Vaultine has no account and no copy of your key, so nobody can reset your lock for you. If you lose both your lock and the phrase, the files can't be recovered. How Vaultine's recovery phrase works explains why.

4. Add your first files

Open your vault and add the photos, videos or documents you want to protect. Each file is encrypted as it comes in. The full steps are in Import and Hide Photos, Videos and Files.

Free and Pro

The free version gives you one vault with up to 10 files, AES-256 encryption and the built-in viewer. Vaultine Pro adds:

  • unlimited storage and multiple vaults
  • the Decoy Vault and the Duress Vault, two separate features (how they differ)
  • custom recovery phrases
  • encrypted Dropbox sync, if you want a backup off the device

You can upgrade from inside the app, monthly, yearly or with a one-time lifetime purchase, through your platform's store.

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