ARCTIC VAULT LOCAL iOS ALPHA
Keep it close.
Open it on your terms.
Encrypted storage on your iPhone, with a deliberate path from passcode to passwords, from category to file. Explore the actual application and the protection behind it.
01 / Unlock / passcode
Open your vault deliberately.
A passcode unlocks the local vault. Until then, the interface covers private content. This capture shows a configured six-digit code; the current app supports a five-to-ten-digit numeric passcode.
When to use it
Enter your code when you need access. Lock the vault again with its lock control; leaving the foreground also closes the active session.
What matters
- Passcode access without Face ID or Touch ID
- Device-bound secret and passcode work together
- Private views are covered when inactive
02 / Passwords / separate space
Start with the essentials.
Passwords is the first space after unlocking. It holds credentials separately from the file collections, so opening the vault does not automatically present a gallery of private files.
When to use it
Create and organise password records, then open the record you need. The screen shown is an empty vault, before any entries have been added.
What matters
- Dedicated password space
- Explicit Add Password action
- Files stay behind a separate category choice
03 / Password entry / structured record
Keep the context beside the credential.
Each record can contain a title, username or email, password, optional website and notes. The visibility control lets the owner reveal the password while editing.
When to use it
Keep the details needed to recognise an account together in one encrypted record. Saving places it in the local vault; this form does not demonstrate browser autofill or account synchronisation.
What matters
- Title, login and password
- Optional website and notes
- Explicit password visibility
04 / Files / selective disclosure
Choose one space before seeing its contents.
Files begins with four collections: Media, Audio, Notes and Files. The chooser does not display filenames, previews or item counts. Media groups photos and videos; Files groups PDFs and other documents.
When to use it
Open the collection you need, then choose an item to view. The app loads the relevant catalogs and decrypts a selected file on demand.
What matters
- Four visible collections
- No mixed gallery on entry
- File bodies open on selection
05 / Media / photos and video
A protected copy of the moments you choose.
Add Media opens the system photo and video picker. An imported item is stored as a separate encrypted object inside the local vault.
When to use it
Bring selected media into the protected collection. Confirm that import completed before managing any original in Photos or another source.
What matters
- Explicit photo and video selection
- Encrypted local copy
- Selected-item viewing
06 / Audio / recordings and imports
Give recordings their own private space.
Audio supports file import and a guided route from Voice Memos through the system Share sheet. Shared content enters an encrypted inbox before the unlocked app imports it into the chosen collection.
When to use it
Prepare the Audio collection, share a recording from its source, then return to Vault and complete Import Shared. Alternatively, select an audio file directly.
What matters
- Voice Memos through Share
- Direct audio-file import
- Encrypted incoming queue
07 / Settings / owner-controlled protection
Make the lock policy your decision.
Choose whether vault erasure after failed passcode attempts is off, or triggered after three or five counted failures. Security changes require the current passcode and lock the vault after success.
When to use it
Set a policy appropriate for the data and your ability to keep the code safe. Visible File Categories controls which collections appear; hiding one preserves its contents.
What matters
- Erasure policy: Off / 3 / 5
- Current passcode required for security changes
- Category visibility without deletion
LOCAL STORAGE AND KEY PROTECTION
Protection beneath
the lock screen.
The current implementation encrypts records, catalogs and file contents on the device. A passcode and a device-bound secret unlock the key hierarchy. There is no Vault server account or automatic cloud synchronisation in this alpha.
Where are the files and keys stored?
Vault stores encrypted objects locally in its application storage, using iOS Complete File Protection and excluding its managed vault files from backup. Its device secret is stored in Keychain with WhenPasscodeSetThisDeviceOnly protection and synchronisation disabled.
The app has no built-in network exchange or cloud sync. Selecting a source through Photos or Files can still involve a system cloud provider. That source is separate from the encrypted copy kept by Vault.
How does the passcode protect the encryption keys?
The current Argon2id profile uses 64 MiB of memory, three passes and four lanes, with a random 16-byte salt. The scheme also uses a random 32-byte device secret. A short numeric passcode alone is not equivalent to a 256-bit random encryption key.
The random root key and category keys are wrapped with authenticated encryption. Key derivation separates purposes. These are implementation details of a local alpha, not an independent security certification.
What is visible while the vault is locked?
Record names and contents are encrypted. Storage is not metadata-free: object identifiers, categories, public import keys and sizes can exist outside encrypted bodies. The interface conceals private views when inactive.
Opening an item creates temporary plaintext for display. The app revokes its session and clears buffers it owns on lock, but cannot guarantee erasure of every copy created by iOS or a UI framework. A compromised unlocked device remains outside this protection boundary.
How does importing through Share work?
The Share extension receives a public recipient descriptor for the selected category. Curve25519 key agreement and HKDF-SHA-256 derive separate keys for metadata and body encryption; AES-GCM authenticates the incoming object.
The shared queue contains ciphertext and public routing information. The extension does not receive the vault passcode, private recipient key or active vault session. The main application verifies and imports the queued object after the owner returns and unlocks the relevant collection.
What happens if I forget the code or lose the device?
This alpha has no supported vault recovery, cross-device migration or cloud backup workflow. Access depends on both the passcode and the device-bound secret. A copied encrypted folder should not be treated as a restorable backup.
Optional erasure after failed attempts removes required key material and cleans up vault files. It is irreversible within the supported app workflow. Turning the policy off does not create a recovery mechanism.
What has been validated, and what remains?
The local alpha has internal storage, session, import and device checks, including rejected tampering, cancellation and selected failure cases. The screenshots here show the actual 0.1.8 (9) interface, mostly before content has been added.
Independent review of the cryptographic design and key lifecycle remains necessary before a public release. Not every system provider or cloud-media import condition has been verified. These captures are product evidence, not a security audit.
RESEARCH DIRECTION / ENCRYPTED EXCHANGE
A protected file.
A path across Arctic.
We are exploring a shared encrypted container for Vault and Messenger: a way to move protected files while keeping their contents encrypted throughout delivery. Digital Fabric is the longer-term setting for this work.
Vault already has an internal encrypted file format. A portable exchange format requires a separate design for recipient keys, permissions, integrity and version compatibility. Access would depend on cryptographic keys, not on keeping an extension or file specification secret.
Proposed architecture. Encrypted export to Messenger and Digital Fabric transport are not available in the current Vault release. Preserving an existing encrypted body without decrypting it during export is a design goal that still needs a prototype and security review.
Explore the Messenger testbed ↗ONE ECOSYSTEM. DISTINCT RESPONSIBILITIES.
Private storage.
Encrypted conversations.
Visible infrastructure.
Vault protects local content. Messenger tests encrypted communication. Relay Monitor gives operators an infrastructure view. Their current implementations and future integration plans are described separately.
Screens from Arctic Vault 0.1.8 (9), shown in workflow order. This is a local development release with internal validation; independent security review remains ahead.