HypaVault asks for very little to get started: a passcode, and a moment to write down 12 words. This guide walks through setup, then shows you around, so you know where everything lives before you add your first file.
Install the App
HypaVault runs on iPhone (iOS 16 or later), iPad, and Android phones and tablets (Android 10 or later). It's coming soon to the App Store and Google Play. Once it's installed, look for Hypa on your home screen: that's the short name under the icon.
Choose Your Passcode
- 1Open HypaVault. There's nothing to sign up for: no email, no phone number.
- 2Choose a 6-digit passcode. Weak codes, like runs (123456) and repeats (111111), are refused.
- 3Write down the 12-word recovery phrase HypaVault shows you next.
Your passcode is the lock on the vault. It's stretched with Argon2id and combined with a device key kept in your phone's secure storage, so a copy of the vault's files from a backup isn't enough for anyone to start guessing it.
Keep Your Recovery Phrase on Paper
The 12 words are your recovery phrase, generated with BIP39, the same standard crypto wallets use. They're shown once, can't be copied, and are never stored, so write them on paper and keep the paper somewhere safe, away from the phone.
- They reset your passcode if you forget it.
- They open your vault's backups.
- They bring your vault to a new phone.
Find Your Way Around
Your vault has five tabs: Photos, Videos, Audio, Notes and Files. Switch between them from the floating capsule at the bottom of the screen, called the island. The + button beside it adds things.
- Photos and Videos show every photo or video in the vault, wherever it's filed, newest first and grouped by month.
- Audio lists every recording and audio file, with a built-in player.
- Notes holds text notes and seed phrases.
- Files is a full file manager, with folders inside folders.
Tap any item to open it full screen. Swipe between items, pinch to zoom up to 10×, play videos, and read PDFs and text.
Add Your First Files
Tap + to see everything you can add: Take Photo, Photo Library, Import Documents, Record Audio, New Note and New Folder. Each import is decrypted again and compared with the original before it counts, and every change saves completely or not at all, so nothing is ever half saved.
Make Your First Backup
Your files live only on your phone, so a backup is your safety net. Back Up Now makes one encrypted file of the vault, checks that it opens, and lets you save it wherever you like. Backups are free on every plan, and they open only with your recovery phrase.
Make It Yours
- Choose Light, Dark or Automatic. The choice applies to every screen.
- Pick a language: English, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Spanish or French. Automatic follows your phone.
- Auto-Lock locks the vault the moment you leave the app. If you'd rather have a moment, choose 30 seconds instead.
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About the Author
Siddharth Pereira · Co-Founder, Product
Siddharth Pereira co-founded the company behind HypaVault and runs its product roadmap. He has spent more than 18 years building digital products, with a focus on product strategy and product management. Here he writes about how phone privacy works in practice: encryption, backups and the settings that matter.
Next: Guide 2 of 11 · Getting Started
Bring Photos, Videos, Files and Recordings Into Your Vault
Every way in through the + button: the in-app camera, your photo library, documents and the recorder, plus how to clear the originals from your gallery.
Read the Next Guide