What Cipher does.
Four things, in the order you meet them.
Different credentials. Different private spaces.
Draw one pattern and one vault opens. Type another passphrase and a different vault opens: its own keys, its own recovery phrase, its own files. There is no switcher and no list, so the lock screen never gives away what else exists.
Encrypted before it is stored.
Files are encrypted with AES-256-GCM on your iPhone before they are saved. Names, folders and previews are protected too. The vault key is opened by your credential and a key that belongs to your iPhone together, which is why a copied file is no use on its own.
Optional Face ID can open one vault you choose. It is a convenience on top of your credential, not a replacement.
Useful once you are inside.
- Photos open full screen with zoom and swipe. Videos play inside the vault.
- PDFs and text documents open without leaving a copy in your camera roll.
- Folders, rename, move and multi-select keep a large vault tidy.
- Bring files in from Photos or Files. Your originals stay where they are until you delete them.
- Deleted items wait in Recently Deleted until you remove them for good.
- Sharing a file out is a deliberate step, and the copy that leaves is no longer protected by Cipher.
A way back in, if you prepared one.
The recovery phrase is a key. It does not hold your files. A backup file holds your files, encrypted, and cannot be opened without the phrase. To restore a vault on a new iPhone you need both, and if you have neither, nobody can recover it for you.