A closer look
Keep private photos, videos, documents and audio in an encrypted vault on your iPhone. ArkWarden is an encrypted vault for iPhone. It stores photos, videos, documents and audio, and encrypts every file on the device before it is saved. How the vault opens The vault opens with a pattern the user draws, not the iPhone passcode, so unlocking the phone does not open the vault. The pattern runs through PBKDF2 (600,000 iterations, per-vault salt) and is combined with a key held in the iPhone's Secure Enclave. Together they unlock a random 256-bit master key. The pattern itself is never stored. Encryption Each file is encrypted individually with AES-256-GCM. The vault index is encrypted with ChaCha20-Poly1305. The encryption code is open source on GitHub, so anyone can review it. No account, no server There is no account, no sign-up and no ArkWarden server. ArkWarden never receives the keys that open a user's files. Recovery and backup A 12 or 24 word recovery phrase (BIP-39) is shown once at setup and kept only by the user. It restores access if the pattern is forgotten. Encrypted backup to iCloud or to a file is optional and off by default. Two-factor authentication Optional second factor: Face ID, Touch ID, a 6-digit PIN or a YubiKey over NFC. ArkWarden passed Yubico's technology review and is listed in the Works with YubiKey catalog. More features Wing: a second vault opened by a second pattern, with its own files Intruder Detection: an encrypted front-camera photo after 3, 5 or 10 wrong attempts Folders: create folders and import files straight into them Pricing Lifetime purchase or annual subscription. Purchases restore through the App Store. More Info Where to find the Hidden album on iPhone, and why anyone who knows your passcode can still open it: https://arkwarden.app/guides/hidden-photos-iphone How to lock the Photos app on iPhone, and what a lock does not protect: https://arkwarden.app/guides/lock-photos-iphone How to password-protect a folder on iPhone when the Files app has no folder password: https://arkwarden.app/guides/password-protect-folder-on-iphone
Who it’s for
iPhone users requiring local, zero-server encrypted storage for sensitive photos People who want to feel relaxed when they hand their phone to someone People who care about their privacy and want their private files to stay private Anyone who doesn't want to create an account to keep their files safe People who want personal photos and videos out of their camera roll
Where it runs / features
- iOS
Listing details
Price
Paid
To start
No account required
What you can do
Encrypt files individually on-device with AES-256-GCM encryption Authenticate access using hardware YubiKey two-factor authentication Organize files into folders inside the vault Back up the vault encrypted to iCloud or a file Open a second vault with a second pattern Unlock the vault with a drawn pattern
Questions
How are files encrypted in ArkWarden?Each file is encrypted individually directly on the device using AES-256-GCM with a random 256-bit master key.Is an account or email required to use ArkWarden?No. ArkWarden requires no account, no email, and operates without any ArkWarden server.How can the vault be unlocked?The vault opens with a pattern you draw, combined with a key held in your iPhone's Secure Enclave. You can add optional two-factor authentication with Face ID, Touch ID, a PIN or a YubiKey. If you forget the pattern, your recovery phrase restores access.Where can the source code be inspected?ArkWarden's core encryption code is open source and published on GitHub.Does unlocking my iPhone also open the vault?No. The vault has its own pattern, separate from your iPhone passcode, Face ID or Touch ID. Someone who can unlock your phone still cannot open the vault.
Product screenshots
Imported from Findly.tools on 2026-10-18. Source statements have not been independently verified.
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