Set up your vault for the first time
Privara requires an iPhone or iPad running iOS 18.0 or later. Download the app from the Apple App Store — no account creation is needed. The app works entirely on-device with zero-knowledge encryption, meaning we never see your data.
After installation, the app will guide you through a short onboarding flow to set up your passcodes and recovery key. The entire setup takes about two minutes.
When you first open Privara, you'll be guided through a step-by-step setup. The onboarding covers creating your real vault passcode, setting a decoy passcode, and generating your recovery key.
If your device does not have a device passcode set, Privara will display a warning. A device passcode is strongly recommended because iOS file protection (NSFileProtectionComplete) relies on it to keep your encrypted files secure when the device is locked.
During setup, you'll create two separate 6-digit passcodes. Your real passcode opens your actual vault containing your private content. Your decoy passcode opens a separate, empty vault that looks legitimate but contains none of your real data.
The two passcodes must be different. If someone pressures you to unlock the app, you can enter the decoy passcode to reveal an innocent-looking vault while your real data remains hidden and encrypted.
After setting your passcodes, Privara generates a unique 12-character recovery key. This key is your only way to regain access if you forget your passcodes or if the iOS Keychain is reset (for example, after restoring your device from a backup).
Write down the recovery key and store it somewhere safe — Privara does not have access to it and cannot recover your data without it. You can optionally save the key to your iCloud Keychain for convenience.
After setup, you can enable Face ID or Touch ID for quick vault access. Biometric unlock is a convenience feature — it uses Apple's Secure Enclave to verify your identity without exposing any biometric data to the app.
You can toggle biometric authentication on or off at any time in Settings. When disabled, you'll need to enter your passcode each time you open the app.
Privara's core security features are available for free, including encryption, dual vaults, break-in detection, biometric unlock, and the calculator disguise. Free users can create up to 3 albums and 10 contacts.
Premium unlocks unlimited albums and contacts, the direct-to-vault camera, document import, iCloud Sync across devices, WiFi Transfer to your computer, and shared albums via CloudKit. Premium is available as a monthly ($4.99/month) or yearly ($29.99/year) subscription.