Unlock methods · Free
Unlock your way. Stay hard to guess.
Choose a PIN, a pattern or a passphrase for each vault. Whichever you pick goes through the same pipeline: a memory-hard key function tuned to your iPhone, plus a device key that only its Secure Enclave can release.
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Which is more secure for a vault app: PIN, pattern or passphrase?
A passphrase is the strongest secret; a PIN is the fastest; a pattern is a convenience and no stronger than a PIN. In Sealby all three are stretched with Argon2id and combined with a key held by the iPhone’s Secure Enclave, so even a short PIN cannot be attacked from a copy of the data alone: guesses have to be made on your phone.
At a glance
- PIN by default; a 5×5 pattern or a passphrase if you prefer
- A different secret opens a different vault
- Argon2id, calibrated per device, makes every guess slow
- A Secure Enclave key ties the vault to your iPhone
What happens when you unlock.
- 1
You enter your secret
A PIN, a pattern of at least six dots on a 5×5 grid, or a passphrase. The secret itself is never stored.
- 2
Argon2id stretches it
A memory-hard function, calibrated to your device, turns the secret into a key. The short pause on unlock is on purpose.
- 3
The Secure Enclave adds its key
A key that lives in your iPhone’s Secure Enclave, gated by your device passcode, wraps the vault key. It cannot be exported or copied to another phone.
- 4
The vault opens
Only the right combination opens that vault. A wrong or new secret opens a blank vault instead of an error.
Why a blank vault instead of “wrong PIN”
An error message would confirm that a vault exists behind some other PIN. So a typo and a PIN that has never been used look the same: an empty vault, with the same timing. That is what keeps hidden vaults deniable.
Choosing well
Use a passphrase if you want the secret itself to be strong. Use a PIN for speed. Pick the pattern only because it suits you: Sealby never claims it is stronger. Whatever you choose, the recovery phrase is what guards the vault in the long run, so record it.
How the secret becomes a key
Limits worth knowing
Someone who watches you type your PIN learns it, whatever the method. And removing your iPhone passcode deliberately destroys the device key, so the vault then comes back only with its recovery phrase.
Common questions
Can I change my PIN later?
Yes. Changing the everyday secret re-wraps the local unlock; the vault’s recovery phrase stays the same.
Why does unlocking take about a second?
Your secret runs through a deliberately slow, memory-hard calculation so that guessing it is expensive for anyone else.
Can different vaults use different methods?
Yes. Each vault has its own secret, and each secret can be a PIN, a pattern or a passphrase.
Related: How hidden vaults work · The security architecture · How long would your PIN take to crack? · Recovery phrase
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iPhone & iPad · iOS 17+ · Free